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Broken Hill of Zambia

Producer in Zambia with commodities Lead, Zinc, Vanadium, Silver, Cadmium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Geologic structures
  10. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10073168
MRDS ID W019024
Record type Site
Current site name Broken Hill of Zambia

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 28.43467, -14.44727 (WGS84)
Elevation 1183
Relative position NEAR KABWE CITY

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Zambia(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country
Zambia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Vanadium Critical Secondary
Silver Secondary
Cadmium Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • SOME RARE MINERALS FOUND INCLUDE HOPEITE (ZN3P2O8 - 4H2O), PARAHOPEITE (ZN3P2O8 - 4H2O), TARBUTTITE (ZN3 P2O8 - ZN (OH)2

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Anglesite Ore
Descloizite Ore
Galena Ore
Hemimorphite Ore
Pyromorphite Ore
Smithsonite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Willemite Ore
Dolomite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result RESERVES AVERAGE 10.7% PB, 23.8% ZN. IN 1960, ABOUT 38% OF THE ORE RESERVES WAS OXIDISED MATERIAL

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Katanga System Dolomite, Upper Broken Hill Group
    Rock description Katanga System Dolomite, Upper Broken Hill Group
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) 28.43467, -14.44727
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Two Normal Faults Both Striking N 60 Deg W, Dipping Steeply, Forming A Graben In Which The Mine Lies

Ore body information

  • General form PIPE - LIKE TO VEIN - LIKE BODIES
    Strike ENE
    Dip STEEPLY N
    Plunge SHALLOW ANGLE
    Plunge direction E
    Depth to bottom 472M

Comments on the geologic information

  • DOLOMITE IS MASSIVE AND ALMOST FEATURELESS

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1902
Discoverer T. G. Davey
Year of first production 1905

Mining district

District name Kabwe Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Nchanga Consl. Cu Mines Ltd.

Comments on the production information

  • ITEMS 1 THROUGH 4 - YEAR TO 3 - 31 - 74. CADMIUM PROD. - 1956 - 1969 WAS 272,770 KG. SILVER PRODUCTION 1958 - 1969 WAS 42,418 KG. IN 1972, FLOTATION PLANT TREATED 296,800 MT TO PRODUCE 27,200 MT OF 43% PB CONCENTRATE AND 32,900 MT OF 58.7% ZN CONCENTRATE. IMPERIAL SMELTING FURNACE PRODUCED 31,800 MT ZN, THE ELECTROLYTIC PLANT PRODUCED 24,200 MT ZN. LEAD OUTPUT WAS 26,000 MT. TWO WAELZ KILNS, AT A COST OF $30.8 MIL, WERE EXPECTED ON STREAM IN 1975, RAISING PRODUCTION TO 115,000 MT PB, ZN. AFTER 1978, PROD. WILL AVERAGE 106,000 MT/Y UNTIL 1983. FROM 1983 - 1990, THEY WILL TREAT DUMP MATERIALS ONLY, PRODUCING 43,000 MTPY.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1973
    Total resources 3270000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lead Pb 10.7 wt-pct Lead Major 1973
    Zinc Zn 23.8 wt-pct Zinc Major 1973

Comments on the workings information

  • 5 MAJOR BODIES THE LARGEST OF WHICH IS 200 M. BY 40 M. ON THE 290 M. AND 320 M. LEVELS. SULFIDE CORE ENCLOSED IN AN ENVELOPE OF OXIDIZED ORE.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: SILICATE MINERALS ARE DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE OUT, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN LARGE AMOUNTS OF RETREATABLE DUMP MATERIAL ACCUMULATING

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    WHYTE, W. J., 1968, GEOLOGY OF THE BROKEN HILL MINE, ZAMBIA; IN NICOLINI P. ED., LEAD - ZINC DEPOSITS IN AFRICA, ANNALES DES MINES ET DE LA GEOLOGIE NO. 23 P. 393

  • Deposit

    BARLIN, B., 1970, THE EVOLUTION OF LEAD SMELTING PRACTICE AT ZAMBIA BROKEN HILL DEVL. CO.; IN COTTERILL, C. H., CIGAN, J. M. EDS. AIME SYMP. LEAD & ZINC V. 2 P. 649

  • Deposit

    KORTMAN, C. R., 1972, THE GEOLOGY OF THE ZAMBIA BROKEN HILL MINE, KABWE; GEOLOGIE EN MIJNBOUW V. 51., NO. 3, P. 347 - 356

  • Production

    BARLIN B., 1970, LEAD SM. AT B. H. P. 665. SKINNER, W. R., 1975, MINING INTNL. Y.B., U. S. BU MINES MIN YBK, 1970, V. 3, P. 875 AND 1972 V. 3 P. 909.

  • Reserve-Resource

    SKINNER, W. R., 1975, MINING INTNL YBK.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit KORTMAN 1972 BELIEVES OREBODIES WERE PRECIPITATED SYNGENETICALLY BUT LATER REMOBILIZED INTO PIPE - LIKE DEPOSITS

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1976 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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