Mineral exploration and mine expansion projects in Zambia continue to intensify amidst the surge in commodity prices and copper demand; this was according to consulting engineering group SRK Consulting principal consultant Alan Naismith.
Naismith said that leading mining companies such as metals and mining company Vedanta Resources’ Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) operations in Zambia have undertaken significant expansion projects in order to increase production.
“Zambia also has many brown- field projects under way as mining companies are increasingly expanding their operations to meet global demand for copper,” states Naismith.
He said that several junior miners have undertaken exploration projects on the Copperbelt to exploit the booming conditions of the market.
“We have seen a lot of junior miners coming in and accessing and redeveloping the copper belt. In the central and southern parts of Zambia, we also see activity in gold exploration, as well as copper and nickel,” says Naismith.
He says that KCM has shown its commitment to the Zambian mining industry and its operations on the Copperbelt, through its capital expenditure and current expansion projects.
“There is a new desire to develop the Copperbelt. Mining companies are certainly showing a renewed willingness to develop their operations,” he says.
SRK Consulting is currently involved in the Konkola mine expansion project, which will see the production capacity of the mine increasing from 2-million tons to 7.5-million tons of copper ore a year.
The Konkola mine expansion project, valued at about $675-million, involves the sinking of the shaft to 1 490 m, and expanding and improving the dewatering and ventilation systems at the operation.
The expansion project seeks to gain access to the orebody that lies below the current production levels, and will see the deepening of the No 1 shaft to a depth of 1 490 m, to operate in conjunction with No 4 shaft, reports KCM.
“Konkola currently pumps around 270 000 m3 of water daily to dewater stopping operations and is reputed to be one of the wettest mines in operation. “Design and operation of an effective water-handling system is a key factor in the success of the mine,” reports Naismith.
He says that the construction of an ultramodern concentrator, which will have the capacity to handle six-million tons a year of ore, is also under way alongside the shaft sinking project.
He mentioned that SRK is also involved with other aspects of KCM operations at the Nchanga open pit and underground sections.
Naismith says that there has been decay in the mining infrastructure on the Copperbelt, during the 1980s and 1990s, which has created a number of challenges in the expansion and development of the existing mines.
He said that there is a skills shortage in the mining industry across the globe, adding that SRK’s project involvement in Zambia is assisting to fill the skills gap in the country.
Mining Weekly
