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Zambia
Mopani Operation (Mufulira Mine, Nkana Mine)

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 Location:
0 km W from Kitwe, Zambia

  Address:
Central Street, Nkana West
PO Box 22000
Kitwe
Zambia
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Fax+260-212-247315
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  • Overview
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  • Geology
  • Mining
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  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit / Underground
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Continuous
  • Sub-level caving
  • Room-and-pillar
Processing
  • Pyrometallurgical plant / circuit
  • Sulfuric acid (reagent)
  • Flotation
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Acid tank leaching
  • Electrorefining
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
Mine Life26 years (as of Jan 1, 2019)
Invested in 3 new shafts: Synclinorium, Mindolo Deeps and Mufurila Deeps. The Synclinorium is fully commissioned and actively hoisting, while the Mindolo and Mufurila projects are to be commissioned by end of 2019;

Mufurila Deeps will add 25 years to the life of the mine. At its design depth of 2 km, Mufulira Deeps will be the world’s second deepest, single-shaft underground copper mine, a shade behind the 2.1km-deep Resolution Copper Mine in the state of Arizona, USA;
Latest NewsGlencore plc.: Signed contract to sell underlying stake of 73% in Mopani in $1.5b transaction     January 19, 2021


Owners & OPERATOR

Source:
CompanyInterestOwnership
ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc. 10 % Indirect
Glencore plc. 90 % Indirect
Mopani Copper Mines plc. (operator) 100 % Direct
Mopani Copper Mines Plc is a Zambian registered copper mine owned by ZCCM-IH (10%), Glencore Plc (73.1%) and First Quantum Minerals Ltd (16.9%).

Deposit Type

  • Stratabound (SMS)


Summary:

The predominant mega-structure of the mining area is the northwest-plunging Nkana syncline. This structure is asymmetric, with a curved axial plane inclined steeply to the northwest in the trough of the syncline but upright to westward dipping at higher structural levels. A complex occupies the axial zone of the syncline but this folding dies out on its flanks. As a result of the north-westerly plunge of the Nkana syncline, the present land surface represents a horizontal section through progressively higher structural levels of the syncline from southeast to northwest.

Within the Nkana mining area there are four underground mines and a series of open pits. The open pits are under care and maintenance and have therefore been excluded from Ore Reserves and included under Mineral Resources. All are situated on the north-eastern limb of the Nkana Syncline area. Other cupriferous zones are present in the nose and southwest limb of the syncline. The orebodies are stratiform and are mainly confined to a recognisable ore formation, which occurs near the base of the Katangan sequence within the Lower Roan Group of the Mine Series. In the underground workings, the principal copper ore minerals are chalcopyrite and bornite with subordinate chalcocite. There is a zoning in the geographical distribution of these minerals. Cobalt occurs as carrollite and cobaltiferious pyrite. The principal ore minerals are malachite, pseudomalchite, chrysocolla, native copper, cuprite and libethenite. In the open pit, malachite and chrysocolla are the principal ore minerals in the zone of oxidation closer to the surface. In some places however, vermiculite, malachite pseudomalachite and accessory wad are more important. At deeper levels chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite are predominantly present.

The rocks of the Mufulira Basin are asymmetrically folded, moderately dipping on the south western flank and sub vertical on the north eastern limb, outcropping at Mokambo on the DRC border. The Roan sediments in the Mufulira syncline in the vicinity of the mine dip at approximately 45º to the north east. Small folds and minor faults are present within the mine area. The Lower Roan arenaceous quartzites and greywackes are the host rocks to the copper mineralisation.

In the Mufulira mining area, the Basement Complex topography appears to have exerted a significant structural control during deformation. The distribution of ore minerals in all three orebodies is stratigraphically controlled, occurring dominantly as disseminations, blebs and irregular masses. The principal copper minerals are chalcopyrite (60%), bornite (40%), and minor/trace chalcocite. Oxide minerals are confined to near surface occurrences, and supergene enrichment zones. Generally the deposit is structurally simple being characterised by three main folds that are in part overturned with a plunge and dip approximately 10º to the northeast. The basin is open and untested at depth.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Continuous
  • Sub-level caving
  • Room-and-pillar


Summary:

Nkana.
The Nkana Mine produces copper and cobalt ore from four sources: North Shaft, Mindola Sub Vertical, Central Shaft and South Ore Body (“SOB”). In addition, Nkana produces copper from open pits.

