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Tenke Fungurume

Prospect in Katanga, Congo (Kinshasa) with commodities Copper, Cobalt
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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. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10280763
MRDS ID W029735
MAS/MILS ID 7660400015
Record type Site
Current site name Tenke Fungurume
Alternate or previous names Tenke - Fungurume

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Centroid
Geographic coordinates: 26.1533, -10.58 (WGS84)
Elevation 1300
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position Lat/long from 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

  • ON RAILWAY-LINE LUBUMBASHI TO TENKE

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary
Cobalt Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Malachite Ore
Carrollite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Covellite Ore
Digenite Ore

Analytical data

Result THE ORE GRADING 5.6 % TOTAL COPPER AND 0.46 % TOTAL COBALT
Result OVERALL A COPPER COBALT RATIO 1 TO 0.08

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

Centroid (1) 26.1533, -10.58
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure name Copper Belt

Ore body information

  • Thickness 10M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 3
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 OTHER
    Type of Orebody #3 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 100
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 830712
  • Area 500HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 500
    Date of Last Modification 910418
  • Name unknown
    Strike E-W
    Dip 30 deg. max.

Comments on the ore body information

  • THERE ARE TWO OREBODIES AVERAGE THICKNESS 8.1 M AND 11.3 M; OXIDE, MIXED AND SULFIDE ORE

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF THE OREBODIES ARE VARIABLE BECAUSE THERE ARE 15+ DESCOVERED OREBODIES, TEN OF WHICH ARE PRODUCING. THE OREBODIES ARE DIVIDED NTO TWO BASIC "LAYERS" THE OXIDE ZONE(UPPER LAYER)-TO 100 METER DEPTH THE OXIDE-SULFIDE ZONE(MIDDLE LAYER)-TO 100 TO 250 METER DEPTH; SULFIDE ZONE (LOWER LAYER)-GREATER THAN 250 METERS DEPTH. THE STRIKE OF THE OREBODY VARIES, BUT IS GENERALLY EAST-WEST HOWEVER, THE DIP VARIES CONSIDERABLY. THE DEPTH OF MIN- ERALIZATION AVERAGES GREATER THAN 300 METERS AND THE MINIMUM IS 100 METERS.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1910
Mining method Open Pit
Milling method Flotation

Comments on exploration

  • EXPLORATION IS FINISHED ; TOTAL$: 660 ; ECON.COM: E/M.J. 3/76 P.32:$ 850 MILLION ($ 950 MILLION UNOFFICICALLY)

Mining district

District name Tenke/Fung. Sec

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Gecamines (La Generale Des Carrieres Mines)
    Interest 100
    Home office Zaire
    Year 1990
  • Type Joint Venture Owner-Op
    Owner Soc. Miniere De Tenke - Fungurume (Smtf)
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Charter Consolidated
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Amoco Minerals Co.
    Interest 28
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Mitsui Mining And Smelting Comp. Ltd.
    Interest 14
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Bureau De Recherches Geologiques Et Minieres (BRGM)
    Interest 7
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Leon Templesman And Son Inc.
    Interest 3
  • Type Joint Venture Partner
    Owner Zaire Government
    Interest 20

Comments on the production information

  • SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUTPUT IS PLANNED FROM 1986 TO 1987 (FROM 300000 MTPY TO 1800000 MTPY) BECAUSE THE MINE AND THE MILL WILL BE EXPANDED. THE ORE IN THE EARLY PRODUCTION YEARS WILL BE MOSTLY OXIDE AND MIXED SULFIDE AND OXIDE IN THE LATER YEARS.
  • BY MID 1974, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT BY 1977 THE MINE SHOULD PRODUCE 130,000 T COPPER AND ABOUT 10,000 T COBALT. THE POWER REQUIREMENT ARE TO BE SUPPLIED FROM INGA, ON THE LOWE ZAIRE RIVER BY A NEW POWER LINE (1,700 KM).
  • OUTPUT RATE OF 130,000 TONNES PER YEAR REFINED COPPER (SCHEDULED OUTPUT).

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVE INFO. SUPPLIED BY GOLDER MINUS PROD. (1979)
  • M9C4=M1C3. TOTAL RESERVES AS OF 12/31/86; USED IN 1987 EVALUATION.
  • JAN. 1,1980 RESERVE ESTIMATE BY GOLDER FOR OPEN PIT OPERATION. MEASURED RESERVES OF 55776000MT@5.7%CU, 0.42%CO. FORMER OWNERS: COGEMA(26.5%); CHARTER CONSOLIDATED(28%); MITSUI(14%); BRGM(8.5%) WENT INTO LIQUIDATION IN LATE NOV., 1984. OWNERSHIP REVERTED BACK TO GECAMINES.
  • H2) OXIDE, MIXED AND SULFIDE ORE

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 500HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 80
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 5
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 40
    Capacity 4940
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 500HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 80
    Primary Material Cover M-HARD ROCKS
    Hardness of Ore M-HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 5
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 40
    Capacity 6700
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 350
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1981

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    "CHARTER COOL ON TENKE," METAL BULLETIN. JULY 20, 1979, PP. 18.

  • Deposit

    BGR, APRIL 1974, ROHSTOFFWIRTSCHAFTLICHE LAENDERBERICHTE, III ZAIRE, P.48.

  • Deposit

    "CHARTER LED GROUP GETS 30 PERCENT OF KATANGA'S COPPER," WORLD MINING . JUNE 1971. P. 25.

  • Deposit

    ROSKILL, 1975, COBALT, P.38-41.

  • Deposit

    OOSTERBOSCH, R. 19--. "COPPER MINERALIZATION IN THE FUNGURUME REGION ," ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. VOL. 46, NO. 2 . P. 121-148.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, 1976, NO. 3, P. 32.

  • Deposit

    PHILIPPINE MINING RECORD, APRIL 1976.

  • Deposit

    "FRANCE TO JOIN IN PORTUGAL ZAIRE MINING VENTURES," AMERICAN METAL. JUNE 4,1980. VOL. 88, NO. 108.

  • Deposit

    CROCKETT AND OTHERS, 1987, INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY SUMMARY REPORT-- COBALT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 930-F, 54 P.

  • Deposit

    "TENKE FUNGURUME DRILL RESULTS CONFIRM HIGH GRADE COPPER ORE," WORLD MINING . MARCH 1972, P. 41.

  • Deposit

    "ZAIRE," ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL. NOVEMBER 1979. PP. 188-191.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE ORE IN THE EARLY PRODUCTION YEARS WILL BE MOSTLY OXIDE AND MIXED SULFIDE AND OXIDE IN THE LATER YEARS. AS OF JUNE 1980. PRODUCTION COULD BEGIN IMMEDIATLY AFTER A 15 MONTH FEASIBILITY STUDY (40,000,000 INVESTMENT-NEW- TO BRING THE MINE ON-STREAM.
Deposit Discovery Year: 1970'S (copied from deleted record 10079672)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 05-APR-95 Porter, Kenneth E. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 01-JAN-78 Saam, Henning G. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-88 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 15-FEB-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey merged and deleted W02935 = newMRDS 10079672.

Beyond USGS

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

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