copper
31
08.13
MDM Engineering has been awarded the scoping study for Kipushi Corporation SPRL’s
Kipushi rehabilitation and re-development project in Katanga in the DRC.
Ivanplats acquired a 68 % share of the Kipushi mine in 2011 and is currently dewatering
the mine in order to access the original workings, known as the Fault Ore. In addition, a fur-
ther deposit, known as Big Zinc, has been identified at a level below the original workings.
Kipushi Corporation’s intention is to achieve production as soon as possible from the
Big Zinc orebody. A mining and business plan for the life of mine will then need be to be
developed to confirm a viable business for additional mine refurbishment, development
and investment in surface processing capacity and infrastructure.
In the mine’s 70 years of operation, 60 Mt of materials were extracted at a grade of
6,78 % copper and 11,03 % zinc. In addition, 0,4 Mt of lead, 45 000 tonnes of cadmium and
120 tonnes of germanium were extracted through the existing processing plant. Currently
preliminary metallurgical testwork is taking place at Mintek and a new processing facility
may need to be constructed.
MDM has also been requested to include within the scoping study the roaster technol-
ogy to further refine the product and to investigate concentrate to metal viability.
Comments George Bennett, MDM Executive Director: “In 2012, MDM completed the de-
sign and construction of two copper dense-media-separation plants for ENRC in the Katanga
Province of the DRC, an area
known well to the company.
MDM also has strong zinc ex-
perience that includes Zincox
Resources’ Jabali project,
Metorex’s Letaba and Miran-
da zinc plants – designed and
built by MDM – and the Skor-
pion Zinc pre-feasibility study
completed for Reunion Min-
ing. All of these projects will
bring a large body of knowl-
edge to the Kipushi project.
We look forward to building
a strong working relationship
with Ivanplats.”
The Nzilo 1 hydro-electric plant on the Lualaba River. In April
2013, SNEL signed a memorandum of understanding with Ivan-
plats to upgrade the plant to provide an additional 100 MW to the
grid (photo: Ivanplats).
Kipushi geology and infrastructure (taken from an
Ivanplats presentation). The Big Zinc deposit was dis-
covered before the mine ceased operations in 1993 but
has never been mined.
M
DM awarded Kipushi scoping study
ditional skilled jobs as part of the project’s major eco-
nomic stimulus to the region and support the govern-
ment’s policy of adding in-country value to mineral
production.
“A smelter also will improve the long-term eco-
nomics of the project by reducing transportation
costs and generating significant additional revenues
through sales of the sulphuric acid by-product of the
smelting process.”
The Hatch development study will assess the most
cost-effective smelter capacity and relevant smelting
processes. It will also provide details on equipment,
capital and operating costs as part of an analysis of
the scope of proposed mining and processing to con-
firm Kamoa’s commercial viability.
Timing of the smelter construction is dependent, in
part, on the provision of additional generating capac-
ity within the DRC’s power supply grid.
In 2011, Ivanplats and the DRC’s state-owned power
company, SNEL, agreed to upgrade two existing hy-
droelectric power plants, Mwadingusha and Koni, to
feed up to 113 MW into the national power supply
grid. SNEL would provide the Kamoa project with
100 MW from the grid, which would be sufficient to
operate the initial mine. In April 2013, SNEL signed
a further memorandum of understanding with Ivan-
plats to upgrade a third hydroelectric power plant –
Nzilo 1 – that is projected to provide approximately
an additional 100 MW to the grid upon its planned
completion in 2022, entitling Kamoa to receive anoth-
er 100 MW from the grid. A combined total of 200 MW
from the grid would cover the power requirements of
Kamoa’s smelter and future mine expansions.
The start-up scenario to be examined in the devel-
opment study will consider the necessity of the sale
of copper concentrates as an interim measure pend-
ing Ivanplats’ completion of its planned smelter in
the vicinity of the Kamoa mine.
“The DRC government earlier this year mandated
an end to exports of copper and cobalt concentrates,
which is intended to encourage investments in addi-
tional mineral processing facilities within the DRC,”
Johansson said.
“The restriction presently is due to take effect in
2014. The country’s current mining code requires a
permit for the export of unprocessed minerals, which
should be granted if insufficient processing facilities
exist within the DRC or if it can be demonstrated that
exports would generate a net benefit to the country.
“We believe our planned Kamoa development
would meet the DRC’s export criteria, if required. The
Hatch development study will include a review of
the economic impact of copper concentrate sales and
the company will investigate regulatory procedures
required to conduct limited-term concentrate sales
as a prelude to, and in the context of, our integrated
plan to build a major smelter in the DRC to produce
higher-value blister copper,” Johansson added.
The development study’s conclusions will be dis-
cussed with the DRC government. Additional stud-
ies are underway to advance the geotechnical, engi-
neering and metallurgical understanding of Kamoa
in support of the development study. Stantec Inc,
of Arizona, USA, is preparing the mine plan based
on the resources in the March 2013 Kamoa Techni-
cal Report. Four rigs are drilling at Kamoa to obtain
further core for the Phase 4 metallurgical studies to
help fine tune the optimal copper recovery process.
Further hydrological drilling and testing is scheduled
for the first half of 2014 to improve Kamoa’s hydro-
logical models.
