Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) Pic has engaged Mancala, an Australian mining expert in the construction of vertical and lateral mine developments, to commence mining excavations that will allow for the construction and equipping of a pump station at the Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) in Chililabombwe.
The KDMP has one of the deepest shafts in Zambia at 1,505m, situated on one of the highest – grade copper seams in the world with over 291 million tonnes of ore resource and at least 50 years of mine life.
The project which will take 26 months to complete includes excavations for the sumps and settlers, pump station and other associated infrastructure at 1350m and 1390m levels at a cost of US$63 million. Mancala will also engage several local contractors to supply and provide services to support the project, generating additional employment for approximately 200 local people, while enabling skills transfer in safe and modern excavation and blasting techniques among others.
KCM Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Malcolm Mewett said the works are necessary to unlock 283 million metric tonnes of un-dewatered resources.
Mr Mewett added that, “The deepest pump station at Konkola is at level 985m and currently ore cannot be safely mined below level 1040m due to mine dewatering constraints.
Our current dewatered resource only accounts for less than three percent of the total Konkola resource, therefore, we need a new pump station to be constructed at 1390m to allow for the dewatering of 283 million metric tonnes of ore resource between levels 1040m and 1350m.”
He said KCM has engaged Mancala, experts with over 35 years of experience in mine developments, to construct the pump station’s infrastructure to ensure international standards are upheld and the project is completed in time to allow the company to ramp up production quickly.
The pump station will have a nominal capacity of 290,000m3/day, utilising 22 multistage clear water pumps, a set of eight settlers to remove suspended solids and ensure environmental limits compliance and eight sumps to allow for surge capacity in case of an emergency stoppage of the pump station.
And Head of Special Projects at Konkola Copper Mines, Andre Trytsman said the actual equipping and construction of the pump station, electrical substations and supply infrastructure to the current pump stations on 985m, 660m and 370m will follow after the excavation works.
“We will then install water tight doors and penstocks required to contain the water in the workings in case of an emergency,” he added.
Unlocking the KDMP is of paramount importance for KCM to achieve its production target of 300,000 tonnes of copper by 2031 and contribute 10 percent to the national target of 3 million by the same year.
