Canada's Nautilus Minerals , which mines the sea floor for mineral deposits, signed an agreement with German shipper Harren & Partner for a ship to support operations at its flagship copper mine in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, sending its shares up as much as 18 percent. Nautilus aims to start production at the world's first off-shore copper mine -- the Solwara 1 project in Papua New Guinea -- in the second half of 2013 and getting a contract for a ship was the last big step to get board approval. Harren will build the ship at a cost of about 127 million euros ($183.34 million) and deliver it in the first half of 2013, Nautilus said in a statement. Harren will own a 50.01 percent interest in the ship, while Nautilus will hold the rest through a holding company. The Papua New Guinea government, through Petromin PNG Holdings Ltd, holds a 5 percent stake in that holding company.
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