Lonshi Mine
Encyclopedia
Lonshi Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, to the southeast of Ndola
, Zambia.
for processing at the SX/EW facility in Bwana.
Both the mine and the Bwana Mkubwa facility 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) away were owned by First Quantum Minerals
(FQM).
In January 2003 FQM announced an increase in estimated reserves from 295,000 tonnes to 356,000 tonnes of contained copper.
In 2006 the mine produced about 520,000 tonnes of ore grading 10.3% copper, and copper cathode production was 51,068 tonnes.
to stop exporting copper ore from the Lonshi mine to Zambia.
The stoppage was related to a dispute over contract terms.
In May 2010 a Congolese court ruled that FQM's Lonshi and Frontier
copper mines had been awarded illegally and that they should revert to state-owned Sodimico
.
According to FQM the cancellation of their licenses was due to FQM's decision to contest the expropriation of their Kolwezi tailings project
, which was later sold to the Kazakh mining company Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
.
FQM's share of the properties was transferred first to Sodimico, then to Sodifor, a joint venture between Sodimico and Fortune Ahead, a shell company listed in Hong Kong with Saul Valt as the sole registered director.
In August 2011 the Bloomberg
news agency reported that Sodimico had sold its 30% share in the Frontier and Lonshi mines for under than one sixteenth of their estimated value. The minister of Mines denied that any sale had been made.
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...
, to the southeast of Ndola
Ndola
Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia, with a population of 495,000 . It is the industrial, commercial, on the Copperbelt, Zambia's copper-mining region, and capital of Copperbelt Province. It is also the commercial capital city of Zambia and has one of the three international airports, others...
, Zambia.
Operations
The mine produces high-grade oxide ore that was transported to ZambiaZambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
for processing at the SX/EW facility in Bwana.
Both the mine and the Bwana Mkubwa facility 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) away were owned by First Quantum Minerals
First Quantum Minerals
First Quantum Minerals Ltd. is a Vancouver, British Columbia based mining and metals company whose principal activities include mineral exploration, development and mining....
(FQM).
In January 2003 FQM announced an increase in estimated reserves from 295,000 tonnes to 356,000 tonnes of contained copper.
In 2006 the mine produced about 520,000 tonnes of ore grading 10.3% copper, and copper cathode production was 51,068 tonnes.
Controversy
In December 2007 Moise Katumbi, the governor of Katanga province, ordered First Quantum MineralsFirst Quantum Minerals
First Quantum Minerals Ltd. is a Vancouver, British Columbia based mining and metals company whose principal activities include mineral exploration, development and mining....
to stop exporting copper ore from the Lonshi mine to Zambia.
The stoppage was related to a dispute over contract terms.
In May 2010 a Congolese court ruled that FQM's Lonshi and Frontier
Frontier Mine, Katanga
Frontier Mine is a copper mine in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo that was owned and operated by the Canadian Mining Company First Quantum Minerals...
copper mines had been awarded illegally and that they should revert to state-owned Sodimico
Sodimico
Sodimico is a state-owned mining company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo .-Early years:...
.
According to FQM the cancellation of their licenses was due to FQM's decision to contest the expropriation of their Kolwezi tailings project
Kolwezi tailings project
The Kolwezi tailings project is a major project in the Kolwezi mining area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to recover copper from the tailings, or processed ore, from mining in the region since the 1950s....
, which was later sold to the Kazakh mining company Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation PLC is a diversified natural resources company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has activities in mining, processing, energy, logistics and marketing....
.
FQM's share of the properties was transferred first to Sodimico, then to Sodifor, a joint venture between Sodimico and Fortune Ahead, a shell company listed in Hong Kong with Saul Valt as the sole registered director.
In August 2011 the Bloomberg
Bloomberg
Bloomberg may refer to:* Michael Bloomberg , American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and Mayor of New York City...
news agency reported that Sodimico had sold its 30% share in the Frontier and Lonshi mines for under than one sixteenth of their estimated value. The minister of Mines denied that any sale had been made.