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Location: 7 km W from Kolwezi, DRC
Commune de DilalaKolweziDRC7188
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The copper-cobalt minerals hosted in rocks of the Neoproterozoic Katangan Basin in the Central African copper belt metallogenic province of the DRC are a classic example of (low energy) sediment-hosted stratiform copper (SSC) ore system deposits. These deposits are economically significant, as they account for approximately 25% of the world’s copper production and known Mineral Reserves being second only to porphyry copper deposits in terms of copper production and the most important global cobalt resource.The copper-cobalt deposits contained in a sedimentary series of rocks are known as the Mines Group in the Katanga sequence and the Roan Group in Zambia. The sediments are shallow-water shales, dolomitic shales, reefal dolomites and possible evaporitic lagoonal mudstones, formed on a platform marginal to a subsiding basin. The rocks are exposed in a series of tightly folded and thrusted anticlines and synclines, which generally trend east-west or southeast and are often overturned to the north. In spite of this deformation overprint, the mineralized zones, although sometimes lenticular along strike and down dip, as well as showing local diapiric forms, display remarkable large-scale continuity within the Mines Group.KTO UG operations extract mineralized copper ore from the Kamoto deposit, which is differentiated from KTE, predominantly mined in the KOV OP, but contains the same lithologies. The KTO UG is subdivided into five fragments as follows:Principal: forms a rough L-shape syncline, flat lying to gently dipping (up to 8° to the north) in the central and northern areas and becoming steeper (15° to 25°) towards the east and west flanks. The steeply dipping area to the south is sub-vertical in places and is separated from the flatter dipping area by structurally complex zones and RAT Lilas waste intrusions. Etang South: forms a broad open synform dipping 25° to 35° to the east on an approximate north northwest strike;Etang North: forms a roughly rectangular slab dipping 35° to 55° to the east on an approximate northnortheast strike. It extends below the Principal fragment in the north; Ecaille Renversee: a small reversed fragment between Principal and Etang North; andPringle: forms a moderately open synform dipping 35° to 55° to the southeast on an approximate north strike.Primary mineralization, in the form of sulphides, within the Lower Roan is associated with the DSTRAT and RSF for the OBI and the SDB and SDS for the OBS and is thought to be syn-sedimentary in origin. Typical primary copper sulphide minerals are bornite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and occasional native copper while cobalt is in the form of carrolite. The mineralization occurs as disseminations or in association with hydrothermal carbonate alteration and silicification. Supergene mineralization is generally associated with the levels of oxidation in the subsurface sometimes deeper than 100 m below surface. The most common secondary supergene minerals for copper and cobalt are malachite and heterogenite.
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