Kabwe Zinc & Lead UG-Mine (Alberg Mining) - Zambian Copperbelt (sitios de interés)
Descripción del sitio
Other names: Broken Hill of Zambia
December 21, 2009
S. African zinc mine start stalled (page 3/21)
June 18, 2008
Zambia's High Court has cleared South Africa-based Alberg Mining and Minerals Exploration to proceed with the revival of mining operations at the closed Kabwe zinc and lead mine following the dismissal of a suit filled by a rival company early this year over mining rights.
March 8, 2007
Silver Lining Ventures plans to restart the mining and processing of zinc, which was abandoned in 1994 when the Kabwe mine - one of the oldest in Zambia - was abruptly shut due to poor management and lack of capitalisation.
"We are rehabilitating some of the equipment which was abandoned and all we have to do is to clean it up because the steel structures in the plant are very strong and can be used for many more years," he added. Nabulyato gave no timeline on when the zinc and lead operations would start but said Silver Lining Ventures planned to open three mining shafts at its zinc mine. "We will also be processing lead on a small scale," he added.
RESOURCES - KABWE AREA
RESOURCES - KABWE AREA
OWNERSHIP
20% ZCCM-IH
80% Silver Lining Ventures Ltd
(subsidiary of Alberg Mining and Mineral Exploration)
- 12.000tpa blister Cu smelter commissioned
- SLV plans to open a copper mine in Mumbwa
- Open 3 mine shafts at Kabwe
HISTORY
Zambia's recent lead and zinc production came from the Kabwe mine operated by ZCCM. The ore grade of this old mine, over 80 years in production, was 23% Zn and 10% Pb. The mine was closed in 1994. However, the level of resource in the Kabwe mine area is estimated at 50Mt with 3.8% Zn and 1.8% Pb.
GEOLOGY
The Kabwe zinc deposits, in central Zambia, produced approximately 12.3 million tonnes of ore containing 25.2% Zn and 10.7% Pb. The mines were, at times, also a source of Ag, Cd, V2O5 and Cu. The Kabwe deposits occur in metasedimentary rocks of the late Proterozoic Katangan Supergroup. In the Kabwe area these metasedimentary rocks appear to have been subjected to at least two major periods of folding, as well as later faulting. The first phase of deformation resulted in the formation of tight WNW- to E -W-trending, isoclinal folds with amplitudes up to several kilometers and low-angle reverse faults. These folds are cut by a number of generally NE-trending, high-angle faults. Both the reverse faults and the NE-trending faults are important controls on mineralization.
The Kabwe district contains three distinct styles of mineralization: 1) irregular bodies of massive sulfides and/or willemite; 2) zones of veinlet-controlled sphalerite and willemite with small, irregular pods of more massive mineralization; and 3) supergene “blankets” overlying subcropping massive or veinlet-controlled sulfide and willemite zones. The Kabwe deposit consists of seven clustered bodies within the Main Zone and the No. 2 orebody located approximately one kilometer southeast of the MainZone. The Main Zone orebodies occur as pipe-like to vein- like shapes, generally plunging to the northeast at 30 to 50° with down-plunge extents from 20 m to greater than 800 m. In plan view the bodies have dimensions from less than 100 m to greater than 200 m in length and 10 m to 40 m in width. Massive sulfide ore in the Kabwe Main Zone orebodies consists of sphalerite, galena, and pyrite with minor to trace chalcopyrite. Willemite is rare in these sulfide assemblages; where present it forms small grains enclosed by sphalerite. Pyrite occurs throughout the orebodies and also forms massive zones on the edges of some orebodies. The sulfides are medium- grained and display
granoblastic, polygonal textures suggestive of recrystallization during strain.
granoblastic, polygonal textures suggestive of recrystallization during strain.