The group of businessman Lucio Tan, through listed MacroAsia Corp., has secured a $1-billion investment deal with China’s Jinchuan Group Ltd. that will include mine development and processing facilities in Palawan.

MacroAsia made the announcement on Wednesday, saying the agreement was signed during President Aquino’s recent state visit to China. MacroAsia shares jumped 6.57 percent to P3.57 each on Wednesday.

“The estimated value of investments by both MacroAsia and Jinchuan is about $1 billion. Said investment is the total amount involved over the life of the project when the plant and other processing facilities are in place,” the company noted.

The deal was prompted by MacroAsia proposal that Jinchuan, China’s biggest nickel refiner, consider value-added investments in Palawan instead of just direct shipments.

MacroAsia, whose main business is providing support services to airliners, is in the processing of reviving the Infanta nickel project, which covers 1,114 hectares in Brooke’s Point, Palawan province. The area was the source of ore shipments to Japan in the 1970s.

In a separate disclosure, Oriental Peninsula Resources Group Inc. said it has also signed agreements with Chinese partners during the same state visit.

Oriental Peninsula said it has secured investments for three projects involving hydropower, coal and a nickel off-take deal with Yun Feng, a China-based company involved in automotive parts.

The company’s mining interests are held through subsidiary Citinickel Mines and Development Corp., which has the right to explore and develop the Pulot and Toronto mines in Palawan.

Citinickel’s claims cover 1,408 hectares in Pulot and 768 hectares in Toronto.

Oriental Peninsula, which has already begun shipping nickel as of the second quarter of 2011 to Chinese and Australian buyers, declined 1.32 percent to P4.50 each on Wednesday.