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Mufulira

Producer in Copperbelt, Zambia with commodity Copper
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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. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Ownership information
  16. Production statistics
  17. Reserves and resources
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10255912
MRDS ID W032841
MAS/MILS ID 7940050002
Record type Site
Current site name Mufulira
Alternate or previous names Mufulia (misspelling)

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 28.2285, -12.5198 (WGS84)
Elevation 1220
Location accuracy 500(meters)
Relative position Location from vanbrussel's Mufulira sinkhole on Google Earth. Modified slightly to match Central African Copperbelt SIR.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Copperbelt(province)

Zambia(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Zambia Copperbelt

Comments on the location information

  • ZAMBIA aka NORTHERN RHODESIA. "MUFULIA-BWANA-MKUBWA BELT", BWANA-MKUBWA MINE IN MAJOR MINES FILE. [copied verbatim from deleted record 10081119]

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Unknown
Malachite Unknown

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 200
USGS model code Unassigned
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Cu, Revett
Mark3 model number 64

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Wacke
    Rock type qualifier Oldest of Katanga sequence
    Rock unit name Lower Roan

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 28.2285, -12.5198
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name Mufilira Belt is a simple synclinal fold, following anticlinal Kafwe bath.

Ore body information

  • Strike N45W
    Dip 47N
    Thickness 8.6M
    Length 3485M
    Depth to top 2208M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 DISSEMINATED
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 SEDIMENTARY
    Primary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Secondary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 CARBONATE SILIC
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 SILICIFICATION
    Strike And Dip N45W:47N
    Date of Last Modification 830627

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Anaerobic Shallow Marine Conditions

Comments on the geologic information

  • DEPOSIT HAS THREE ORE BODIES. ORE BODY A HAS STRIKE LENGTH OF 1818M, AVG THICKNESS OF 6.1M. ORE BODY B HAS STRIKE LENGTH OF 3181M, AVG THICKNESS OF 7.6M. ORE BODY C HAS STRIKE LENGTH OF 5455M, AVG THICKNESS OF 12.1 M.
  • DEPOSITS FOUND IN TRANSGRESSIVE MARINE SEQUENCE, IN ONE LIMB OF SYNCLINE. [copied verbatim from deleted record 10081119]

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1923
Mining method Combined Methods - Other Combined Methods
Year of first production 1933
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Zambian Copperbelt
District name Roan Antelope Area

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, Ltd. (ZCCM)
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Zambia Industrial And Mining Corp., Ltd. (Zimco)
    Interest 60.3
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1992
  • Type Owner
    Owner Zambian Copper Investments, Ltd. (ZCI)
    Interest 27.3
    Home office Bermuda
    Year 1992
  • Type Operator
    Owner Roan Consolidated Mines Ltd
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Public
    Interest 13
    Year 1981
  • Type Operator
    Owner Rhodesian Selection Trust
    First year 1965
  • Type Owner
    Owner Roan Consolidated Mines Ltd
    First year 1978

Comments on the ownership information

  • Ownership records 6 and 7 are from the deleted record 10081119.

Production statistics

  • Year 2001
    Period 1933-2001
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Copper Copper 3wt-pct
  • Year 2006
    Period 2006
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Copper Copper 3wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • Merged and deleted record 10081119 gives production in 1959 and 1963 as having a grade of about 3.3 wt-pct Cu.
  • Unable to report production from Mufulira for 2002-2005 as it is reported combined with production from Nkana.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Name Mufulira, total endowment
    Estimate year 2010
    Total endowment 328653652mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 2.64 wt-pct Copper Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Indicated 139700000mt ore
    Demonstrated 139700000mt ore
    Total resources 139700000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.08 wt-pct Copper Major 1977
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Demonstrated 57010000mt ore
    Total resources 57010000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.16 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Demonstrated 43000000mt ore
    Total resources 43000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 2.9 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Total resources 4000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 2.6 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Total resources 104010000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.03 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Demonstrated 100010000mt ore
    Total resources 100010000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.05 wt-pct Copper Major 1992

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ZCCM, 1991 AR, P42,44, (3/31/91) ORE RESERVES: 58,879,000 MT @ 3.16% CU MINERAL RESOURCE: 47,000,000 MT @ 2.90% CU TOTAL DEMO RES.: 105,879,000 MT @ 3.04% CU

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OTHER COMBINED METHODS
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 23846
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 14.39
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on the workings information

  • FIVE SHAFTS [copied verbatim from deleted record 10081119]

Comments on other economic factors

  • MINING METHODS NOW BEING USED INCLUDE SUBLEVEL CAVING WITH FOOTWALL OR HANGING WALL RETREAT, BLASTHOLE OPEN STOPING MECHANIZED OPEN STOPING WITH PACKFILL, CASCADE CONTINUOUS RETREAT OPEN STOPING, AND TRANSVERSE OPEN STOPING WITH BACKFILL.

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 6412 ; ECON.YEAR: 1978 ; ECON.COM: MINE, CONCENTRATOR, SMELTER, REFINERY [copied verbatim from deleted record 10081119]

Comments on the environmental information

  • VEGETATION: OPEN FORESTS OF ACACIA TREES SHRUBS, GRASSES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Production

    TER BRUGGEN, J. W.,INTRODUCTION INTO MINING AND METALLURGY ON THE ZAMBIAN COPPERBELT. GEOLOGIE EN MIJNBOUW, V. 51, 1972, P. 361-370.

