1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Bwana Mkubwa

Past Producer in Copperbelt, Zambia with commodity Copper
Map
XML
JSON
KML
A
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  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 10280840
MRDS ID W032843
MAS/MILS ID 7940050015
Record type Site
Mineralized Area Central African Copperbelt
Current site name Bwana Mkubwa
Alternate or previous names Shovel Pit, Bwana Mkubwa, Rokana Div.

Comments on the site names

  • Unable to locate any term "Rokana Div." Therefore, moved that to a previous (perhaps erroneous) name. "Copperbelt" is one of the 9 formal Provinces in Zambia. The 9 provinces are divided into 72 districts (none called Rokana).

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: 28.6923, -13.0315 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 100(meters)
Relative position Location near center of the flooded open pit. Match location in Central African Copperbelt SIR publication

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

  • SOUTHEAST END OF NORTHERN COPPER BELT [copied from deleted record 10081121=W032843]

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcocite Ore
Malachite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Laterization

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
    Rock type qualifier lower Katangian age
    Rock unit name Lower Roan Quartzites
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock
    Rock type qualifier Feldspathic sandstone, graywacke, dolomitic siltstone
    Rock unit name Mines Group, Roan Supergroup,

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) 28.6923, -13.0315
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike S60E
    Dip 45W
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 3
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin METAMORPHISM
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. SLIGHT
    Strike And Dip S60E:45W
    Date of Last Modification 791017

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Laterization

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1903
Year of first production 1902
Year of last production 1984
Plant subcategory Solvent Extraction-Electrowin
Production years Continuous production from 1971-1984.

Mining district

District name Central African Copper Belt

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Government Republic Of Zambia-Zimco
    Interest 51
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1978
  • Type Owner
    Owner Zambian Copper Investments, Ltd. (ZCI)
    Interest 49
    Home office Bermuda
    Year 1978
  • Type Operator
    Owner Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines Ltd
    Home office Zambia
    Year 1978
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner First Quantum Minerals
    Interest 100
    Home office Vancouver, Canada
    Year 2009
    First year 1996
    Last year 2008
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM)
    Year 2009
    Last year 1984

Production statistics

  • Year 1977
    Material Cu ore
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Copper Copper Copper 3wt-pct
  • Year 1998
    Period 1903-1984
    Ore mined 8600000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Primary Copper Copper 3wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • INITIAL PROD. 1913, CLOSED DOWN 1931.REOPENED 1971 WITH 8- YR. LIFE OF RESERVE. COST TO REOPEN (MINE+ 800,000 MTPY ORE FEED MILL) WAS $15,560,000.
  • Old W032843 (new 10081121) notes that "Original Entry: Ap_Grade ^3.0 Percent".

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Name Bwana Mkubwa
    Estimate year 2010
    Total endowment 8600000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper 3.34 wt-pct Copper Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1978
    Measured 2646000mt ore
    Demonstrated 2646000mt ore
    Total resources 2646000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Copper Cu 3.53 wt-pct Copper Major 1978

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • IN ADDITION TO IN-PLACE ORE THERE WERE 308,000 MT OF 4.06% CU (HIGH GRADE) AND 978,000 MT OF 1.43% CU (LOW GRADE) ORE STOCKPILED IN 1978.
  • Total endowment is Production (mine is mined-out) from 1903-1984: 8,600,000 mt or @ 3.34 = 287,240 tons Cu.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Capacity 2121
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 18.59
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 330
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1978

Comments on development

  • MILL.CAP: 705 ; ECON.YEAR: 1977 ; ECON.COM: MINE, CONCENTRATOR. [copied from deleted record 10081121=W032843]

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE MINE WAS CLOSED DURING 1978. THE MINERALOGY OF THE PRESENT ORE IS NOT CONCLUSIVELY KNOWN. THE PIT BEGAN IN OXIDE AND IT MOST LIKELY MINES OXIDE AND SULFIDE AT PRESENT. THE ORE IS WITHIN SEVERAL BEDS OF THE GROUP. DEPTH AND THICKNESS VARIES.
General Bwana Mkubwa was discovered in 1903 and operated intermittently. It was a producing mine from 1971-1984 when it was mined out. After a long hiatus, it was used to process tailings (no mining!) from 1996-2001. From 2001-2007 ore was trucked to the plant from the Lonshi Mine in the DRC. When the government of DRC forbid exports across the border the plant reprocessed stockpiles and ceased operations in late 2008. (Information from First Quantum company reports.) There has been NO PRODUCTION from the DEPOSIT at BWANA MKUBWA since 1984.
Deposit WMR 1976-1977 LISTS ONLY CONCENTRATOR AND NO MINE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT [copied from deleted record 10081121=W032843]
General Bwana Mkubwa is mined out. Since 1984 all the ore comes from Lonshi and tailings.
Deposit Former MRDS record W032843 (10081121) called this the Roan Antelope District.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-FEB-84 Boyle, Ed U.S. Bureau of Mines Reporter for original MAS 7940050015.
Reporter 01-JUN-80 Gassaway, Judith S. U.S. Geological Survey Reporter for original MRDS W032843.
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.

Maps centered on this site