Kalumbila Mine is a copper mine in
Kalumbila District
Kalumbila District is a district of North-Western Province, Zambia. It was named after a mine of the same name ( Kalumbila Mine) and was made independent from Solwezi District In 2016.
The current area of Kalumbila district covers what was previ ...
,
North-Western Province, Zambia
North-Western Province is one of ten Provinces of Zambia. It covers an area of , has a population of 727,044 and a population density was 5.80 per square kilometre as of 2010. It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. The provi ...
(west of
Solwezi
Solwezi is a town in Zambia. It is the provincial capital of the mineral-rich North-Western Province. Solwezi is also the administrative capital of Solwezi District, one of the eleven districts in the North-Western Province.
Location
Solwezi ...
). It was formed in 2010 and is one of the four copper mines in Zambia. As of 2018, it was the fourth largest mining employer in Zambia with 11 000 workers. Kalumbila is also the name of the town where the mine is situated.
Timeline
In 2020, the mine achieved record copper production of 251,216 tonnes, delivering a significant increase in throughput and operating at record low unit cash cost of $1.40 per lb.
In February 2022, the operator Kalumbila Minerals Ltd ("Sentinel") changed its trading name to FQM Trident Limited, that incorporates the mining firm’s identity as a 100%
First Quantum Minerals
First Quantum Minerals is a Canadian-based mining and metals company whose principal activities include mineral exploration, development and mining. Its main product is copper, which accounts for 80% of revenues as of 2016.
First Quantum's com ...
-owned company.
Operations
Kalumbila currently mills 3 million tons of copper
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...
per year. The company's
Solwezi
Solwezi is a town in Zambia. It is the provincial capital of the mineral-rich North-Western Province. Solwezi is also the administrative capital of Solwezi District, one of the eleven districts in the North-Western Province.
Location
Solwezi ...
Deep Mining Project will expand its capacity to 6 million tons of ore per year.
By 2020, the recorded Copper Ore milled was over 56 million tonnes, an increase of over 7 million tonnes from the previous year.
The Copper ore grade processed was 0.49% at 90% Copper recovery.
Its exports are transported to the ports of
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
in Tanzania,
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
in South Africa and
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The c ...
in Namibia. Principal markets include the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
and
East Asia
East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...
. Metal is also sold domestically, to
Metal Fabricators of Zambia
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
(ZAMEFA).
[http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/kalumbila-mine-clashes-police-arrest-charge-18/ Kalumbila mine clashes: Police arrest, charge 18 – Zambia Daily Mail]
See also
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Copper mining and extraction
*
Economy of Zambia
Zambia is a developing country and it achieved middle-income status in 2011. Through the first decade of the 21st century, the economy of Zambia was one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and its capital, Lusaka the fastest growing city i ...
*
List of Companies in Zambia
*
Mining in Zambia
The mining landscape in Zambia covers production of multiple mineral raw materials, including copper, cobalt, gold, nickel, manganese, emeralds, beryllium, myriad gemstones, sulfur, zinc, coal, iron ore, steel, limestone, uranium and other p ...
References
{{coord missing, Zambia
Copper mines in Zambia