(Corrects headline and first paragraph to remove percentage fall in annual profit, and corrects dateline to February 27, not February 8.)
Feb 27 (Reuters) - Australia-based Oz Minerals OZL.AX on Wednesday said its annual profit fell as the company saw higher spending to ramp up the expansion of its Prominent Hill and Carrapateena projects in South Australia.
The copper-focused miner posted a net profit after tax of A$222.4 million ($159.77 million) for the year ended Dec. 31, lower than A$231.1 million a year ago.
The company declared a final dividend of 15 Australian cents per share, however, up from a dividend of 14 Australian cents per share a year ago.
($1 = 1.3920 Australian dollars)