Administrateur du site
Messages: 4394
Inscription: Jeu 30 Juil 2009 16:48
Localisation: la seyne sur mer
Lun 29 Mar 2010 10:38
Kansanshi mine invests $600m
By KATONGO CHISUPA
KANSANSHI mining plc has invested over US$600 million since it started operations in Solwezi in 2005, a senior company spokesperson said last week.
Public relations manager Godfrey Msiska said the mine has invested about US$600 million and paid about US$900 million in taxes to the government.
“Not all the money we make goes out of the country. Some of it is being ploughed back into the country,” Mr Msiska said during a quarterly stakeholders meeting held in Solwezi.
Kansanshi also recorded a high increase in gold production in 2009.
Environmental manager Mr Richard Zyambo told the stakeholders’ meeting that gold production for the year stood at 99,936 ounces compared to 54,252 ounces produced in 2008.
He explained that production increased significantly during 2009 achieving a quarterly record of 32,476 ounces in quarter four.
However, the company only recorded a marginal 1 percent increase in production in the last quarter of last year. In 2009, production rose by 14 percent.
“In the fourth quarter the company recorded production levels amounting to 62,453 tonnes.
At the end of the year 2009 the total production of copper was 244,979 tonnes which was an increase from the amount recorded in 2008 which was 215,314 tonnes,” Mr Zyambo said.
He explained that the production by a single mine is the largest in a very long time, which is not only good for the company but the country as well.
“This level of production keeps Kansanshi mine at the top of the league as Zambia’s largest copper producer,” he added.
Making a presentation on the performance of the mine during the meeting, Mr Zyambo explained that the addition of mixed ore circuit during 2009 allowed for the effective processing of mixed acid soluble and acid insoluble copper ore to produce copper concentrate.
Mr Zyambo said the ore type was previously stockpiled but added that due to the successful recent introduction of the mixed ore circuit and continuous improvements made during 2009, mixed ore now represents a significant portion of Kansanshi’s total copper production.
“The mixed ore circuit contributed 14,400 tonnes and 32,200 tonnes of contained copper for quarter four and 2009 respectively,” he told the meeting.