Australian miner to ramp up copper production in central Zambia
Xinhua, May 12, 2015 Adjust font size:
An Australian mining firm is this year expected to inject 71 million U.S. dollars develop an underground copper mine in central Zambia's Mumba district, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.
The company, which has been given a 25-year large scale mining license, will use the funds to undertake feasibility studies and drilling around the mine resource.
Geoffrey Mulenga, the company's Zambia-based consultant said the development of the mine was going on smoothly and the mine will be producing about 58,000 tons of copper per year once it become fully operational.
"The mining development is going ahead with the project. It has already been decided that it will be an underground mine, without a shaft but it will be hauled by trucks on an incline," he was quoted as saying by the paper.
The mine, with a lifespan of 11 years, is expected to boost the economy of the small Zambian town, he added.
In August 2014, the Australian firm merged with another mining firm, Blackthorn Resources to develop the mine.
According to the company, merger has put the well-funded firm in a strong position to realize the potential of the project. Endi