With a mining licence now in hand,
Resources in the near-surface deposit are pegged at 1 million tonnes grading 6% copper. However, the estimate is expected to rise once results from a recent stepout drilling are included.
About 500,000 tonnes of ore grading 5% copper are expected to be mined, all by December. The ore will be trucked across the Zambian border to First Quantum’s Bwana Mkubwa solvent extraction-electrowinning plant, 28 km away, where it will be stockpiled.
First Quantum expects the Lonshi stockpile to add six years to Bwana Mkubwa’s life. Currently, the plant produces 10,000 tonnes of copper cathode annually by treating tailings left over from historic operations.
Construction of crushing, milling and pre-leach filtration facilities is expected to be finished by year-end. A second phase of construction, which will last 12 months and see annual production capacity increased to 30,000 tonnes, will begin if the Lonshi deposit is found to hold 250,000 tonnes copper in oxides.
First Quantum holds an 85% stake in the deposit through a subsidiary. The company also holds sizable interests in the Mufulira and Nkana mines, plus the developing Kansanshi copper deposit. All are on the Zambian side of the Central African Copper Belt.
At Kansanshi, a bankable feasibility study is under way. If commercial production is achieved, the company will be required to pay
Resources there are pegged at 267 million tonnes grading 1.28% copper and 0.16 grams gold per tonne. The deposit lies close to surface, making it potentially amenable to open-pit mining methods.
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