News: AIS UPDATE 1-Aeris Resources makes $575 mln offer to buy Australia copper mine from Glencore

• Offer comprises $525 mln in cash, $50 mln in Aeris shares
• Aeris says negotiations at late stage
• Firm has market value of around $55 mln
• Glencore declines to comment

(Adds detail on mine, funding)

March 20 (Reuters) - Australian copper producer Aeris Resources Ltd (AIS) on Wednesday said it had offered to buy global trader and miner Glencore's GLEN.L copper mine in the state of New South Wales for $575 million.

Aeris said in a statement that negotiations were at a late stage, with the offer comprising $525 million in cash, $50 million in Aeris shares and a royalty payable to Glencore.

A spokesman for Glencore declined to comment. The Queensland-headquartered Aeris, with a market value of A$78 million ($55.19 million), said the acquisition could be funded through a combination of debt, an equity capital raising and an agreement through which it would sell mine byproduct silver to Glencore.

Glencore also has a copper mine in the state of Queensland.

($1 = 1.4134 Australian dollars)