METORE X
A well-respected mid-tier mining Group in Southern Africa www.metorexgroup.com
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Base Metal Mining Metorex’s growth strategy is being realised through the construction and development of the Kinsenda Project and the future development of the Musonoi and Lubembe deposits in the DRC Writer: Emily Jarvis Project Manager: Arron Rampling
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etorex is a well established and respected mid-tier mining Group, uniquely positioned in the southern Africa base metals mining industry as a pure copper and cobalt investment. As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Jinchuan Group since January 2012, Metorex has expanded its presence in Africa’s base metal mining industry over the past three years. This Chinese state-owned mining company based in the Gansu province of China produces a wide variety of metals including cobalt and copper.
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With a mission to grow a sustainable African-focussed mining company that offers opportunity for the development of both employees and communities, Metorex works hard to reach shareholder expectations and is actively contributing to the development of the continent. At present, the subsidiary is working to optimise its existing mines in order to ensure that when a new mining opportunity arises, Metorex is more than ready to lend a hand. Through the appropriate application of capital and technologies, the company is able to supply a quality base metal to the agreed specifications, while running a
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at its Best zero harm health and safety policy. Akin to this is Metorex’s new human capital brand, which functions to educate employees in the ways the company conducts its business, including abiding by the laws of each company they operate in and providing staff with the key skills required in
Copper Ore
doing so. The idea is to align the entire team with Metorex’s strategies, vision and mission. “We are process champions who are aligned to the business, proactively involved, led by example and act with integrity. Our strategy involves working closely with our business partners and always working to be even better at what we do,” the company states. Metorex’s growth strategy is being realised through the construction and development of the Kinsenda Project and the future development of the Musonoi and Lubembe deposits, in addition to the Chibuluma and Ruashi
Mining projects already underway. When it comes to managing its staff, Metorex has adopted the ‘employee life cycle’. The model identifies the various stages in a staff member’s career to help guide their management and optimise associated processes. It is the framework for evaluating the entire employee experience, providing a holistic overview of their journey with the company.
Kinsenda Project
Kinsenda is situated within the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the border town of Kasumbalesa. The border town has easy access to
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General Construction Bricks Manufacturing Sandstone Quarries Chemical Manufacturing Antenna Construction Concrete Supply Contact Ivan Iseboot: +243 99.82.43.500 Email: iy@safricas.com
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infrastructure, with a sealed single-lane road that connects the mine to the regional highway, just 20 kilometres to the west of Kinsenda. Currently ranked as one of the world’s highest grade copper deposits, the Kinsenda Project has declared mineral resources of 20.7 million tonnes at a grade of 5.6 percent copper, and is expected to produce an average of 20,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate per annum. Kinsenda employs local residents from the nearby settlements of Meleke, Twibombele and Kinsenda and accommodation for workers is readily available within these areas. A Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) on the project was successfully completed in 2012 and the project was approved by the board in March 2013. Construction work at the site commenced in July 2013 and included the development of site infrastructure, underground access points and the ore processing plant. Metorex aims to have the mine in operation during late 2015. The feasibility study has only taken into consideration the mineral resources that have been discovered in the western portion of the land. Through a drilling programme undertaken in 2012, a significant volume of inferred mineral resources lying to the east of the main project area were identified. The area has been
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The Kinsenda Project currently ranks as one of the world’s highest grade copper deposits with declared mineral resources of 20.7 million tonnes at a grade of 5.6% copper
MUSONOI MINE
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Musonoi Mine
Metatorbernite, a copper uranyl phosphate
Safricas E
stablished in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1923, Safricas has grown over the years to be a national and market leader. Acquired by Belgian company, CFE – a Vinci subsidiary – in 2000, the business has consolidated its previous advantageous position this century, complemented by a plethora of new personnel, equipment, capabilities and equipment to modernise the organisation. Within Safricas at present exists several divisions, all combining to carry out core areas of construction, civil engineering and rehabilitation across numerous sectors. The current list of departments within the business comprise: Public Works and Civil Engineering incorporating thousands of miles paved roads over the years; Building of numerous embassies, villas and departments; Equipment, including various machines, workshops and trucks; Carriers installed for the supply of its sites, with production estimated at around 30,000 tons a month, per site; an Asphalt Plant with a capacity of around 8,000 tons a month; Central Concrete with a further 3,000 metres a month of varying specifications; a River Transport fleet; Equipment Rental leased to third parties; and a Civil Engineering Laboratory equipped with modern equipment to perform all necessary quality checks. Through these departments Safricas is able to produce a vast array of essential construction materials including concretes, cements, steel and pipes; all to varying degrees and specifications.
To optimise this offering, the company has stayed true to its core continuous improvement strategy, which has involved partnering with some of the biggest names known to construction, to locating itself in some of the key business hubs of the DRC. In regards to its equipment, the likes of CATERPILLAR aid in providing earthmovers, as well as maintenance, while Safricas also has its own port infrastructure at Port Kinkole, less than 40 kilometres from Kinshasa. Complementing this supply chain advantage is its asphalt plant situated even nearer to Kinshasa, and two sandstone quarries which supply building sites and public works, again located around the capital. Safricas has played a pivotal role in developing the infrastructure of the country over the past century and it continues to modernise and upgrade to keep it relevant in today’s construction sector too. Diversifying into areas of telecommunications, entrepreneurship and health & safety optimisation, the company is also striving for unparalleled levels of efficiency and sustainability through its concrete plants, which benefit not only its own sites, but the wider construction community also.
