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Zambia

Lubambe Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Longitudinal Room-and-Pillar
  • Longitudinal retreat
  • Longhole open stoping
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SnapshotLubambe Mine focusing on the exploitation of the resources in the South and East limbs. Workings are currently at 560 metres below ground level (mbgl), although the ore body extends to a depth of 1000 mbgl.

On 23rd September 2024 Lubambe Copper Mine Limited (LCML) held a Ground-breaking Ceremony to celebrate the beginning of the New Shafts construction.

The New Shafts Sinking Project involves sinking a 700m Auxiliary Shaft and a 1,345m Main Shaft for mining and hauling. The construction period is 2 years.

The New Shafts Sinking Project is aimed at ramping up copper production and increase the lifespan of the Lubambe Mine.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc. 20 % Indirect
JCHX Mining Management Co., Ltd. 80 % Indirect
Lubambe Copper Mine Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
On 10 July 2024, EMR Capital sold its 80% stake in Lubambe to JCHX Mining Management Company Limited (JCHX).

On 28 August 2024, ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc (ZCCM-IH) acquired an additional 10% shareholding for US$1, increasing its stake from 20% to 30%. JCHX's stake reduced from 80% to 70% following the transaction.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sediment-hosted
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Lubambe Mine copper deposits are located at the northeast wing of the Kafue anticline and the northeast of the secondary Chililabombwe syncline (Konkola Dome). The Chililabombwe syncline has a length of 40 - 50km, a width of 12 - 15km and a presumable depth of 10km.

The Konkola North deposit is developed on a south-west trending dome/anticline controlled by basement topography a short distance to the north of the Konkola Mine. The general stratigraphy consists of thick successions of Lower Roan Formation clastic units comprising conglomerates, upward fining arenites and quartzites. Repeated upward fining cycles indicate unstable tectonic conditions triggering periodic influx of sediments into half-graben basins.

The Nchanga Formation commences with the Ore Shale (OS) 1 Member, which indicates the first major marine transgression of the area. The Nchanga Formation on project comprises six sedimentary upward-fining cycles of which the siltstone/shale units comprise the top of each cycle and are termed the OS 1-6 Members.

The Upper Roan Formation unconformably overlies the Nchanga Formation. This unconformity is marked by the Konkola Conglomerate Member, followed by interbedded siltstones, arkose, grit and dolomite units. The lower most dolomite unit, locally known as the Chingola Dolomite, is the main aquifer in this area.

The Mwashia Formation unconformably overlies the Nchanga Formation and comprises dolomitic siltstones, carbonaceous shale, intercalated limestones and dolomitic units.

Lubambe Mine Orebody
Copper mineralisation is largely hosted within the OS1 Member. The true thickness of the OS1 Member varies from 2 m to 10m. Typically, the lowermost 1.5 m of the OS1 is massive in structure and contains very little copper (Barren Shale). The transition to > 1% total Cu is extremely abrupt and takes place over centimetres, above a thin red iron oxide-rich marker layer, which probably acted as a redox boundary. A barren zone, with thickness varying between 1 m to 3m and characterised by a pink feldspathic sandstone marker bed, often occurs between the OS1 and OS2. The upper contact of the > 1% total Cu zone (assay hanging wall) is also well defined in the assay profile but is not as sharp as the assay footwall contact.

Mineralisation occurs as finely disseminated sulphides assuming the grain size of the host rock, as coarser grains along bedding planes and cleavage, in thin veinlets and in lenticles and stringers. These minerals comprise chalcocite, chalcopyrite and bornite in approximate order of abundance. Vertical zonation of the copper minerals is observed, with an increase in copper content and a decrease in iron and sulphur content with depth. An idealized Lubambe Mine orebody profile has chalcocite enrichment in the middle part, followed by bornite and then chalcopyrite and pyrite. Lateral zonation from bornite-chalcopyrite on the East Limb through chalcopyrite-dominated mineralisation on the South Limb to pyrite near the western boundary is also observed.

A large proportion of the non-sulphide copper minerals occur along fractures and veins. The main non-sulphide copper minerals are, in order of abundance, malachite, pseudomalachite, chrysocolla, cuprite, azurite and native copper. Leaching is typically concentrated at the base of the OS1 where the contact between the siltstone and conglomerate/arkose represents a permeability channel way. Development of iron oxide after weathering of chalcopyrite and bornite is common in leached zones.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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EV - Electric
AV - Autonomous

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

In 2024, the lower output was attributed to operational challenges, delayed mine development, and equipment availability issues.
CommodityProductUnits202420232021202020192018201720162015
Copper Payable metal t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Copper Metal in concentrate t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe23,01523,68918,29920,97325,839
Copper Concentrate kt 455162

Operational metrics

Metrics2021202020192018201720162015
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,693,854 t1,316,109 t1,005 kt1,221 kt1,599 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,677,690 t1,013 kt1,277 kt1,650 kt
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe45,000 t of copper metal in concentrate45,000 t of copper metal in concentrate

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2017
C1 cash costs Copper USD 2.45 / lb  

Mine Financials

Units2024202320222020201920182017
Capital expenditures M USD
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 74.8   54.2   83.6  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -65.4   -36.7  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 24, 2025
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Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required 2017
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Aerial view:

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