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Zambia

Kitumba Project

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StagePre-Feasibility
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Uranium
Mining Method
  • Sub-level caving
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe project has been in development since 2004, with numerous phases of work being undertaken by different owners and investors. An Optimisation Pre- Feasibility Study has been completed and a JORC- compliant mineral resource published.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Consolidated Mining & Investments Ltd. 100 % Direct
Vulcan Green Copper Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Vulcan Copper Limited is the owner of the Kitumba Project.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • IOCG

Summary:

The Mumbwa licence area lies within the extreme southern portion of the Neoproterozoic Lufilian Arc. The Lufilian Arc is a large arcuate fold and thrust belt covering northwestern Zambia, the southern Democratic Republic of Congo and eastern Angola.

The geology of the Mumbwa area is described by Cikin and Drysdall (1971). The region is dominated by metasedimentary rocks of the upper units of the Neoproterozoic Katanga Sequence. These rocks are intruded by the large syn- to post-tectonic 566-533 Ma Hook Granitoid Suite and by younger post-tectonic syenites, diorites, porphyry granites, granites, diorites and gabbros. The east-northeast trending MSZ runs along the southern margin of the Hook Granitoid Suite.

The Mumbwa district represents an IOCG province that is related to voluminous an orogenic (Atype), alkali and granitoid magmatism and tectonic activity that took place from 570-500 Ma along a Pan-African transform plate boundary that separated the Congo and Kalahari Cratons (Pelly, 2001). IOCG systems associated with the Hook Granitoid Suite and related intrusions in the Mumbwa district display many of the typical characteristics of IOCG systems.

IOCG deposits comprise a broad and ill-defined clan of mineralisation styles, which are grouped together chiefly because they contain hydrothermal magnetite and/or specular hematite as major accompaniments to chalcopyrite ± bornite. Apart from copper and byproduct gold appreciable amounts of Co, U, REE, Mo, Zn, Ag, Nb and P may also be present.

Deposits vary between magnetite-apatite deposits with actinolite or pyroxene (Kiruna type) and hematite magnetite deposits with varying amounts of copper sulphides, Au, Ag, uranium minerals and REE (Olympic Dam type). Typically, these systems are characterized by >20% iron oxides. Iron-rich zones, breccias and alteration halos associated with IOCG systems can reach hundreds of metres in width and many kilometres in length.

Deposits are localized along high- to low-angle faults which are generally splays off major, crustal-scale faults. Structural control can vary from the intersection of highly permeable units with fault zones, dilational jogs, duplexes, splays on faults and shears, folding or complex intercalation of high and low permeability units all influencing fluid flow regimes and ultimately the position of alteration zones, breccias and/or ore deposition.

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

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Copper t 37,000477,077
All production numbers are expressed as cathode.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate 1.5 Mt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 22.5 Mt *
* According to 2015 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsEstimated
Cash costs Copper USD 1.6 / lb *  USD
Total cash costs Copper USD 1.82 / lb *  USD
All-in costs Copper USD 1.93 / lb *  USD
Assumed price Copper USD 3.11 / lb *  USD
* According to 2015 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

Currency2024
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD 27.6 *  USD
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2015 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
EBITDA (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 14, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 14, 2024

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