24
08.13
exploration
A
s Bruchs makes clear, FQM’s interest in both
Botswana and Tsodilo is based on Tsodilo’s
discovery of what it believes is the south-
westerly extension of the Central African Copperbelt
of Zambia and the DRC on its tenements in north-
west Botswana. “It has become increasingly apparent
to us over the past several years that the area hosts a
sequence of rocks that is identical in age and com-
position to those on the Copperbelt,” says Bruchs.
“First Quantum has seen the potential of the area and
hence the partnership agreement. We’re delighted to
be partnering with them as we have only very lim-
ited copper expertise in house whereas they have a
proven record in terms of exploration for copper and
subsequent mine development. First Quantum now
has a team on the ground in Botswana which is busy
launching what will be a very aggressive exploration
programme.”
Mike de Wit, a well-known figure in African geolog-
ical circles (earlier in his career he headed De Beers’
exploration programme in Africa), notes that there is
a particular correlation between the Botswana rocks
and those found in the area of the Sentinel-Lumwana-
Kansanshi deposits of north-west Zambia, with the
same hydrothermal alteration of sedimentary rocks
seen in this area having been intersected in several
holes drilled by Tsodilo. FQM is developing a new
copper mine at Sentinel, where it has defined a re-
source of 1 027 Mt at 0,51 % copper, and also a new
nickel mine at nearby Enterprise, where the resource
amounts to just over 40 Mt at 1,07 % Ni.
“The recognition that Katangan rocks, identical to
What is
First Quantum
doing in Botswana?
A CT14 core rig working at one of Tsodilo’s sites in north-western Botswana.
The news earlier this year that copper miner First Quantum Minerals (FQM) – which operates Africa’s big-
gest copper mine at Kansanshi in Zambia – had entered into a strategic partnership with Botswana-focused
exploration company, Tsodilo Resources Limited (Tsodilo), was intriguing, given that Botswana has never
really been a major copper producer, notwithstanding the recent opening by Discovery Metals of the Boseto
copper mine to the south of Maun. To learn more about the motivation for the deal
Modern Mining’s
Arthur
Tassell recently spoke to James M Bruchs, Chairman and CEO of Tsodilo, and his colleague Dr Mike de Wit,
who is President and COO.
