Overview

Mine Type	Underground
Status	Active
Commodities	Copper
Mining Method	Longhole stoping
Backfill type	...
Production Start	...
Snapshot	Chibuluma mine compises Chibuluma South Mine and the Chifupu Deposit. On 28 December 2020, Chibuluma entered into a lease agreement(a five-year term lease in order to realise the remaining value of the mining assets) with an independent third party to lease out the mining assets including the Chifupu Deposit for a fixed rental fee plus a flexible royalty fee payable calculated base on amount of copper extracted and sold. The finance lease agreement became effective since 1 April 2021. The lessee has the priority to renew upon the expiry of the lease agreement.

Deposit type

• Sediment-hosted

Summary:

The Chibuluma deposits are SSC deposits located in the Zambian portion of the Central African Copperbelt. The Copperbelt forms one of the world’s largest metallogenic provinces containing over a third of the world’s cobalt mineral reserves and a tenth of the world’s copper mineral reserves.

The copper-cobalt deposits of the Central African Copperbelt are hosted within a strongly deformed, arcuate belt of rocks that extends from north eastern Angola through southern DRC and into Zambia, referred to as the Lufilian Arc.

Mineralisation in both Zambia and the DRC is largely restricted to the Lower Roan or Mines Group, although vein style mineralisation is locally important higher in the succession (e.g. Kansanshi, Kipushi, Dikulushi). Mineralisation in the Zambian deposits is dominantly sulphide, comprising chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite, variably accompanied by pyrite and pyrrhotite, carollite, covellite and diginite. Ore grades are commonly around 3% to 4% Cu and 0.1% to 0.2% Co.

Mineralisation in the Chibuluma South orebody is predominantly Cu with very minor Co and is hosted in detrital conglomerates, sandstones and argillaceous siltstones of the Lower Roan Group. The orebody is hosted by a competent quartzite horizon overlain by a sequence of argillites and dolomites of the Upper Roan Group. Mineralisation is hosted in a mineralised quartzite known locally as the Orebody Quartzite (“OBQ”) with the unmineralised quartzite below the OBQ referred to as the Footwall Quartzite.

The Chibuluma South orebody occurs over a strike length of 300 m, dipping at approximately 38° towards the north-west and varies in thickness from a few metres to over 30 m in places for a typical section through the ore body). Drilling has defined the orebody to a maximum depth of 600 m where it pinches out against a basement high. While drilling has closed off the orebody at depth, it is feasible that the ore boby opens up down-dip of the basement high.

Mineralisation occurs as oxide to a depth of 60 m and as sulphides below the 60 m level. Malachite is the dominant oxide mineral while bornite, chalcopyrite and chalcocite constitute the sulphides. Chalcocite is found immediately below the oxide cap in the sulphide zone. Bornite dominates in the thickest and richest central portion of the orebody and is the predominant sulphide mineral with chalcocite below the 400 m level currently being developed by the Mine. Chalcopyrite accounts for approximately 20% of the sulphides and becomes more evident towards the fringes. Pyrite dominates in barren fringe areas.

Copperbelt, oxidation and leaching of copper minerals is common to about 45 m to 60 m from surface, although it may be observed to depths of several hundred metres. The leached zone close to surface is commonly barren or very poorly mineralised. Supergene enrichment below the zone of leaching is highly variable with the main supergene minerals including malachite, chalcocite, cuprite, chysocolla and vermiculite.

Mining Methods

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

- subscription is required.

Processing

- subscription is required.

Production

Commodity	Product	Units	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Copper	Payable metal	t	....	....
Copper	Metal in concentrate	t			....	....	8,174	10,024	10,966	10,458	12,726