Mining Intelligence and News
India

Rampura Agucha Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
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SnapshotRampura Agucha Mine (RAM) is the world’s largest underground zinc producing mine and has the richest zinc-lead deposit in India.

In 2025, Hindustan Zinc commissioned a 4,000 KLD water treatment plant to enable effective utilisation of recycled water and reduce freshwater consumption, and completed the transition from wet to dry tailings disposal at Rampura Agucha.

The shaft hoisting capacity at RAM showed a marked improvement, driven by multiple debottlenecking and digitalisation initiatives. Efforts to further augment the capacity to 12,000 tpd are ongoing.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Government of India 27.92 % Indirect
Vedanta Resources plc. 35.81 % Indirect
Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
The Rampura Agucha mine is wholly owned by Hindustan Zinc Ltd., a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, which holds a 35.81% economic interest.

The Government of India remains an equity partner and holds a 27.92% stake.

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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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Zinc Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe7899661,0651,1241,413
Zinc Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Lead Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe779299121127
Lead Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Silver Metal in concentrate koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5,7916,8335,810

Operational metrics

Metrics20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3,330 kt3,842 kt4,696 kt4,705 kt5,451 kt
Annual milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6.5 Mt6.5 Mt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5.11 Mt5.7 Mt5.16 Mt5,394 kt
Annual ore mining capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe6.2 Mt6.2 Mt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 12, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 22, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 12, 2025

Workforce

Aerial view:

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