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Kamoto

Producer in Katanga, Congo (Kinshasa) with commodities Cobalt, 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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Mineral rights holdings
  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 10183231
MRDS ID W029729
MAS/MILS ID 7660400005
Record type Site
Current site name Kamoto
Alternate or previous names Kamoto Underground

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 25.4009, -10.7143 (WGS84)
Elevation 1440
Location accuracy 500(meters)
Relative position At Kolwezi. Coordinates from USGS CACB GIS data layer as of April, 2010. Updated to June 1, 2011 Central African Copperbelt SIR database.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Katanga(province)

Congo (Kinshasa)(country)

Geographic areas

Country State
Congo (Kinshasa) Katanga

Comments on the location information

  • IN CONNECTION WITH THE RAILWAY LINE KOLWEZI TO LIBOTO. (from deleted record W029730=newMRDS 10079667 and W029729=10079666)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Cobalt Critical Secondary
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Carrollite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Covellite Ore
Digenite Ore
Malachite Ore
Chlorite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Dolomite Gangue
Magnesite Unknown

Analytical data

Result THE PROPORTION OF SULFIDE TO OXIDE MINERALS NATURALY INCREASE WITH INCREASING DEPTH BELOW "THE OPEN PIT BOTTOM WHERE THE RATION IS ABOUT 1 TO 1. THE TWO DEPOSITS CONTAIN 5 TO 6 PER CENT COPPER AND 0.3 TO 0.4 PER CENT (SOMETIMES UP TO 1 PER CENT) C" [copied from deleted record 10079666]

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 197
USGS model code 30b
Deposit model name Sediment-hosted Cu
Mark3 model number 63

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 25.4009, -10.7143
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name Serie des mines
Type of structure Regional
Structure name Copper Belt

Ore body information

  • Length 6000M
    Depth to top 500M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 200
    Date of Last Modification 830524
  • Area 1000HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 1000
    Date of Last Modification 910418
  • Name [from deleted record 10079666]
    General form Wedge
    Dip 25 DEG. to 90 DEG.
    Thickness 10M

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE PRINCPLE OREBODY AT KAMOTO IS MADE UP OF TWO MINERALIZED BEDS, WITH A WASTE BAND BETWEEN THEM. NEAR THE CENTER OF THE DEPOSIT, IT DIPS AT 30 DEG. TO THE NORTH BETWEEN THE 175 M AND 357 M LEVELS. BELOW THE 357 M LEVEL, THE DIP FLATTENS OUT SHARPLY. AT THE EASTERN END OF THE OREBODY THE DIP IS ALMOST VERTICAL, WHILE TO THE WEST IT IS INCLINED AT ABOUT 45 DEG. COPPER AND COBALT OCCUR AS SULFIDES IN THE UNALTERED ORE. THE HOST-ROCK IS A FINE GRAINED, ESSENTIALLY UNMETAMORPHOSED, SEDIMENT. THE ROCKS OVERLYING THE UPPER OREBODY ARE PYRITE-BEARING DOLOSTONES AND SHALES. THEY CONTAIN VARIABLE AMOUNTS OF SULFIDES. THE ROCKS UNDERLYING THE LOWER OREBODY ARE HEMATITE-BEARING MUDSTONES. THEY DO NOT CONTAIN ANY SULFIDE. THE TWO ORE BODIES SEPARATING BARREN SEDIMENTARY UNIT IS 10 TO 15 METER WIDTH AND CONTAINS 1 % COOPER A 0.5 % CO.
  • Structures, local and regional, from deleted record 10079666.
  • Tectonic setting from deleted record 10079666.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1940
Mining method Filled Stopes - Other Filled Stope Methods
Year of first production 1950
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Kolwezi District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner La Generale Des Carrieres Et Mines Du Zaire (State Owned) (Gecamines)
    Interest 100
    Home office Zaire
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner La Generale Des Carrieres Et Mines Du Zaire (State Owned) (Gecamines)
    Interest 100
    Home office Zaire
    Year 1994

Production statistics

  • Year 1971
    Description 1969-1979 Cu 4.1%, Co 0.4% 870000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Ore Cobalt Cobalt 0wt-pct
    Major Ore Copper Copper 4wt-pct
  • Year 1972
    Material Original data Ap_Grade: ^3.67% Cu, calculated. [From deleted record 10069391]
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Copper Copper 4wt-pct
  • Year 1972
    Description 1630000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1973
    Description 2199999 Mt Ore
  • Year 1974
    Description 2500000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1975
    Description 2600000 Mt Ore
  • Year 1979
    Description 2800000 Mt Ore

