Republic of Katanga Mining

Kolwezi could produce at a much higher rate, but this could impact on the cobalt market. The trick really is to strike a balance – on the one hand, we need a big enough operation to give us economies of scale, but on the other hand we don’t want to destabilise the cobalt market, which is known for its volatility. Annual demand is roughly 50 000 tonnes, so even at a production of 5 500 tonnes Kolwezi is going to be a very significant player in the market.”

In terms of infrastructure, the town of Kolwezi is reasonably well served. Along with Lubumbashi and Likasi, it is one of the major centres in Katanga, with both road and rail links (although the road needs upgrading) to Lubumbashi (and hence to Zambia and South Africa) and plentiful power in the form of hydro schemes.

- Kakanda: mammillary pseudomalachite, green crystals of libethenite and pink cobaltiferous calcite.

- Kalongwe: copper and uranium deposits offering fine examples of associations of cuprosklodowskite in needles and dark green vandenbrandeite in etcher's prisms.

- Kambove: fibroradiated plancheite in crusts and rosettes and centimetric crystals of carrollite.

- Kamiaba: deposit of pink to brown almandin garnets forming crystalline crusts.

- Kamoto: type locality of kolwezite, double carbonate of copper and cobalt in beige to black nodules. Very rare prismatic and tabular crystals of sea green roubaultite occur in the K.O.V. quarry. The oriental part of this deposit contains an uraniferous mineralization where the new minerals astrocyanite-(Ce), françoisite-(Nd), kamotoite-(Y) and shabaite-(Nd) were discovered, containing also rare earths minerals.

- Kamoya: association of copper silicates, plancheite, shattukite and light-blue masses of ''katangite'' with conchoidal fracture.

- Kasompi: another deposit of rare-earths minerals such as schuilingite-(Nd) and gyisinite-(Nd). We also find arborescent pale-green lodes of glaukosphaerite.

- Kipushi: exceptional association of secondary minerals of zinc, lead and copper, such as smithsonite, hemimorphite, aurichalcite,veszelyite ( bright-blue octahedrons ) and emerald green kipushite. The primary mineralization is rich in germanium with renierite and briartite. Green sphalerite and rhenium molybdenite are also found, as well as gallite. The paragenesis is very close to that of Tsumeb in Namibia.

- Likasi: beside cuprite accompanied by native copper, we find here a fine example of the association of buttgenbachite and connellite in bright-blue acicular prisms, of likasite in blue stacked plates and of sea green gerhardtite.

- Luishya: kyanite in blue tablets is associated with classical secondary minerals of copper.

- Luiswishi: mineralization with copper and uranium, with, namely, cuprosklodowskite in fibres, vandenbrandeite in crystals in burins and sengierite.

- Mashamba: exceptional red gem cuprite in centimetric crystals, but also testaceous malachite, duhamelite in yellow fibres and an uraniferous association of tyuyamunite and carnotite.

- Mindigi: cobaltiferous deposit of mammillary heterogenite and crystalline varieties with metallic lustre among which the polytype 2H.

- Msesa: shining crystals of green libethenite, crystallized pseudomalachite and light-blue claringbullite of which this is the type locality.

- Musonoi: locality especially famous for its uranium selenites: demesmaekerite, derriksite, guilleminite and marthozite. Also renowned for its cobaltiferous malachites and kolwezite.

- Shangulowe: fine examples of associations of copper silicates ( plancheite-shattuckite ) and presence of barite pseudomorphosed in plancheite and in malachite.

- Shinkolobwe: one of the most famous uranium deposits in the world. It has furnished, namely, the raw material with which the first atomic bombs were made. Tens of new species were discovered here. The mine has been closed in the beginning of the 1960s.

- Swambo: prospecting site for uranium rich in yellow squat crystals of soddyite and type locality of swamboite.

- Tantara: site of the very spectacular association of green dioptase and bright-pink cobaltiferous calcite.

