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Mining & Natural Resources
Geophysical Surveying
EXPLORATION
Due to the factors already mentioned above, invest-
ment into the Exploration Sector plunged dramati-
cally in 2009. Junior and medium sized companies
in particular significantly curtailed or cancelled work
altogether.
Fortunately, exploration expenditure has rebounded
robustly in 2010 and hopefully is on course to return
or surpass 2007-8 levels.
Exploration for metals in Zambia in currently primar-
ily focused on the following commodities: copper, co-
balt, gold, Nickel (+/-PGE’s), manganese, uranium,
rare earths metals and phosphates.
The following deposit types are being targeted:
- Sedimentary hosted copper – cobalt - uranium of
Copperbelt / Lumwana type
- Vein hosted copper – gold – molybdenum of
Kansanshi type
- Iron oxide copper gold (‘IOCG’) of Ernest Henry
/Olympic type
- Kabanga and Munali type ultra mafic - mafic
intrusive complexes within Zambia’s Irumide and
Zambezi belts
- Exhalative, vein and supergene manganese within
Zambia’s Central and Luapula Provinces
- Karoo sedimentary hosted Uranium, as well as
structurally / chemically controlled gold primarily
associated with Zambia’s Mwem beshi Dislocation
Zone especially within the Mumbwa District.
- Several carbonate bodies are also presently being
re-examined for potentially economic cocentrations
of rare earth metals.
A selection of more high profile ‘large scale’ opera-
tors active in exploration in Zambia include: African
Consolidated African Eagle/Katanga, African Energy
Albidon, African Rainbow Minerals/Teal, Aldershot,
Antafagasta, Anvil, BHPBilliton, Caledonia, Cluff,
Denison, Equinox, First Quantum, Freeport-McMo-
Ran, Glencore, Kores, Lithic, Luiri, Metorex, MMG,
Mukuba/Northcore, NFC, Rare Earth International,
Vale, Zambezi and Zhonghui.
There are numerous smaller or locally owned op-
erators with Asian owned entities playing an increas-
ingly prominent roll in Zambia.
As of November 2010, the most advanced explora-
tion projects are probably BHP Billiton’s Mumbwa
copper oxide iron gold project (in joint venture with
AIM listed Blackthorn) FQM’s Kalumbila copper pro-
ject and Luiri’s Dunrobin – Matala gold project.
Blackthorn have recently announced an (JORC
compliant) in situ inferred mineral resource of 87MT
grading 0.94% Cu (using a 0.5% Cu cut off) en-
closed within a much larger resource of 345MT grad-
ing 0.47% Cu (using a 0.2% Cu cut off) at Kitumba
between 250 and 500 metres depth.
BHP Billiton undergoing important exploration
operations in Zambia