Tenke-Fungurume is classified as a strata-bound copper cobalt deposit. Multistage mineralization took place with at least four separate dolomitization and four silicification events associated with several sulphide stages, with differing mineral assemblages. During syngenetic to early diagenetic stages of basin extension, highly oxidized and saline residual marine bittern brines migrated through the RAT basal red-bed sequence. The brines also possibly circulated into the basement, mobilizing copper as chloride complexes. With increased subsidence, lithostatic load from the 7,000 m of overlying Katanga Supergroup drove copper-cobalt- rich brines laterally and vertically toward basin edges. Copper and cobalt sulphides were precipitated where the brines encountered reductants, including organic-rich, stromatolitic, sour gas, or pyrite-rich beds. Sulfur sources appear to be from evaporitic anhydrite in proximal and deeper parts of hypogene ores. Diagenetic pyrite may have contributed additional sulfur in the reduced, stratigraphically higher parts of the Mines Series. The bulk of the copper sulphides appear to have formed during diagenetic stages. At peak orogeny, local remobilization of early stage sulphides took place, resulting in mineralogically distinct late-stage sulphide veins that cut clean earlier mineralization assemblages. Supergene oxidation in the Miocene to Pliocene led to the development of high-grade oxide copper-cobalt mineralization.

The Tenke-Funguru ........

Tenke Fungurume mines copper-cobalt oxide ores by open-pit mining techniques. Drill and blast is employed in the both the ore and waste rock. Conventional loaders and trucks transport the ore to the crusher or stockpiles and the waste to dumps. Larger mining equipment is currently being introduced to enable increased mining rates.

Mining at Tenke Fungurume has historically been carried out on benches of 5 m or 10 m height advancing top down in the various development phases. Recently, the bench height has been increased to 7.5 m and 15 m height. Bench operating surface widths are generally quite generous with the narrowest areas having a width of 30 m. Ore is generally broken using a continuous surface miner and excavated using a wheel loader. Waste and some low grade ore is drilled and blasted and excavated using either hydraulic excavators, front shovels or wheel loaders. Ore and waste is hauled in 85 t and 45 t capacity off-road end dump trucks. Long haul trucks will be introduced to haul ore from some of the more distant deposits. The smaller trucks are generally being phased out in favour of larger units.

Ore zones are mined first using the surface miner. High-grade ore is delivered to stockpiles near the mill feed chute. A two month stockpile of this high grade ore is maintained and loaders provide an optimized blend to the mill. The two month stockpile also allows the mine to develop in an orderly fashion without “chasing” ore in the phase to mee ........

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