ASTROCYANITE-(Ce)	Deliens and Piret , 1990	Kamoto East , Shaba
BECQUERELITE	Schoep , 1922	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
BIJVOETITE-(Y)	Deliens and Piret , 1982	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
BILLIETITE	Vaes , 1947	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
BRIARTITE	Francotte et al , 1965	Kipushi , Shaba
BUTTGENBACHITE	Schoep , 1925	Likasi , Shaba
CATTIERITE	Kerr , 1945	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
CLARINGBULLITE	Fejer et al , 1977	Kambove , Shaba
COMBLAINITE	Piret and Deliens , 1980	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
CORNETITE	Buttgenbach , 1917	Star Mine ,Shaba
CUPROSKLODOWSKITE	Vaes , 1933	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
CURITE	Schoep , 1921	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
DEMESMAEKERITE	Cesbron et al , 1965	Musonoi , Shaba
DERRIKSITE	Cesbron et al , 1971	Musonoi , Shaba
DEWINDTITE	Schoep , 1922	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
DUMONTITE	Schoep , 1924	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
FOURMARIERITE	Buttgenbach , 1924	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
FRANCOISITE-(Nd)	Piret et al , 1988	Kamoto East , Shaba
GUILLEMINITE	Pierrot et al , 1965	Musonoi , Shaba
GYSINITE-(Nd)	Sarp and Bertrand , 1985	Kasompi , Shaba
HETEROGENITE-2H	Deliens and Goethals , 1973	Mindigi , Shaba
IANTHINITE	Schoep , 1926	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
JULIENITE	Schoep , 1928	Shamitumba , Shaba
KAMOTOITE-(Y)	Deliens and Piret , 1986	Kamoto East , Shaba
KASOLITE	Schoep , 1921	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
KIPUSHITE	Piret et al , 1985	Kipushi , Shaba
KOLWEZITE	Deliens and Piret , 1980	Kolwezi , Shaba
LEPERSONNITE-(Gd)	Deliens and Piret , 1982	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
LIKASITE	Schoep et al , 1955	Likasi , Shaba
LUDJIBAITE	Piret and Deliens , 1988	Ludjiba , Shaba
MARTHOZITE	Cesbron et al , 1969	Musonoi , Shaba
MASUYITE	Vaes , 1947	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
METASALEEITE	Mrose , 1950	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
METASTUDTITE	Deliens and Piret , 1983	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
OOSTERBOSCHITE	Johan et al , 1970	Musonoi , Shaba
OURSINITE	Deliens and Piret , 1983	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
PARASCHOEPITE	Schoep and Stradiot , 1947	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
PARSONSITE	Schoep , 1923	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
PIRETITE	Vochten et al , 1997	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
RENIERITE	Vaes , 1948	Kipushi , Shaba
RICHETITE	Vaes , 1947	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
ROUBAULTITE	Cesbron et al , 1970	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SALEEITE	Thoreau and Vaes , 1932	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SAYRITE	Piret and Deliens , 1983	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SCHOEPITE	Walker , 1923	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SCHUILINGITE-(Nd)	Vaes , 1947	Kasompi , Shaba
SEELITE	Bariand et al , 1993	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SENGIERITE	Vaes and Kerr , 1949	Musonoi , Shaba
SHABAITE-(Nd)	Deliens and Piret , 1989	Kamoto East , Shaba
SHARPITE	Mélon , 1935	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SKLODOWSKITE	Schoep , 1924	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SODDYITE	Schoep , 1922	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
STUDTITE	Vaes , 1947	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
SWAMBOITE	Deliens and Piret , 1981	Swambo , Shaba
THOREAULITE	Buttgenbach , 1933	Manono , Shaba
URANCALCARITE	Deliens and Piret , 1984	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
VAESITE	Kerr , 1943	Kasompi , Shaba
VANDENBRANDEITE	Schoep , 1932	Kalongwe , Shaba
VANDENDRIESSCHEITE	Vaes , 1947	Shinkolobwe , Shaba
WYARTITE	Guillemin and Protas , 1959	Shinkolobwe , Shaba

Tenke Fungurume Mining Project

The Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt deposits comprise one of the world's largest, richest known copper-cobalt resources and are in the process of being developed into a large scale, long-life mine demonstrating low operating costs. The Tenke Fungurume mineral concessions still remain extensively under-explored.