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Measured 140000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 140000000mt ore
    Total resources 140000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 4.1 wt-pct Copper Major 1980
    Cobalt Co 0.435 wt-pct Cobalt Minor 1980
  • Type In-situ
    Name old data deleted record 10069391
    Estimate year 1973
    Total resources 204000000000mt
    Remarks ABW 28-apr-2010: Suspect this number should be 204,000,000 not 204,000,000,000.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 3.67 wt-pct Copper Primary 1973
  • Type In-situ
    Name From deleted record 10079666
    Estimate year 1970
    Total resources 3000000mt
    Remarks 3,000,000 mt ore at 5% Cu and 0.5% Co.
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Cobalt 0.5 wt-pct Cobalt Secondary 1970
    Copper 5 wt-pct Copper Primary 1970

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS ARE KAMOTO PRINCIPAL AND KAMOTO ETANG. COMBINED WITH WESTERN DIVISION - SEQ # 7660400030
  • CROCKETT AND OTHERS, 1987, ALSO REPORT "LARGE" RESOURCES AT KAMOTO EAST AND "LIMITED" RESOURCES AT KAMOTO NORTH.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method COMBINED METHODS
    Percent Recovery 90
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK FISSURED WITH EXCESSIVE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NONCOHERENT
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Number of Shafts 5
    Slope of Inclines 8
    Number of Inclines 2
    Capacity 8857
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 29.21
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on the workings information

  • THE MINE IS SERVED BY FIVE SHAFTS, WITH A CAPACIY OF SOME 3.6 MILLION TONNES PER YEAR. THE PRINCIPAL MINING METHOD IN USE AT THE MINE IS SUBLEVEL CAVING. IN KAMOTO THERE ARE TWO FLOTATION UNITS FOR SULFIDIC ORE WITH A CAPACITY OF 3.6 MILLION TONS PER YEAR.
  • CAPACITY OF THE PIT 3 MILLION TONS ORE AND CAPACITY OF MINE (1972) ABOUT 1.8 MILLION TONS ORE. IT IS PLANNED TO PRODUCE 3 MILLION TPY. THE KAMOTO OPEN PIT CONTAINS THE OREBODY SECTIONS KAMOTO PRINCIPAL (ABOUT 160 M DEEP) AND KAMOTO NORTH. TO START THE KAMOTO-EAST OPEN PIT 15 IN PREPARATION. IN THE DEEPER OREBODY SECTIONS OF KAMOTO-PRINCIPAL AND KAMOTO-ETAN THE MINING REACHED (1974) THE 560 M LEVEL. INCLINE SHAFTS ARE SCHEDULED TO REACH THE 670 LEVEL.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit 33,000,000 MT OF IN-SITU ORE (AT 4.9% CU,0.4% CO) IS MINED BY SUB-LEVEL CAVING AT 75% RECOVVERY + 20% DILUTION 107,000,000 MT OF IN-SITU ORE (AT 3.84% CU+ 0.44% CU) IS MINED BY ROOM AND PILLAR + CUT & FILL AT 80% RECOVERY + 5% DILUTION.
General Discovery Year: 1900'S
Deposit AN EXPANSION PROGRAM AT BOTH THE MINE AND PLANT, TO START IN 1974, WILL ADD CAPACITY OF 80,000 MTPY COPPER, TO GIVE A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 460,000 M.T.P.Y. COPPER. [From deleted record 10069391].
Deposit THE TWO MINERALIZED BEDS ARE EACH ABOUT 10 M WIDE. DOWN TO 390 M THE OREBODIES HAVE A CHANGING DIP FROM 90 DEG. TO 25 DEG.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 19-OCT-92 Eastern Field Operations Center (EFOC) U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-JAN-78 Saam, Henning G. U.S. Geological Survey MRDS W029730=newMRDS 10079667. Very minimal sketchy record. Only bit of info salvaged is mention of the railroad from Kolwezi to Liboto.
Reporter 01-JUL-75 Shaffer, Glenn L. U.S. Geological Survey MRDS W006901 = newMRDS 10069391, merged and deleted.
Updater 01-DEC-87 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey W029729 = newMRDS 10079666, merged and deleted.
Editor 28-APR-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey Merged and deleted 3 duplicate records for Kamoto.

Beyond USGS

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

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