Modern Mining May 2018

MINING News

Feasibility study underway on Gamsberg smelter-refinery

Vedanta Zinc International (VZI), a subsid- iary of London-listed Vedanta Resources, reports it has started a feasibility study into the development and construction of a Zinc Smelter-Refinery Complex to process concentrates from its Gamsberg project at Black Mountain Mining in the Northern Cape. The establishment of the proposed ben- eficiation plant will make Gamsberg a fully integrated zinc production site, with the mine, concentrator and Smelter-Refinery Complex at a single location, making it the first integrated zinc manufacturing facility in South Africa. It is envisaged that the first phase of the Smelter-Refinery Complex will have a capacity of 250 000 t/a of finished zinc metal. As the entire Gamsberg project has been developed in a modular fashion, so the Smelter-Refinery Complex could also be expanded to align with Gamsberg Phases 2 and 3. The feasibility study will evaluate the infrastructural requirements of the com- plex – the beneficiation facility would require around 200 MW of additional power, and additional water supply. Both of these would mean significant large- scale investment.   The scope of the feasibility study includes a review of previous work undertaken by VZI into the possibility of developing a Southern African Zinc Cluster that would incorporate both Black Mountain and Skorpion Zinc, which is located in southern Namibia. Skorpion Zinc currently operates an integrated zinc refinery, and the potential exists for the conversion of this 150 000 t/a refinery to co- treat sulphide and oxide concentrates from

A recent view of the Gamsberg site near Aggeneys. First production from the US$400 million (Phase 1) project is expected in mid-2018. Phase 1 has a life of mine of 13 years, producing an expected 4 Mt/a from the open-pit mine and 250 000 t/a from the concentrator plant (photo: VZI).

Vedanta’s commitment to beneficiating to final metal, which is the model followed by the group in India. The Gamsberg refinery could see a further investment by Vedanta of between US$700 million and US$800 million. 

Gamsberg and other sulphide concentrate raw materials from nearby. Should these projects proceed, this Southern African Zinc Cluster has the potential to be one of the world’s largest zinc supply regions. This feasibility study is in line with

NewMD appointed at Lucara subsidiary Lucara Diamond Corp has announced the promotion of Naseem Lahri to Managing Director of Boteti Mining (Pty) Ltd, Lucara’s 100 %-owned subsidiary in Botswana, effec- tive immediately.

the Debswana Pension Fund, Botswana Accountancy College and Pula Medical Aid. She has served as Boteti’s CFO and Director since March 2013, responsible for Finance, Administration and Security.  In her expanded role as MD, Boteti, Lahri will have oversight in all aspects of the business and, as a matter of priority, will be working closely with General Manager Johane Mchive, appointed in 2017, to help drive improved performance at the Karowe diamond mine. 

Lahri is a Professional Accountant with a Masters in Strategic Management (BCOM, FCCA), with more than 17 years’ experience in the mining industry, includ- ing 10 years within Corporate Finance at Debswana at the senior management level. She has also served as a board member in

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