Commodity shares rallied after copper reached a 20-month high, on hopes that a global economic recovery will spur industrial demand for metals.
Vedanta Resources and Kazakhmys led the FTSE 100, which traded 18 points higher at 5763.47 points at 2.25pm.
Copper, which is mostly used to make electric cables, gained 1.6% to more than $8,000 (£5,275) a tonne, the highest since August 2008. Kazakh copper miner Kazakhmys gained 2.7% to £16.25, while Eurasian Natural Resources, also based in Kazakhstan, added 2.6% to £12.58. Vedanta Resources, India's largest copper producer, added 2.3% to £29.30. Xstrata, the world's fourth-largest copper producer, rose 3.3% to £15.00.
"The story about continued economic recovery has lifted commodity prices, so we've seen a boost for mining stocks," said David Jones, a strategist at IG Index. "The commodities story still has a few months left, as news suggests there's a recovery. I wouldn't be surprised if commodities continued to rise, they're still strong."