The deposits are located within multiple adjoining concessions totalling in excess of 1,500 square kilometres in Katanga at approximately latitude 10°S and longitude 26°E. Tenke Fungurume is about 175 kilometres northwest of Lubumbashi, the Republic of Katanga capital and administrative centre, and largest city of the country.

Click on a percentage in the above legend to enlarge or reduce this picture

TENKE FUNGURUME RESOURCE ESTIMATES
	K-Tonnes	TCu %	ACu %	TCo %	ACo %
Table 1.1 Measured Resources
Oxide	58,551	3.57	3.34	0.34	0.29
Mixed	64,658	3.27	1.84	0.33	0.21
Sulphide	3,107	4.37	0.48	0.36	0.12
Total	126,316	3.44	2.50	0.33	0.24
Table 1.2 Indicated Resources
Oxide	33,714	2.69	2.45	0.33	0.26
Mixed	74,137	2.42	1.56	0.26	0.17
Sulphide	937	3.75	0.39	0.43	0.12
Total	108,788	2.52	1.82	0.28	0.20
Table 1.3 Measured + Indicated Resources
Oxide	92,266	3.25	3.01	0.34	0.28
Mixed	138,794	2.82	1.69	0.29	0.19
Sulphide	4,044	4.22	0.46	0.37	0.12
Total	235,104	3.01	2.19	0.31	0.22
Table 1.4 Inferred Resources
Oxide	70,152	2.75	2.45	0.20	0.14
Mixed	176,043	2.61	1.61	0.20	0.14
Sulphide	17,557	1.82	0.16	0.13	0.02
Total	263,752	2.60	1.73	0.19	0.13

TCu - Total copper grade ACu - Acid soluble copper grade TCo - Total cobalt grade ACo - Acid soluble cobalt grade

Current Development Plans

The Feasibility Study has been completed for the first phase of production at the Tenke Fungurume copper/cobalt project in Katanga. The target for first copper cathode production is the second half of 2008.

The Feasibility Study is based on standard African Copper Belt process technology with optimization from Phelps Dodge as one of the world leaders in solution extraction and electrowinning operations. Overall metal recoveries are expected to be 95% for copper and 83% for cobalt metal. Mill facilities are expected to process approximately 7,000 metric tpd of ore.

Facilities have been designed to initially produce approximately 115,000 metric tonnes per annum ("tpa") of London Grade A quality copper cathode and 8,000 tpa of cobalt in any combination of cobalt metal or intermediate cobalt hydroxide. Site infrastructure and process facility layouts have been designed contemplating significant future potential expansions.

There are extensive resources on the concessions that are not included in current mine plans as well as many untested target zones. Mixed and sulphide mineralisation is known to extend over 500 metres below surface in the areas tested to date. Mineralization in the area is known to have a strike length of up to 80 kilometres.

The 40-year mine plan is based on first developing the Kwatebala, Fwaulu and Goma deposits. Proven/probable ore reserves developed by Phelps Dodge to U.S. SEC standards1 for these three areas are 103 million metric tonnes, grading 2.1% copper and 0.3% cobalt (proven 22 million tonnes grading 2.2% copper and 0.30% cobalt, probable 81 million tonnes grading 2.1% copper and 0.31% cobalt). The Feasibility Study is based on approximately 19 years of fresh ore processing followed by 21 years of lower-grade stockpile feed. During the first 10 years, 25.5 million tonnes of leachable oxide ore is processed grading 4.57% copper and 0.37% cobalt. The overall strip ratio is 3.1:1. Drilling continues across the concession, and it is our belief that the mine plan will evolve significantly as additional material is expected to be brought into the proven/probable category.

