(Facility) Mufulira Copper Smelter

Plant in Copperbelt, Zambia with commodity Copper
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Ownership information
  9. Production statistics
  10. Links to other databases
  11. Bibliographic references
  12. General comments
  13. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134819
MAS/MILS ID 7940051005
Record type Site
Current site name (Facility) Mufulira Copper Smelter
Alternate or previous names Mufulira

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: 28.23463, -12.49741 (WGS84)
Elevation 1250
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Copperbelt(province)

Zambia(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Zambia Copperbelt

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) 28.23463, -12.49741

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Processing Plant
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1935
Plant type Smelter
Plant subcategory Smelter-Pyrometallurgy

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Government, Rep. Of Zambia
    Interest 60.3
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1989
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Zambian Copper Investments, Ltd. (ZCI)
    Interest 27.3
    Home office Bermuda
    Year 1989
  • Type Owner
    Owner Roan Selection Trust
    Interest 6.9
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1989

Production statistics

  • Year 1980
    Description Copper Anode 109000 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 109000mt
  • Year 1981
    Description Copper Anode 150000 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 150000mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Copper Anode 142000 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 142000mt
  • Year 1983
    Description Copper Anode 171000 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 171000mt
  • Year 1984
    Description Copper Anode 140000 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 140000mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Copper Anode 123723 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 123723mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Copper Anode 159278 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 159278mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Copper Anode 174870 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 174870mt
  • Year 1989
    Description Copper Anode 159716 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 159716mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Copper Anode 151081 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 151081mt
  • Year 1991
    Description Copper Anode 150517 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 150517mt
  • Year 1992
    Description Copper Anode 53029 Mt
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Copper Copper 53029mt

Comments on the production information

  • ALL PRODUCTION REPORTED AFTER 1984 IS 1985/86, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1990/91, AND 1991/92.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • SUPPLIES MUFULIRA REFINERY. CONCENTRATE CAP. = 180M MTPY CU. MELTS & FIRE REFINES SECONDARY MATERIAL FROM OTHER ZCCM PLANTS. NO SULFUR FIXATION. DOWN 5/91 FOR 6-MO OVERHAUL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    CHARLES RIVER ASSOCIATES SMELTER PROFILE, MUFULIRA SMELTER,

  • Production

    FEBRUARY 15, 1985, P. 1.

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1986 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    P. 48.

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1987 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    P. 44.

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1988 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1989 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1990 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    P. 41.

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1991 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    P. 43.

  • Production

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LIMITED 1992 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Production

    P. 52.

  • Deposit

    PINCOCK, ALLEN & HOLT, INC.; THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING,

  • Deposit

    OPERATING AND ENVIRONMENTAL COST DATA FOR INTERNATIONAL

  • Deposit

    COPPER SMELTING AND REFINING OPERATIONS - MUFULIRA,

  • Deposit

    ZAMBIA. BUMINES CONTRACT J0290007; FOR INF., CONTACT S.W.

  • Deposit

    TOWLE, TPO, BUMINES-MAFO, DENVER, CO.

  • Deposit

    MINING BULLETIN MONTHLY; SMELTER SHELTER AT MUFULIRA, AUG.

  • Deposit

    1992, P. 51.

  • Deposit

    MBM, AUGUST 1992, P. 51.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit CURRENT FACILITIES AT THE MUFULIRA SMELTER INCLUDE RAW MATERIAL HANDLING, CONCENTRATE DRYER, ELKEM ELECTRIC SMELTING FURNACE, PIERCE-SMITH CONVERTERS, ANODE FURNACES AND CASTING WHEELS. CURRENT CAPACITY IS 180,000 MTPA ANODE COPPER. NO ACID PLANTS OR OTHER SO2 FIXATION FACILITIES EXIST AT THE PRESENT TIME. MULFULIRA WAS CLOSED FOR SOME TIME IN 1991 FOR IMPROVEMENTS. THERE IS A NEW HEARTH AND ROOF, NEW TECHNOLOGY BASED ON THE HATCH SIDEWALL COOLING SYSTEM. BY APRIL OF 1992, OUTPUT HAD RISEN BY 1400 TPM, HOWEVER, TOTAL PRODUCTION FOR 1992 WAS DOWN DUE TO THE CLOSURE OF THE REFINERY FOR IMPROVMENTS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-JAN-95 Towle, Stewart W. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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