Overview

Mine Type	Underground
Status	Active
Commodities	Pyrite
Mining Method	Sub-level stoping
Production Start	...
Snapshot	The Nampundwe mining operating assets are the Nampundwe pyrite underground mine and concentrator. The Zambian government seized Vedanta's copper assets in 2019. On 6 November 2023, Vedanta Resources and the Zambian government sealed an agreement that restores the ownership of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), ending a protracted ownership battle. Vedanta Resources has not published production numbers since 2019.

Deposit type

• Stratabound

Summary:

The Nampundwe pyrite deposit is situated on the western flank of a synformal basin composed of basement rocks, which are unconformably overlain by Katangan sediments. The deposit is hosted within limestones and schists of the Middle Katangan Cheta Formation, which roughly correlates with the upper portion of the Lower Roan Group. The Cheta Formation dips steeply to the northeast and is tightly folded with a northwest-southeast trending axial trace. The deposit comprises stratabound, massive-sulphide mineralisation located in a thick (50m to 130m) sequence of massive dolomites and limestones. No significant faulting has been identified either within the host zone or the individual orebodies.

The primary sulphide mineralisation at Nampundwe is pyrite with minor amounts of pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and covellite.

Four orebodies occur over a strike length of about 1,600 m and dip from 70° to vertical along fold limbs and from 25° to 70° near the noses of folds. They thin at the fringes of the orebody and down-dip. The sulphide orebodies are overlain by oxide caps (gossans) that extend from surface to a depth of 60m. These deposits are generally parallel and range in thickness from 5-20 m. The oxide caps act as natural conduits for water thus making Nampundwe Mine relatively wet. The orebodies have been identified to a depth of 300 m below surface and remain open at depth.

The primary sulphide mineralisation at Nampundwe is pyrite with minor amounts of pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and covellite. Gangue mineralisation is of calcite, dolomite, quartz, magnetite, talc, mica and iron oxides. Pyrite mineralisation occurs as disseminated grains, bedding parallel layers, and as thick continuous zones up to 2 m thick. Copper mineralization was strongly developed in the upper parts of the orebody but these areas have now been mined out.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

Operational metrics

Metrics	2020	2018	2017	2016	2015
Annual production capacity	....	60,000 t of pyrite concentrate	60,000 t of pyrite concentrate	60,000 t of pyrite concentrate
Ore tonnes mined	....	102,357 t	65,181 t	136,879 t	87,870 t

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
.......................	.......................		Nov 28, 2023
.......................	.......................		Nov 28, 2023

Employees	Contractors	Total Workforce	Year
......	......	......	2013