Mining Intelligence and News
Namibia

Skorpion Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusCare and Maintenance
Commodities
  • Zinc
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotSkorpion 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. The business is evaluating options to restart mining.

The Skorpion Refinery Conversion project was at Readyto-order stage, post completion of FEED, feasibility study, tendering activities, techno-commercial adjudication, contract finalisation, and on hold pending finalisation of power tariff.

The application for environmental clearance renewal certificate for the refinery conversion project has been submitted and waiting for approval.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Vedanta Resources plc. 62.06 % Indirect
The Scorpion mine is wholly owned by Skorpion Mining Corp., a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, which holds a 62.06% economic interest.

Zinc international business (THL Zinc Limited) comprises Skorpion mine and Black Mountain Mining (Proprietary) Limited.

July 30 2024 Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta said it got approval from the majority of its secured creditors for the demerger of the company into six independent companies.

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.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

Skorpion produced 0.6 kt in April 2020 before moving into Care and Maintenance
for the rest of the year.
CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Zinc M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe146186188181225

Operational metrics

Metrics202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe1,009,243 t537,066 t1,206,176 t1,241,327 t1,344,272 t
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe150,000 t of zinc metal150,000 t of zinc metal150,000 t of zinc metal

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2020201920182017
Cash costs Zinc USD  ....  Subscribe 0.11 / lb   0.85 / lb   0.75 / lb  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 25, 2024

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required 2018

Aerial view:

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