Kipoi Mine
Encyclopedia
The Kipoi Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
with an inferred 306,000 tonnes of copper in high-grade ore.
(60%) and the state-owned Gecamines
(40%). It was planned to start generating revenue in 2011.
In June 2011 Tiger Resources said they were negotiating to acquire a higher share of the operation from Gecamines.
Actual mineral reserves with 3.35% copper or more are 2.68 Mt containing 7.0% copper, 0.2% cobalt and 4.5 g/t silver.
Plans included installing a plant with crushing, scrubbing and heavy media separation (HMS) equipment to produce 120,000 tonnes of 25% copper concentrates annually. Two shaft furnaces would produce 32,000 tonnes annually of black copper ingots at 95% to 98% copper.
Tiger Resources invested more than $60 million to start the mine.
By June 2011 Tiger was producing 25% copper concentrate at a rate of 130,000 metric tons a year.
The company was considering using $250 million from cash flow to build a Solvent Extraction Electrowinning (SXEW) copper cathode plant, with capacity of 50,000 tons per year.
In September 2011 the company announced that the SXEW study had proved positive at current copper prices, and the plant would start operation in mid 2014, initially processing residues from the HMS plant.
In October 2011 Tiger Resources slowed extraction of ore, since there was a stockpile with three month's supply.
Katanga Province
Katanga Province is one of the provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1971 and 1997, its official name was Shaba Province. Under the new constitution, the province was to be replaced by four smaller provinces by February 2009; this did not actually take place.Katanga's regional...
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
with an inferred 306,000 tonnes of copper in high-grade ore.
Ownership
Kipoi Mine is a joint venture between Tiger ResourcesTiger Resources
Tiger Resources Limited is an Australian-based mining company with two active copper extraction projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The company was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in May 1997....
(60%) and the state-owned Gecamines
Gécamines
Gécamines, or La Générale des Carrières et des Mines, is a state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of Congo . Its principal products are copper , cobalt and zinc...
(40%). It was planned to start generating revenue in 2011.
In June 2011 Tiger Resources said they were negotiating to acquire a higher share of the operation from Gecamines.
Development
The Kipoi Mine property covers 5500 hectares (13,590.8 acre).Actual mineral reserves with 3.35% copper or more are 2.68 Mt containing 7.0% copper, 0.2% cobalt and 4.5 g/t silver.
Plans included installing a plant with crushing, scrubbing and heavy media separation (HMS) equipment to produce 120,000 tonnes of 25% copper concentrates annually. Two shaft furnaces would produce 32,000 tonnes annually of black copper ingots at 95% to 98% copper.
Tiger Resources invested more than $60 million to start the mine.
Production
The target is to reach a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year of copper metal.By June 2011 Tiger was producing 25% copper concentrate at a rate of 130,000 metric tons a year.
The company was considering using $250 million from cash flow to build a Solvent Extraction Electrowinning (SXEW) copper cathode plant, with capacity of 50,000 tons per year.
In September 2011 the company announced that the SXEW study had proved positive at current copper prices, and the plant would start operation in mid 2014, initially processing residues from the HMS plant.
In October 2011 Tiger Resources slowed extraction of ore, since there was a stockpile with three month's supply.