Katanga Mining
Encyclopedia
Katanga Mining is a mining company in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), majority-owned by Swiss commodity trader Glencore
.
(25%) began mining Tilwezembe
, an open-pit copper and cobalt mine, in 2007.
In November 2008, Katanga Mining said they had temporarily suspended mining at Tilwezembe and ore processing at the Kolwezi
concentrator due to the depressed price of cobalt.
KCC produces copper
and cobalt
at the Kamoto concentrator, the Luilu metallurgical plant, the Kamoto
underground mine and two oxide open pit resources in the Kolwezi
district.
As of March 2010 the open pit Kananga Mine
was also the property of KCC. The mine was not active.
The Dima mines, consisting of Mashamba East
, Mashamba West and Dikuluwe Open Pit were originally owned by the state-owned Gécamines
before majority rights were sold to Katanga Mining and Nikanor
in the early 2000s.
In January 2008 Katanga Mining acquired Nikanor Plc for $452m.
Following the friendly merger of the Katanga Mining and Nikanor assets, there was speculation that the Dikuluwe and Mashamba West deposits were being transferred to Gécamines
, and would be exploited by a joint venture owned 32% by Gécamines and 68% by a Chinese consortium.
In February 2008 it was confirmed that Katanga Mining was selling Dikuluwe
and Mashamba West to Gécamines for $825 million.
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...
(DRC), majority-owned by Swiss commodity trader Glencore
Glencore
Glencore International plc is a multinational mining and commodities trading company headquartered in Baar, Switzerland and with its registered office in Saint Helier, Jersey...
.
DCC
DCC, a joint venture of Katanga Mining (75%) and GecaminesGécamines
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...
(25%) began mining Tilwezembe
Tilwezembe
Tilwezembe is an open-pit copper and cobalt mine in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo operated by Katanga Mining, a subsidiary of Glencore.The mine covers an area of ....
, an open-pit copper and cobalt mine, in 2007.
In November 2008, Katanga Mining said they had temporarily suspended mining at Tilwezembe and ore processing at the Kolwezi
Kolwezi
Kolwezi is a city in Katanga Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It is home to an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. The population is approximately 418,000....
concentrator due to the depressed price of cobalt.
KCC
Katanga Mining jointly owns the Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) with Gecamines.KCC produces copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
at the Kamoto concentrator, the Luilu metallurgical plant, the Kamoto
Kamoto Mine
The Kamoto Mine is an underground copper and cobalt mine to the west of Musonoi in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.The exploitation rights are owned by the Kamoto Copper Company , a joint venture between Katanga Mining and the state-owned Gecamines .Gecamines began operations in...
underground mine and two oxide open pit resources in the Kolwezi
Kolwezi
Kolwezi is a city in Katanga Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It is home to an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. The population is approximately 418,000....
district.
As of March 2010 the open pit Kananga Mine
Kananga Mine
The Kananga Mine is an open pit copper mine near Kolwezi in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Resources:As of September 2007 it was reported that the mine had not been actively mined since March of that year....
was also the property of KCC. The mine was not active.
The Dima mines, consisting of Mashamba East
Mashamba East
Mashamba East is an open pit copper mine near to Kolwezi in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, currently not being actively worked.-Location:The mine covers an area of...
, Mashamba West and Dikuluwe Open Pit were originally owned by the state-owned Gécamines
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...
before majority rights were sold to Katanga Mining and Nikanor
Nikanor Plc
Nikanor Plc was a copper and cobalt mining company active in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. In January 2008 it was merged into Katanga Mining...
in the early 2000s.
In January 2008 Katanga Mining acquired Nikanor Plc for $452m.
Following the friendly merger of the Katanga Mining and Nikanor assets, there was speculation that the Dikuluwe and Mashamba West deposits were being transferred to Gécamines
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...
, and would be exploited by a joint venture owned 32% by Gécamines and 68% by a Chinese consortium.
In February 2008 it was confirmed that Katanga Mining was selling Dikuluwe
Dikuluwe Mine
The Dikuluwe Mine is a copper and cobalt mine in Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Dikuluwe is the westernmost of the Diwa Pit group, with Mashamba West and Mashamba East....
and Mashamba West to Gécamines for $825 million.