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Botswana
Thakadu Mine

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 Location:
214km SW from Bulawayo, Botswana

  Address:
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Overview

StatusInactive / Suspended
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
African Copper PLC was the 100% holding company of Messina Copper Botswana (Pty) Ltd (“MCB”) which was a copper concentrate producer from its 100% owned the Mowana Copper Mine and Thakadu mine.

Between the period from 2012 to 2015, MCB sourced the majority of its feed requirements from its 100% owned higher-grade Thakadu mine. The Mowana Mine was re-opened in 2014 to supplement the Thakadu ore, but MCB was placed in liquidation on 13 November 2015, following an application to the High Court of Botswana by creditors of MCB. All mining and processing activities ceased at this point and a structured wind-down and care and maintenance program was implemented. On 15 December 2015 MCB was put in final liquidation.

Operations at the Thakadu mine were suspended in June 2015 as the operation neared the end of its scheduled mine life.


Owners

Source: p. 18
CompanyInterestOwnership
ZCI Ltd. 40 % Indirect
Cradle Arc Plc. 60 % Indirect
Leboam Holdings (Pty) Ltd. 100 % Direct
On 21 December 2016, Cradle Arc Plc announced that it had entered into a conditional acquisition agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Cradle Arc Investments (Pty) Limited (“CAI”) for a consideration of £1 million payable in cash and the issue of consideration shares to the vendor and its nominees representing, in aggregate, 60 per cent. of the enlarged share capital on completion. CAI is a holding company incorporated in Botswana which, via Leboam Holdings Limited (“Leboam”) acquired the Mowana Copper Mine, a producing mine located in north east Botswana from Messina Copper (Botswana) (Pty) Limited (in liquidation) (“MCB”) through a liquidation process. Pursuant to the acquisition, US$20 million is payable to the liquidators of MCB (the Leboam Payment) and the existing major secured creditor of the mine, ZCI Limited (“ZCI”), as a term loan. ZCI then converted US$79 million of its US$110 million loan into shares equivalent to 40% of the equity in Leboam.

Deposit Type

  • Metamorphic
  • Stratabound (SMS)


Summary:

The Thakadu Copper Project is hosted within the Matsitama Metasedimentary Group, comprising carbonaceous and argillaceous metasediments which are enclosed within foliated granitoids of the Mosetse Complex. The Matsitama Metasedimentary Group lies in structural contact or unconformably over the granite/gneisses and forms two main areas of outcrop; the Matsitama Belt (which hosts the Thakadu and Makala deposits) and the arcuate “Bushman Belt” to the north where the Thakadu Mine is situated. The Matsitama Metasedimentary Group consists of greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks with the following types of rocks identified: calcareous sandstones, conglomerates, pelites, arkoses, quartzites, volcanic tuffs and agglomerates, amphibolites, limestones, banded ironstones and serpentinites.

The copper mineralisation is broadly strata-bound and hosted by a complexly folded sequence of felsic sedimentary rocks, about 50 150m thick. The felsic metasedimentary sequence includes siliceous carbonates, biotite schists, calcareous pelites and graphitic carbonates. The stratigraphy above and below the felsic package is dominated by amphibolite derived from mafic/intermediate intrusives, volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks.

Hypogene sulphide mineralisation is predominantly hosted by quartz and quartz-carbonate rich arenites and to a lesser extent in biotite schists. Chalcopyrite is the dominant Cu-sulphide with minor bornite. Pyrrhotite is present in some zones and the sulphides generally occur as irregular stringers and disseminations in the quartz-carbonate rich units and in irregular quartz-carbonate veined zones.

Pyrite is common throughout the sequence and galena and sphalerite mineralisation is poorly and sporadically developed. Hypogene mineralisation is capped by secondary oxide and minor supergene copper mineralisation at depths of approximately 45m to 55m below surface.

The Thakadu mineralisation has been traced from surface to approximately 420m below surface and over a strike length of some 600m. The deposit dips at approximately 44° on 224° (dip and dip direction) with increased deformation and steepening dips up to 70° locally in the east of the deposit.

The copper mineralisation is generally hosted by two quartz carbonate units near the base of the felsic metasedimentary package and the footwall amphibolite unit is distinct from the hangingwall amphibolite unit. Copper mineralisation also occurs in other quartz-carbonate beds, but is not as laterally extensive. Where mineralisation is well developed, it often spreads into the surrounding (predominantly biotite) schist units.

The Thakadu Copper Project hosts various different styles of mineralisation, but is dominated by hypogene sulphides (chalcopyrite ± bornite) hosted within the quartz-carbonate units with lesser near surface oxide zone. There has been some secondary supergene alteration and enrichment but it is sporadic and poorly developed.

The copper mineralisation is preferentially developed within two of the quartz carbonate units towards the base of the felsic sequence and locally quartz-carbonate rich veins. It often transgresses from the quartz-carbonate unit into adjacent biotite schists or graphitic conglomerates where well developed. The mineralised zone varies in thickness from about 35m at the eastern near surface end of the Thakadu Copper Project, to less than a metre thick further to the west and as it pinches down toward the base.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:


Crushing and Grinding


Processing


Summary:

Thakadu's ore is transported by road to the Mowana mine processing facility and it shares the Mowana mine infrastructure and management.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2014
Copper Recovery Rate, % 80.6
Copper Head Grade, % 1.66

Production:

CommodityProductUnits20142013
Copper Metal in concentrate t 9,951 *9,496
Copper Concentrate kt 43*44
Silver Metal in concentrate oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
* Combined production for Mowana Mine and Thakadu Mine

Operational Metrics:

Metrics20142013
Tonnes processed 748,911 t801,901 t

Reserves at November 1, 2014:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Indicated 2,268 kt Copper 1.11 % 25 kt
Inferred 5,380 kt Copper 0.63 % 34 kt


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 26, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Press Release 2018
Corporate Presentation 2017
Technical Report 2017
Annual Report 2014
Annual Report 2013
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Aerial view:

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