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DRC

Mashamba East Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotMashamba East OP open mine is an existing, large-scale operation.
Related AssetKatanga (Kamoto-Mashamba East) Complex

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Glencore plc. 75 % Indirect
Glencore owns 75% of Katanga. La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines and La Société Immobilière du Congo, which are state-owned mining companies in the DRC, own the remaining 25%.

Deposit type

  • Sediment-hosted
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The copper-cobalt minerals hosted in rocks of the Neoproterozoic Katangan Basin in the Central African copper belt metallogenic province of the DRC are a classic example of (low energy) sediment-hosted stratiform copper (SSC) ore system deposits. These deposits are economically significant, as they account for approximately 25% of the world’s copper production and known Mineral Reserves being second only to porphyry copper deposits in terms of copper production and the most important global cobalt resource.

The copper-cobalt deposits contained in a sedimentary series of rocks are known as the Mines Group in the Katanga sequence and the Roan Group in Zambia. The sediments are shallow-water shales, dolomitic shales, reefal dolomites and possible evaporitic lagoonal mudstones, formed on a platform marginal to a subsiding basin. The rocks are exposed in a series of tightly folded and thrusted anticlines and synclines, which generally trend east-west or southeast and are often overturned to the north. In spite of this deformation overprint, the mineralized zones, although sometimes lenticular along strike and down dip, as well as showing local diapiric forms, display remarkable large-scale continuity within the Mines Group.

The Mashamba East has an intact succession of Series de Mines lithologies, which host the copper and cobalt mineralization. Structurally, the lithologies of the Mashamba East strike to the northeast and dip 20° to the northwest in the west and wraps around to strike almost north-south and dip 35° to the east in the eastern portion of the property.

Primary mineralization, in the form of sulphides, within the Lower Roan is associated with the DSTRAT and RSF for the OBI and the SDB and SDS for the OBS and is thought to be syn-sedimentary in origin. Typical primary copper sulphide minerals are bornite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and occasional native copper while cobalt is in the form of carrolite. The mineralization occurs as disseminations or in association with hydrothermal carbonate alteration and silicification. Supergene mineralization is generally associated with the levels of oxidation in the subsurface sometimes deeper than 100 m below surface. The most common secondary supergene minerals for copper and cobalt are malachite and heterogenite.

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

Combined production numbers are reported under Katanga (Kamoto-Mashamba East) Complex

Operational metrics

Metrics2019201820172015
Ore tonnes mined 5,252,662 t3,318,476 t4,312 t
Waste 14,587,002 t21,224,044 t13,710,247 t4,226,136 t

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
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Aerial view:

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