The Lumwana Project contains two major copper deposits, Malundwe and Chimiwungo, which are structurally controlled shear zone hosted deposits considered to be an end member of Central African Copperbelt class of deposits. These copper + cobalt + gold + uranium deposits are hosted within the Mwombezhi Dome, which is a northeast trending basement dome in the western arm of the Lufilian Arc thrust fold belt.

In Zambia, the Lufilian Arc contains variably deformed and metamorphosed Late Proterozoic metasediments and volcanics of the Katangan Lower and Upper Roan, Mwashia, Nguba, and the Kundelungu supergroups, which unconformably overly the basement. The basement consists of older metamorphosed gneisses, schists, migmatites, amphibolites and granitoids. Subsequent to the deposition of the Katangan sequences, the basin was inverted, deformed, metamorphosed, and uplifted by generally north directed thrusting and folding to produce the late Neoproterozoic – Cambrian Lufilian Arc.

The copper mineralization at Malundwe and Chimiwungo is hosted almost entirely within high grade metamorphosed, intensely mylonitized, recrystallized muscovite–phlogopite–quartz–kyanite schists with disseminated sulphides (typically <5%) dominated by chalcopyrite and bornite which is locally referred to as Mineralized Ore Schist. The distribution of copper mineralization is controlled by visibly identifiable stratabound geology, within which copper grades are consistent. Optimal grade c ........

There are two mining areas; Malundwe and Chimiwungo, which are 7 km apart in a direct line. Malundwe was the first pit to be mined, commencing in 2008. However Chimiwungo now contains 93% of the remaining reserves. The Chimiwungo mining area consists of three separate pits; South, Main and East. Malundwe was the first pit to be mined, commencing in 2008. However Chimiwungo now contains 93% of the remaining reserves. The Chimiwungo mining area consists of three separate pits; South, Main and East.

Sulphide copper ore at Lumwana is mined by open pit methods that follow the typical sequence of tasks: grade control drilling, blasthole drilling, blasting, loading by hydraulic shovels (15 m3 and 27 m3 ), and hauling by off-highway trucks (254 t). The mine started operations in 2008, and now mines an average daily capacity of 260,000 t of total material mined. Mining is done primarily by Lumwana personnel and equipment; however production is also supplemented by a contractor with specialized small articulated fleet of trucks to meet pre-stripping requirements, particularly the stripping of weathered material in the wet season. They use 40 tonne capacity Volvo articulated trucks and 90 tonne tracked excavators. The contractors move 45,000 tonnes per day and are scheduled by the Lumwana Mine Engineering Department to coordinate material movements.

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.