Overview
| Status | Care and Maintenance |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 15 years (as of Jan 1, 2021) |
Skorpion Zinc has been under Care and Maintenance since start of May 2020, following cessation of mining activities due to geotechnical instabilities in the open pit. Activities to restart the mine are still in progress.
Skorpion Refinery conversion – awaiting confirmation of power tariff to take the final decision before beginning on-ground execution in FY 2024. |
Source:
p. 13
Contractors
- Subscription is required.
Deposit Type
- Sedimentary
- Volcanic hosted
Summary:
The mineral chemistry, ore textures and styles of mineralisation are discussed for each ore mineral. Both, the mixed sediment-/volcanic-hosted non sulphide ore body and the remnants of volcanic-hosted sulphide mineralisation are known from abundant drill core and recently exposed non-sulphide mineralisation in the open pit. Remnants of a primary sulphide mineralisation are mainly preserved in the felsic metavolcanic rocks and their hyaloclastic eqivalents, which structurally underlie the central portion of the supergene ore body at depth.
The felsic metavolcanic rocks are also exposed some hundreds meters west of the Skorpion open pit, displaying disseminated pyrite mineralisation or forming gossans. The most famous gossan, which is located west of the Skorpion ore body, is the so called 'discovery outcrop'.
Within the footwall of the Skorpion non-sulphide zinc ore body disseminated to semi-massive primary pyrite sphalerite mineralisation has been intersected at a depth of 250 m and 300 m, respectively, which features a 25-m-wide zone grading 0.6 % Zn and 0.35 % Cu.
For completeness it has to be mentioned that some minor primary sulphides have been found in metasiliciclastic rocks but also in marble in the northern extension of the Skorpion ore body about 1.5 km north of the Skorpion open pit, e.g. borehole SD104, at a depth between 550 m and 700 m in unaltered fresh equivalents of the Skorpion metasiliciclastic host rocks and marble, respectively.
Summary:
The Skorpion mine and refinery is located in the Karas region of southern Namibia, comprising an open pit mine. The Skorpion mine produces only high-grade, high purity SHG zinc ingots that are registered on the LME.
At Skorpion Zinc engagement with technical experts to explore opportunities of safely extracting the remaining ore is ongoing. The pit optimization work is complete. Activities to restart the mine are still in progress.
Restart Skorpion post-completion of geotechnical studies and feasibility completion of imported zinc oxides.
Flow Sheet:
Source:
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
- subscription is required.
Production:
Skorpion produced 0.6 kt in April 2020 before moving into Care and Maintenance
for the rest of the year.
| Commodity | Units | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|
Zinc
|
M lbs
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 186 | 188 | 181 |
- Subscription is required.
Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
|
Ore tonnes mined
| 1,038,936 t | 1,009,243 t | 537,066 t | 1,206,176 t | 1,241,327 t | 1,344,272 t | 1,252,092 t |
|
Annual production capacity
| | | 150,000 t of zinc metal | 150,000 t of zinc metal | 150,000 t of zinc metal | | |
Reserves at March 31, 2023:
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
|
Proven & Probable
|
0.8 Mt
|
Zinc
|
9.7 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
3.3 Mt
|
Zinc
|
12.2 %
|
|
Inferred
|
1.3 Mt
|
Zinc
|
9.5 %
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| | Commodity | Units | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|
Cash costs
|
Zinc
|
USD
|
......
|
......
|
0.85 / lb
|
0.75 / lb
|
0.74 / lb
|
| Type | Material | Diameter | Length | Description |
- Subscription is required.
Staff:
| Employees | Contractors | Total Workforce | Year |
|
|
|
|
2021
|
|
|
|
|
2019
|
|
|
|
|
2018
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
- Subscription is required.
- Subscription is required.