CRH has been cited as a possible buyer for Tarmac, the road-covering business put up for sale by Anglo American yesterday.

Chief executive Cynthia Carroll said the sale of UK-based Tarmac, which analysts believe could fetch more than $6 billion (€4.4 billion), was the mining group's last major piece of restructuring as it moves to focus on its metals and minerals businesses.

Carroll said Anglo had already received "considerable interest" in Tarmac from both trade and private equity firms and that Anglo hoped to complete a deal in the first half of 2008.

Analysts cited CRH, Egypt's Orascom Construction Industries, France's Lafarge, Mexico's Cemex, Switzerland's Holcim and private equity firms as potential buyers. Investec Securities said the price could reach $7.6 billion.

Anglo American will use the Tarmac proceeds to fund the group's new projects, which Carroll said had swelled to about $20 billion, as well as acquisitions. Any residual cash will be returned to shareholders, she told reporters.

Tarmac, named after the road surface its founder, Nottingham surveyor Edgar Purnell Hooley, discovered by accident over 100 years ago, made an operating profit of $315 million in 2006.

Carroll said there was no sign of an end to the boom in metals prices.