The mining method will be open pit, utilizing conventional methods in waste and a continuous miner in ore to maximize operating efficiencies and to minimize dilution of the high-grade material. Haulage will be by articulated 45-tonne trucks.

Exploration potential across the Tenke Fungurume concessions is extensive, and a significant drilling program is in progress to potentially add proven/probable, high-grade ore reserves to the mine plan and for a potential major plant expansion in the early years of the project.

During 2006, approximately 16,000 meters of drilling was performed under the direction of Phelps Dodge for infilling, reserve confirmation, step-out exploration and condemnation. During the 2006 drilling program, mineralization in three new areas just west of Kwatebala was discovered (Mwinansefu, Ditoma and Shinkusu). Concession exploration for 2007, which includes further resource definition drilling at these new areas, is budgeted to accomplish approximately 45,000 meters of drilling. The intent is to have significant additional proven/probable ore reserves defined by the time the initial facilities go into operation to support potential expansions in the early years of initial operations.

Southern Katanga Mining Project

Geological Setting

All of South Katanga projects are located within the Central African Copper Belt which represents one of the world’s largest known Cu-Co metallogenic provinces and contains some of the worlds richest Copper/Cobalt mines. Nearly all the economically important deposits occur as stratiform orebodies within the Mine Series of the Roan Sequence. Roan sediments were brecciated and brought to surface along several sub-parallel arcuate thrust structures during the Lufilian Orogenic period.

Uranium-Nickel-Gold-and Platinum Group metals are commonly associated with the Cu-Co mineralisation. The Shinkolobwe deposit hosted in Mines Group sediments was the world’s largest uranium producer.

Dikulushi Mine
Ownership	Central Bank of Katanga 100%
Location	25 km west of Lake Mweru in the Republic of Katanga
First production	October 2002
Employment	678 permanent and contract workers

Dikulushi Mineral Reserves and Resources table

Classification	Tonnes	Total Copper Grade (%)	Copper Metal	Silver (g/t)	Silver metal (Moz)
Proved (ROM)	481,000	6.0	28,800	180	2.8
Measured	133,000	6.1	8,200	165	0.7
Indicated	650,000	7.9	51,100	184	3.8
Total Meas/ and Ind.	783,000	7.6			4.5
Inferred	1,070,000	6.8	72,900	169	5.8
Measured (stockpile)	704,000	1.1	7,600	25	0.6

Geology

The Dikulushi copper-silver deposit is a hydrothermal vein, hosted by an alternating sequence of sandstones and shales of the Mongwe Formation, which is stratigraphically above the major deposits of the Central African Copperbelt. The main vein is orientated ENE and dips to the south at about 70º. Disseminated mineralization occurs in the hanging wall of the main vein, associated with a fracture zone that parallels a major NE-trending fault, the Tambe Fault, which is believed to have been the main feeder zone for mineralizing fluids. The deposit is situated on the northeastern nose of a regional doubly plunging anticline, where this fault intersects the contact between the Mongwe Formation and an underlying carbonate unit (the Kiaka Formation); this intersection is considered to be a key control on the location of ore. Copper mineralisation is primarily massive and disseminated chalcocite (in which silver occurs in solid solution), but bornite, minor chalcopyrite and native copper also occur. Zinc and lead, as sphalerite and galena, are minor components of ore at the western end of the deposit.

Several copper occurrences have been discovered in the Dikulushi area (Kibili Mensi, Kaswete, Kasumbula), a few of which have been worked by artisanal miners.

