Mining Intelligence and News
India

Rampura Agucha Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
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SnapshotThe Rampura Agucha Mine (RAM) is the largest and richest, lead-zinc deposit in India.

During 2022-2023, commissioned third silo at production shaft to increase storage capacity for improvement in shaft hoisting capacity. Actions are in progress to reach 10,000 tpd shaft hoisting capacity.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of India 29.5 % Indirect
Vedanta Resources plc. 44.26 % Indirect
Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Vedanta Limited, an India-listed susidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, owns the share capital of Hindustan Zinc Limited, while the Government of India remains an equity partner and holds a 29.5% stake.

Zinc India business is owned and operated by Hindustan Zinc Limited.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sediment-hosted

Summary:

Rampura Agucha is a stratiform, sediment-hosted Lead Zinc deposit, occurs in Pre-Cambrian Banded Gneissic Complex and forms a part of Mangalwar complex of Bhilwara geological cycle (3.2-2.5 billion years) of Archean age and comprising of magmatites, gneisses, graphite mica schist, pegmatite and impure marble. The rocks have been subjected to polyphase deformations and high-grade metamorphism. The deposit lies in the contact zone of Mangalwar - Sandmata complex and along the major NE trending Delwara lineament and predominantly covers southeast plain of Ajmer and Bhilwara.

The deposit has been broadly domained into four discrete zones, referred to as; ‘south ore’ (zone 1); ‘core ore’ (zone 2); and ‘north ore’ (zones 3 and 4). The basis of the zones is the reasonably distinct variations in the zinc grades along strike. Furthermore, the relationship between lead and silver between the northern and southern zones shows a markedly different regression profile.

The graphite-mica-sillimanite schist hosts the economic mineralization in the Rampura Agucha deposit. The economic minerals in order of decreasing abundance along with their ranges are:
• Sphalerite (15-20%)
• Pyrite (15-18%)
• Pyrrhotite (12-14%)
• Galena (1-2%)
• Sulphosalts (0.1-0.2%)

The deposit extends over 1,550 m along strike and has now been intersected to a vertical depth of 1,100 m below surface. The horizontal thickness varies between a few metres to 80 m, averaging between 50 to 60 m in the upper 250 m of the deposit. The mineralised unit also contains some inclusions of sub-ore grade material. The average dip shallows from around 70- 80° in the upper part of the deposit to about 50° in the middle and lower portions, as well as the northeast and southwest flanks. Deep drilling has shown that the deposit thickens and steepens back to approximately 70° in the lower portions, while the strike length at these lower portions appears to remain restricted to around 500 m.

Two different main ore types are identified at RAM from the North and South areas of the deposit. The material from the North area is understood to be softer and more difficult to float, while material from the South area is harder and contains higher levels of graphite.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnits202320222021202020192018201720162015
Zinc Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7899661,0651,1241,413
Zinc Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Lead Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe779299121127
Lead Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Silver Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5,7916,8335,810

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,330 kt3,842 kt4,696 kt4,705 kt5,451 kt
Annual milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6.5 Mt6.5 Mt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5.11 Mt5.7 Mt5.16 Mt5,394 kt
Annual mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6.2 Mt of ore6.2 Mt of ore

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 28, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 28, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 28, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 28, 2023

Aerial view:

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