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Kansanshi

Past Producer in North-Western, Zambia with commodities Copper, Gold
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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. Mineral rights holdings
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10183134
MRDS ID DE00066
MAS/MILS ID 7940300006
Record type Site
Current site name Kansanshi
Alternate or previous names Kansanshi-Kopje

Comments on the site identification

  • ACP Mining Data Bank [Secretariat of the African and Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Group] includes Shikola, Kumale, and Kansanchi 6 as part of Kansanshi.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: 26.433, -12.0968 (WGS84)
Elevation 1430
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position Location updated to open pit on Google Earth and in Microsoft Maps using the map & fix function in MRDS. Newest update to location in Central African Copperbelt SIR.

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
Gold Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Brannerite Unknown
Monazite Unknown

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock
    Rock type qualifier Quartz-biotite schist, biotite-garnet schist, carbonaceous phyllite, marble
    Rock unit name Kundulungu Group

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) 26.433, -12.0968
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name Solwezi Dome

Ore body information

  • Length 500M
    Width 250M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 UNKNOWN
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin UNKNOWN
    Primary Ore Control UNKNOWN
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 830718
  • Length 750M
    Width 250M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 2
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 FISSURE VEIN
    Shape of Orebody #1 UNKNOWN
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Primary mode of Origin UNKNOWN
    Primary Ore Control UNKNOWN
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 830718

Comments on the geologic information

  • STRIKE AND DIP: N00S:18 FOR RECORD NOS. 11 & 21.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1899
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1908
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Central African Copper Belt

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Other

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines, Ltd. (ZCCM)
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Zambia Industrial And Mining Corp., Ltd. (Zimco)
    Interest 60.3
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1991
  • Type Owner
    Owner Zambian Copper Investments, Ltd. (ZCI)
    Interest 27.3
    Home office Bermuda
    Year 1991

Comments on the ownership information

  • MINERALS AND RESOURCE CORP. LTD. (MINORCO) OWNS 49.98% OF ZAMBIA COPPER INVESTMENTS LTD. ANGLO-AMERICAN OWNS 39.99% OF MINORCO

Comments on the production information

  • THIS MINE HAS A LONG HISTORY. WHEN DISCOVERED THERE WERE ANCIENT WORKINGS COVERING AN AREA OF MORE THAN 7000 YARDS IN DIAMETER. IT WAS FIRST BROUGHT INTO PRODUCTION IN 1906, AND WAS CLOSED DOWN IN 1931. THE MINE WAS REOPENED IN 1956 AND WAS FLOODED SIX MONTHS LATER. THE MINE DURING THIS PERIOD WAS COMPLETELY UNDERGROUND. IT WAS IN 1973 WHEN IT WAS AGAIN REOPENED THAT IT WAS PLANNED TO OPEN PIT THE ORE.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Name Kansanshi, total endowment
    Estimate year 2010
    Total endowment 412472600mt ore
    Remarks Total endowment
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 1.156 wt-pct Copper Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1978
    Indicated 10217000mt ore
    Demonstrated 10217000mt ore
    Total resources 10217000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 2.32 wt-pct Copper Major 1978
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Indicated 10685000mt ore
    Demonstrated 10685000mt ore
    Total resources 10685000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 2.58 wt-pct Copper Major 1975
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Indicated 300000mt ore
    Demonstrated 300000mt ore
    Total resources 300000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.6 wt-pct Copper Major 1989
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Inferred 26000000mt ore
    Total resources 26000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 2.9 wt-pct Copper Major 1992
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1989
    Indicated 300000mt ore
    Demonstrated 300000mt ore
    Total resources 300000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.6 wt-pct Copper Major 1989

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • M1C1 + M2C1 = M9C4 + M9C5 M1C1 = M9C4. MATRIX 2 REPRESENTS THE "NORTHERN EXTENSION" WHICH WILL BE MINED AFTER THE MAIN ORE BODY (MATRIX 1) GRADES LISTED REPRESENT TOTAL CU

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 400HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Primary Material Cover HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 669
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 7.4
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Year of Information 1981
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 400HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Primary Material Cover HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Capacity 669
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 8.88
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on other economic factors

  • ACTUAL 1978 TONNAGE MINES: 147,000 MT. ACTUAL 1979 TONNAGE MINED: 178,891 MT. MINE OP COST 1978: 10.62 $/MT ORE MINE OP COST FOR 1979: 11.54 $/MT ORE

Comments on development

  • ORE PRODUCTION CAPACITY BETWEEN 150,000 AND 300,000 TONNES/YEAR. OPERATION SUSPENDED IN 1988. [copied from deleted record 10021406 = DE00066]

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINED ORE IS TRANSPORTED 175 KM E TO CHINGOLA LEACH PLANT
General VEGETATION: HARDWOOD TREES, SHRUBS, GRASSES INTERMIXED WITH OPEN PLAINS.
Deposit Deposit type is unclassified copper, structurally controlled.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 04-JAN-95 Porter, Kenneth E. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 04-JUN-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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