Lumwana Project

Prospect in North-Western, Zambia with commodities Copper, Cobalt
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Ownership information
  12. Reserves and resources
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10183561
MAS/MILS ID 7940300009
Record type District
Current site name Lumwana Project
Alternate or previous names Mombezhi Dome Area

Comments on the site identification

  • Record is for the Mombezhi Dome Area where the Lumwana Project is located. It contains 3 deposits: Malundwe, Chimiwungo, and Lubwe.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Geographic coordinates: Elevation UTM Precision Relative position Point location
Ore Body 25.88466, -12.28073 (WGS84) 1000
(click for info)
25.9511, -12.179 (WGS84) 10 This is location of the Lubwe deposit used in the Central African Copperbelt Sediment-hosted Copper assessment.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

North-Western(province)

Zambia(country)

Africa(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Zambia North-Western

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Cobalt Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Unknown
Chalcocite Unknown
Chalcopyrite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 25.88466, -12.28073
(2) 25.9511, -12.179

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N80E
    Dip 17S
    Thickness 75M
    Length 4500M
    Width 3000M
    Depth to top 175M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 3
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Type of Orebody #3 SEDIMENTARY
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control UNKNOWN
    Secondary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 POTASSIC
    Strike And Dip N80E:17S
    Minimum Depth to Top 40
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 20
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 10
    Date of Last Modification 791105
  • Area 1200HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 1200
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1960
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Lumwana

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Government Republic Of Zambia-Zimco
    Interest 51
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1978
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mwinilunga Mines Ltd
    Interest 49
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1978

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1977
    Total resources 821742000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 0.66 wt-pct Copper Major 1977
  • Type In-situ
    Name Lubwe, resource
    Estimate year 1991
    Total resources 70000000mt
    Remarks Lubwe resources: 70Mt@0.8% Cu
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.8 wt-pct Copper Primary 1991
  • Type In-situ
    Name Malundwe, measured+indicated
    Estimate year 2008
    Demonstrated 142000000mt
    Remarks Malundwe, measured + indicated =\n142Mt@ 0.91% Cu and 0.015% Co (Davis and others, 2008, p. 63)
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.91 wt-pct Copper Primary 2008
    Cobalt 0.015 wt-pct Cobalt Secondary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Name Malundwe, inferred
    Estimate year 2008
    Inferred 19700000mt
    Total endowment 992600000mt
    Remarks Malundwe, inferred:\n19.7Mt @ 0.74% Cu and 0.01% Co (Davis and others, 2008, p. 63).
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.74 wt-pct Copper Primary 2008
    Cobalt 0.01 wt-pct Cobalt Secondary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Name Chimiwungo, measured + indicated
    Estimate year 2008
    Demonstrated 216200000mt
    Total endowment 992600000mt
    Remarks Chimiwungo, measured + indicated:\n216.2Mt @ 0.66% Cu and 0.021% Co\n(Davis and others, 2008, p. 63)
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 0.66 wt-pct Copper Primary 2008
    Cobalt 0.021 wt-pct Cobalt Secondary 2008
  • Type In-situ
    Name Chimiwungo, inferred
    Estimate year 2008
    Inferred 544700000mt
    Remarks Chimiwungo, inferred:\n544.7Mt@ 0.63% cu and 0.005% co (Davisi and others, 2008, p. 63)
  • Type In-situ
    Name Lumwana Project Total
    Estimate year 2008
    Total endowment 992600000mt
    Remarks sum of Lubwe + Chimiwungo + Malundwe

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVE AT CU CUTOFF GRADE OF 0.3% CU. AT CU CUTOFF GRADE OF 0.6% CU,THERE ARE 350,000,000 MT AT 1.0% CU

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Swell Factor .65
    Percent Waste Rock 75
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 150
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 7
    Secondary Material Cover HARDPAN
    Percentage 23
    Tertiary Material Cover HARD ROCKS
    Percentage 70
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 62565
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 36000
    Unit Production Cost 6.35
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1979

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS MINE WILL COME ON LINE AND FEED THE EXPANDED MILL FOR MALUNDWE AS THE MALUNDWE DEPOSIT IS MINED OUT.THE SIZE OF THE CHIMIWUNGO MINE IS SOLELY BASED UPON A COMPARABLE SIZE TO THE LARGEST SIZE OPEN PIT OPERATION IN AFRICA AT PRESENT. MINE&MILL OP COSTS WERE DETERMINED FROM MATTHEWS MANUAL AND FACTORED FOR PRODUCTIVITY DIFFERENCES(ESTIMATED). ALL OTHER OP COSTS WERE ESTIMATED FROM ACTUAL ZAMBIAN COSTS. OP COSTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: ($/MT ORE) MINING $ 5.66 FOR I-SET COSTS,DEBT MILLING $ 3.08 SERVICE WAS SPLIT 50-50 SMELTING $ 1.20 TO MINING&MILLING & REFINING $ 0.38 TRANSPORTATION OF CONCS. TRANS. $ 0.50 WAS ADDED TO SMELT./REF. DEBT SERVICE $ 1.38 CUSTOM CHARGE. TOTAL $12.20
Deposit Lubwe is unclassified deposit type in basement schist.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 09-JAN-95 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 03-JUN-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey Record contains 3 actual deposits: Malundwe, Chimiwungo, and Lubwe. All 3 are part of the Lumwana Project.

Beyond USGS

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