Kulu Mine
Ownership	Central Bank of Katanga 100%
Location	10km east of Kolwezi in the Republic of Katanga
First production	October 2005
Employment	412 permanent and contract workers

Kulu Mineral Resource Estimates
Classification	Tonnes	Total Copper Grade (%)	Copper Metal (Tonnes)	Cobalt Grade (%)	Cobalt Metal (Tonnes)
Measured (Coarse Tailings)	611,000	7.2	44,000	0.15	1,000
Indicated (Coarse Tailings)	3,423,000	3.7	126,700	0.14	4,800
Total Measured and Indicated	4,034,000	4.2	170,700	0.14	5,800
Inferred (Coarse Tailings)	286,000	6.5	18,500	0.13	400
Total Indicated (Fine Tailings)	4,944,000	0.9	44,000	0.09	4,400

Kinsevere Mine
Ownership	Central Bank of Katanga 100%
Location	30km north west of Lubumbashi, Capital City of the Republic of Katanga
First production	Due July 2007
Employment	529 permanent and contract workers

Kinsevere Mineral Resource Estimates April, 2007

Deposit and Classification	Resource (tonnes)	Grade(% Cu)	Contained metal (tonnes of copper)
Measured Resource
Kinsevere Hill	-	-	-
Tshifufia	6,010,000	4.4	266,700
Tshifufiamashi	-	-	-
Indicated Resource
Kinsevere Hill	880,000	2.6	22,800
Tshifufia	10,950,000	4.4	485,500
Tshifufiamashi	2,250,000	4.0	90,300
Total Measured and Indicated Resource	20,090,000	4.3	865,300
Inferred Resource
Kinsevere Hill	350,000	3.1	10,900
Tshifufia	20,120,000	3.4	683,500
Tshifufiamashi	450,000	4.9	22,100
Total Inferred Resource	20,920,000	3.4	716,500

Geology

The three deposits at Kinsevere are named, from north to south, Tshifufiamashi, Tshifufia and Kinsevere Hill. They are hosted by what appear to be two separate "mega-fragments" of prospective stratigraphy (Lower Roan Supergroup/Mines Group), which are surrounded by younger sediments of the Kundelungu Supergroup, of the Katangan System. Lithologically, the deposits occur in a mixed sequence of siliciclastic and carbonate rocks, which are typical hosts to Katangan Copperbelt mineralization.

Most of the Kinsevere Mineral Resource defined to date (in all three deposits) is oxide ore, which forms a thick (>100m) supergene blanket that overlies sulphide mineralisation. The dominant copper oxide minerals are malachite (carbonate) and pseudo-malachite (phosphate), which are disseminated throughout the host rock, or as veins and/or veinlets that sometimes coalesce into prominent "clots". Heterogenite (cobalt oxide) is sometimes inter-grown with the copper, but is always a minor component of the ore.

The dominant copper sulphide mineral of the primary ore is chalcopyrite, but minor bornite, chalcocite, and cuprite also occur, along with native copper and pyrite. Most of this mineralisation occurs in veins and veinlets that often cross-cut bedding.

All three of the deposits are interpreted to be examples of structurally modified stratiform copper mineralization, which has weathered to form a supergene blanket of oxide ore.

Geology of the Kolwezi Klippe

The copper-cobalt deposits in the Kolwezi District are located within the so-called Kolwezi Klippe, a discrete geological terrain that is interpreted to have been thrust, by several tens of kilometers, over younger rocks into its current position. The Klippe hosts numerous “fragments” of prospective “Mines Group” stratigraphy, and is reputed to contain 880Mt of ore (past production and known resources), with an average grade of 4.5% Cu and 0.4% Co - for an estimated global resource of 40Mt copper and 3.5Mt cobalt Approximately 70% of the total historical production from Katanga is reported to come from the Kolwezi Klippe, and in the late 1980s production amounted to 350,000t copper per annum.

Mineralisation in the Kolwezi Klippe typically occurs in two 10-20m thick orebodies, within specific stratigraphic horizons within the Mines Group “fragments.” Both are hosted by dolomites and dolomitic shales, but the “Lower Orebody” is separated from the “Upper Orebody” by a 20m thick barren zone of silicified, stromatilitic dolomite (the so-called “RSC” unit). Because the “RSC” is silicified, and therefore very hard, it forms characteristic outcrops, which are useful as a marker horizon for regional mapping

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