Skorpion Zinc
Encyclopedia
Skorpion Zinc is the 8th largest Zinc
mine
in the world, producing Special High Grade (SHG) Zinc.
Since November 2010 it is owned and operated by Vedanta.
Skorpion is located in southwest Namibia
, near the town of Rosh Pinah
.
Skorpion is a unique mine in several ways. Firstly, it is a supergene zinc ore body composed of alluvial accumulations of zinc carbonate and silicate minerals of detrital nature deposited within a palaeochannel. There are no other currently commercially viable deposits of this type.
It is also one of the few mines in the world which mines "zinc oxides", which actually is a mixture of non sulphidic zinc minerals such as smithsonite, hydrozincite, tarbuttite and willemite.
Finally, it is the only zinc processing facility to use solvent extraction-electrowinning metallurgy to process and refine its zinc products (others using conventional smelting
and roasting).
The Skorpion SX-EW plant creates Special High Grade, ultra-pure zinc cathode as a primary product, which is so low in impurities that it commands a price premium.
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the world, producing Special High Grade (SHG) Zinc.
Since November 2010 it is owned and operated by Vedanta.
Skorpion is located in southwest Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, near the town of Rosh Pinah
Rosh Pinah
Rosh Pinah is a mining town located in southern Namibia, close to the border with South Africa. West of the town lies Diamond Area 1, the main diamond mining area of Namibia. Rosh Pinah belongs to the Oranjemund electoral constituency. The town is connected via road to Aus....
.
Skorpion is a unique mine in several ways. Firstly, it is a supergene zinc ore body composed of alluvial accumulations of zinc carbonate and silicate minerals of detrital nature deposited within a palaeochannel. There are no other currently commercially viable deposits of this type.
It is also one of the few mines in the world which mines "zinc oxides", which actually is a mixture of non sulphidic zinc minerals such as smithsonite, hydrozincite, tarbuttite and willemite.
Finally, it is the only zinc processing facility to use solvent extraction-electrowinning metallurgy to process and refine its zinc products (others using conventional smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
and roasting).
The Skorpion SX-EW plant creates Special High Grade, ultra-pure zinc cathode as a primary product, which is so low in impurities that it commands a price premium.