June 2014
MODERN MINING
27
COPPER
starts but huge potential
The roughly 60-strong
Khoemacau project team
(photo: Khoemacau Copper
Mining).
Khoemacau Copper
Mining’s tenements in the
Kalahari Copperbelt. The
proposed new underground
mine will be located at
Zone 5.
Zone 5, which will be developed as an under-
ground mine, and North East Fold, which will
probably be an open-pit operation. Zone 5 is sit-
uated a few kilometres to the east of the Boseto
copper mine of Australia’s Discovery Metals
while North East Fold lies some considerable
distance (more than 50 km) to the south-west.
Zone 5 will be developed as a sub-level
open-stoping operation accessed by two
declines at 1:7 which open to four declines at
longer strike lengths. The mine will be served
by a 3,6 Mt/a concentrator treating ore with
a 1,60 % Cu and 60 g/t Ag grade. Expected
recoveries are 85 % for copper and 80 % for sil-
ver. Around 50 000 t/a of copper in concentrate
will be produced for export. While the time-
line for development of an open-pit at North
East Fold has not yet been established,
Modern
Mining’s
understanding is that it is at least 10
years away.
Mine design for the underground mine is
being undertaken by Australian mining con-
sultancy Mining Plus while the plant design
is being handled by Sedgman (which designed
and built the concentrator at the neighbouring
Boseto operation). No figure for the estimated
Boseto
