M E T O R E X ( P T Y ) LT D
MINING
declared mineral resources of 20.7 million tonnes at a grade of 5.6 percent copper. Kinsenda is situated within the DRC near the border town of Kasumbalesa and was purchased by Metorex in the mid-2000s. At the time it was taken over, it was a flooded mine, previously run by a Japanese Mining consortium and then by the Congolese government, and Metorex ultimately gained control with the intention of opening and mining it. With the purchase came 400 employees and the challenge of dewatering the mine before any new development could take place. “We have dewatered the mine to 300 metres below surface and are now in the process of developing a further decline into the western ore body, which is our current focus, but over time we will move into the eastern ore body, the previous operators having mined the central areas” said Benfield. Employment opportunities Construction work on the project began in April 2013 and it is anticipated copper production will begin in late 2015, with expected production levels in the order of 25,000-26,000 tonnes of copper concentrate a year. Kinsenda will create further employment for the nearby settlements of Meleke, Twibombele and Kisenda. The projects’ environmental impact assessment and associated management plans
‘We have dewatered the mine to 300 metres below surface and are now in the process of developing a further decline into the western ore body’
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