T +243 99.82.43.500 E iy@safricas.com
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explored over the past two years as a result, and Metorex anticipate that the discovery of this eastern mine could add a further six to eight years onto the life of mine.
Musonoi Project
Also located in the DRC is the Musonoi Project, which is on the outskirts of the mining town of Kolwezi. The project area contains at least two known mineralised zones, one of which known as Dilala East - was discovered as a blind, high grade copper and cobalt deposit in 2007. Following the initial discovery of the high grade mineralised zone, the property has been extensively drilled, declaring a mineral resource of 31.7 million tonnes at a grade of 2.8 percent copper and 0.9 percent cobalt. The mineral resource has been defined to a depth of 600 metres below the surface and indications are that the ore body is open to approximately 1,000 metres below the surface. A Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) on the project in 2014 concluded that
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Musonoi is expected to produce 31,000 tonnes of copper cathode and 10,000 tonnes of cobalt contained in hydroxide per annum
Musonoi has excellent access to the infrastructure needed for mining projects
an underground mine, producing 1,000 kilo-tonnes per annum run-of-mine (ROM) ore with a life of more than 20 years could be established on the land. Musonoi is expected to produce 31,000 tonnes of copper cathode and 10,000 tonnes of cobalt contained in hydroxide per annum. Being located within the heart of the Kolwezi mining hub, between ENRC’s Roan Tailing Project and Katanga Copper Company’s Kamoto operations, the project has excellent access to the infrastructure needed for mining projects.
Scamont S
camont Engineering (Pty) Ltd (Scamont) is a market leading manufacturer of a range of positive displacement slurry pumps, multi-stage clear water pumps and pneumatic rock drill machines that are typically used in applications in a number of global mining regions including the African continent, North and South America, South East Asia and Australia. Established as a small jobbing firm in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1978, Scamont has re-invented itself as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and preferred supplier of positive displacement pumps and rock drill machines to many Blue Chip Global Mining Companies. The success and sustainability of the company was further entrenched by a generational transition to the current Executive Management Team in 2007. Under the new leadership a more modern approach to manufacturing and product design underpinned by the Founders’ commitment to the highest quality standards has seen Scamont evolve and grow into a significant Group. The acquisition of the Grifo Group in early 2013 signalled Scamont’ s entry into the highly competitive world of multi-stage clear water pumps. The Grifo range of pumps is manufactured by Scamont in Germiston, east of Johannesburg. The division boasts a modern manufacturing facility complimented by its own foundry. The positive displacement slurry pumps and pneumatic rockdrill machines are manufactured at the Company’s modern
manufacturing plant in Stormill a few kilometres west of Johannesburg. Scamont is ISO9001:2008 certified. By virtue of the manufacturing resources across both divisions, Scamont boasts the ability to manufacture all of its products in-house whilst outsourcing a few speciality value-add elements like heat treatment and special coatings. This gives Scamont the ability to respond very quickly to customer needs and this is further backed by significant inventory levels in excess of US$4 million. The Group believes in regional partnerships when dealing with clients outside of RSA. This has seen the establishment of SKMS in Zambia and Scamont Australia. Through these entities international clients are able to access product and technical support in close proximity to their operations. One such Client is the Metorex group which has been a longstanding client of both Scamont and Grifo and in the recent past has enjoyed the benefit of being able to procure both ranges of pump products from Scamont. The Kinsenda Mine in the DRC has a number of Grifo SRB53-29 pumps in operation and is about to take delivery of two more units complete with motors for a new dewatering pump station. This is a project Scamont is very proud to be associated with. For more information about our comprehensive range of pump products and exciting new developments on a new range of rock drill technologies please visit our website at www.scamont.co.za
To date, the mines around the town of Kolwezi have produced more than 400,000 tonnes of copper per annum, therefore labour is readily available in the area all with the necessary mining, processing and acquired technical skills that are required to operate the underground mine.
Lubembe
In early 2012, a scoping study was completed which confirmed the potential to mine and process mixed sulphide and oxide ores at Lubembe. With the hopes to excavate 93 million tonnes of copper at 1.9 percent grade at a rate of 3.6 mega tonnes per annum via an open pit mine, Metorex conducted a pre-feasibility study in the middle of last year to determine the optimal processing option, to carry out detailed metallurgical testing and to commence baseline environmental fieldwork in the areas identified for waste rock dumping and tailings storage.
Chibuluma Mine
Located to the south of Chbuluma in Zambia, the Chibuluma mine has been producing copper since 1955. With a current equivalent annual production capacity of approximately 19,000 tonnes of copper in the form of concentrate, Chibuluma continues to be described as Zambia’s model mine.
Ruashi is a copper and cobalt mine in Katanga province, located within the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ruashi Mine
In early 2012, a scoping study was completed which confirmed the potential to mine and process mixed sulphide and oxide ores at Lubembe
Ruashi is a copper and cobalt mine in Katanga province, located within the Democratic Republic of Congo. This mine is made up of three open pits, along with a modern solvent extraction electrowinning processing plant. Production at Ruashi began in 1911 and is one of the oldest mines Metorex manage. Ruashi Mining currently produces 38,000 tonnes of copper and 4,400 tonnes of cobalt per annum.
For further information on Metorex and its mining operations, visit: www.metorexgroup.com
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METOREX The Mall Offices, 5th Floor, 11 Cradock Ave cnr Baker Street, Rosebank 2196, South Africa Tel: +27 11 215 4000 Fax: +27 11 215 4002 communication@metorexgroup.com
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