  • Deposit

    ACP Mining Data Bank [Secretariat of the African and Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Group], undated, http://mines.acp.int/html/mine_ZMB-00071_en.html

  • Deposit

    First Quantum Minerals, 2001, 2001 Annual Report, 54 p.: accessed May 26, 2010, at http://www.sedar.com [First Quantum Minerals Ltd, Annual Report - English, filed May 17, 2002].

  • Production

    First Quantum Minerals, Competent Person's Report, The assets of first Quantum Minerals Listed in Zambia and Zimbabwe, 203 p. [See www.sedar.com, May 31, 2001, Mining Reports, p. 12 or p. 27 of 203]

  • Deposit

    Freeman, P.V., 1988, Description of mineral deposits on the Copperbelt (and Kabwe, Nampundwe): Lukasa, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Ltd. [ZCCM] unpublished company report, 88 p.

  • Deposit

    CSMA Consultants Ltd, ACA How International Ltd, and SGS Ghana Ltd, 2001, Competent Person's Report, The assets of First Quantum Minerals Limited in Zambia and Zimbabwe (dated May 2001): Report prepared by CSMA Consultants Ltd, ACA How International Ltd, and SGS Ghana Ltd., for First Quantum Minerals, 203 p. (Available for download at www.sedar.com [First Quantum Minerals, Mining Reports, filed May 31, 2001]).

  • Reserve-Resource

    ROAN CONSOLIDATED MINES LTD. ANNUAL REPORT 1976.

  • Deposit

    Selley, David, Broughton, David, Scott, Robert, Hitzman, Murray, Bull, S.W., Large, R.R., McGoldrick, P.J., Croaker, Mawson, Pollington, Nicky, and Barra, Fernando, 2005, A new look at the geology of the Zambian Copperbelt, in Hedenquist, J.W., Thompson, J.F.H., Goldfarb, R.J., and Richards, J.P., eds., Economic Geology 100th Anniversary Volume, 1905-2005: Littleton, Colorado, Society of Economic Geologists, p. 965-1000.

  • Reserve-Resource

    ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES LTD., 1992 ANNUAL REPORT,

  • Deposit

    Kirkham, Rodney, and Broughton, David, 2005, Appendix, Supplement to the sediment-hosted stratiform copper ore system, Economic Geology 100th anniversary volume, 1905-2005, Society of Economic Geologists, Littleton, CO, United States, pp. 609-642.

  • Deposit

    MENDELSOHN, F. (ED.).THE GEOLOGY OF THE NORTHERN RHODESIAN COPPERBELT. MACDONALD AND CO., LONDON, 1961, 523 P.

  • Deposit

    DE KUN, NICOLAS. 1965. THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF AFRICA. ELSEVIER, AMSTERDAM, P. 130-136, 350-356, 365-369.

  • Deposit

    Ianham, Andrew, 2005, Mopani Spending $650M to triple production: Engineering News, 26 Aug. 2005, accessed May 26, 2010, at http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/mopani-spending-560m-to-triple-production-2005-08-26.

  • Deposit

    PELLETIER, R. A.,MINERAL RESOURCES OF SOUTH-CENTERAL AFRICA. OXFORD UNIV. PRESS,CAPE TOWN, 1964, P. 178-198.

  • Deposit

    MAREE, S. C. LITHOLOGY OF THE MUFULIRA COPPER DEPOSITS.

  • Deposit

    ONTER. GEOLOGIC CONGRESS, PT.2, (STRATIFORM COPPER DEPOSITS OF AFRICA), COPENHAGEN, 1960, P.159-172.

  • Deposit

    ------------ STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF THE MUFULIRA AREA. INTL.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS (STRATIFORM COPPER DEPOSITS OF AFRICA PART 2), COPENHAGEN, 1960, P. 159-177.

  • Deposit

    Reeve, W.H., 1963, The geology and mineral resources of Northern Rhodesia: Northern Rhodesia Geological Survey Bulletin 3, v. 1 (text) and v. 2 (maps).

  • Deposit

    VAN EDEN, J. G., 1974. DEPOSITIONAL AND DIAGENETIC ENVIRONMENT RELATED TO SULFIDE MINERALIZATION, MUFULIRA, ZAMBIA. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, V.69, P. 59-79.

  • Deposit

    NELLER, R. R., J. D. SANDY, AND V. H. R. OLIVER, HOW MUFULIRA HAS BEEN REHABILITATED. WORLD MINING.SEPT. 1973 PP. 42-49.

  • Deposit

    COLLINSON,B.M.UNDERGROUND MINING MECHANIZATION AT ROAN CONSOLIDATED MINES SINCE 1965, GEOLOGIE EN MIJNBOUW, V.51,NO.3, 1972, PP.381-397.

  • Deposit

    GOLDER ASSOCIATES, INC. DEPOSIT PROFILE-MUFULIRA, ZAMBIA SEPT. 1980.

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL, 11/24/92, P.58.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ. 1978.

Comments on the references

  • E/MJ. 1978. Copied verbatim from references in deleted record 10081119.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PROJECT WAS INITIATED IN 1976 TO SINK 2 SUB-VERTICAL SHAFTS MUFULIRA. SHAFTS DESIGNED TO HANDLE ORE TO 1140M LEVEL.
Deposit Deposit does NOT include the Kasaria/Luansobe orebody.
Deposit ACP Mining Data Bank [Secretariat of the African and Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Group] suggests that Mufulira is a district including both Mufulira and Mokambo and that in addition to Cu it produces a small amounnt of Ag and Au.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-80 Gassaway, Judith, S. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 10-MAR-97 Porter, Kenneth E. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 21-SEP-09 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site