All the open pits are exhausted except “Area Nose” and area J, both of which were placed on care and maintenance in 2019. [2019, Glencore Resources and Reserves report, p. 10]

The underground mining operations are accessed by shafts namely Central, Mindola Sub-vertical (“SV”), SOB and Mindola North Shaft (“MNS”). Underground mining operations started in 1931 with the oldest operating shaft being Central Shaft. The mining methods used include Vertical Crater Retreat (“VCR”), Sub-Level Caving (“SLC”), and Longitudinal Room and Pillar (“RAP”). Average underground production for the last five years is 3.4 million tonnes per annum (“Mtpa”) of ore at 1.94 %Cu and 0.12 %Co.


Mufulira.
The mining methods employed at Mufulira Mine are variants of Mechanised Continuous Retreat (“MCR”). The variant mining methods are Mechanised Continuous Retreat 1 (“MCR1”) and Mechanised Continuous Retreat 2 (“MCR2”), employed at Mufulira West and Mufulira Central. RAP mining is employed at Mufulira East. Mining of the Mufulira ore bodies is divided into three areas:
* Mufulira East;
* Mufulira Central; and
* Mufulira West.
Mufulira Central is further sub divided into the Upper, Central and Deeps areas, based on elevation.

Invested in 3 new shafts: Synclinorium, Mindolo Deeps and Mufurila Deeps. The Synclinorium is fully commissioned and actively hoisting, while the Mindolo and Mufurila projects are to be commissioned by end of 2019;

Mufurila Deeps will add 25 years to the life of the mine. At its design depth of 2 km, Mufulira Deeps will be the world’s second deepest, single-shaft underground copper mine, a shade behind the 2.1km-deep Resolution Copper Mine in the state of Arizona, USA;


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Pyrometallurgical plant / circuit
  • Sulfuric acid (reagent)
  • Flotation
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Acid tank leaching
  • Electrorefining
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

At Nkana Mopani operates a concentrator, Cobalt Plant and Leach plants. Conventional methods are employed in the concentrator namely; crushing, grinding, flotation and dewatering. Copper and cobalt concentrates are produced from a bulk concentrate by a segregation process. At Nkana, the concentrator operates in a conventional manner, and has a capacity of 12 000 mt per day. Primary stage crushing of ore is done underground while the secondary and tertiary stage crushing takes place at the concentrator. Ball mills grind the crushed ore for subsequent flotation to produce a copper concentrate grade of approximately 30%.

Nkana has a mine and processing plant and produces a sulphide rich concentrate which is transported to Mufulira for further treatment.

At Nkana the cobalt floats with the copper and then has to be separated out by a differential float using lime to alter the pH and sodium cyanide; this is not an exact process and as a result some of the copper remai ........


Production:

CommodityProductUnits201920182017201620152014
Copper Metal in concentrate kt  ......  Subscription required
Copper Metal kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required424192110
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGrade
Proven 110 Mt Copper 1.9 %
Probable 31 Mt Copper 1.85 %
Proven & Probable 141 Mt Copper 1.89 %
Measured 207 Mt Copper 2.08 %
Measured 207 Mt Cobalt 0.08 %
Indicated 76 Mt Copper 1.99 %
Indicated 76 Mt Cobalt 0.08 %
Measured & Indicated 283 Mt Copper 2.06 %
Measured & Indicated 283 Mt Cobalt 0.08 %
Inferred 76 Mt Copper 2.06 %
Inferred 76 Mt Cobalt 0.08 %

Financials:

Units20182017201620152014
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required -285   -23  
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Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2020
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 29, 2020
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2018
................................... Subscription required 2018
................................... Subscription required 2018
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2017
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Annual Report 2016
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2016
Annual Report 2015
Technical Report 2011
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Glencore plc.: Signed contract to sell underlying stake of 73% in Mopani in $1.5b transaction January 19, 2021
Zambia Sees Deal With Glencore Over Mopani Within a Month November 16, 2020

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