Name and Location
Trident copper/nickel project, North West province, Zambia.

Client
Kalumbila Minerals, a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals (FQM).

FQM acquired the project in January 2010 through its acquisition of Zambia-focused explorer Kiwara for an estimated amount of $279-million.

Project Description
The project is situated about 140 km west of the town of Solwezi and 150 km from the Kansanshi copper mine, in northern Zambia. It comprises three distinct areas of mineralisation – Sentinel, Enterprise and Intrepid.

Geological drilling and evaluation continue at each of these targets and it is planned that Sentinel will be developed first, followed by Enterprise and then Intrepid. Each area regarded as a significant mine development, which will likely extend over 22 years.

The Sentinel deposit has a total measured and indicated resource of 1.03-billion tonnes, grading 0.51% copper and proven and probable reserves of 774.2-million tonnes, grading 0.50%. The mine will target sulphide ores that will be processed on site to produce a 30% copper concentrate, which will be transported to smelters in Zambia for the extraction and refining of copper.

Sentinel’s processing facility will have a target throughput rate of 55-million tonnes a year of ore at an average grade of 0.5% copper. Higher grades are expected in the first six years of the mine life, which will provide yearly production rate ranging between 270 000 t and 300 000 t of copper. The plant will comprise three in-pit crushers, delivering to a crushed ore stockpile and providing a live capacity of 80 000 t. Two milling trains, each comprising a 28 MW semiautogenous mill and a 22 MW ball mill, will produce a final grind of 80% passing 212 micron for flotation. Four banks of rougher-scavenger flotation cells, each using seven cells of 300 m3 capacity, followed by three stages of cleaning, will provide a recovery of more than 90% into a concentrate of about 24% copper. Tailings will be thickened in 3-m- by 50-m-diameter thickeners before being discharged to the tailings storage facility.

A secondary crushing circuit will be installed to maintain the mill throughput to offset a harder ore in the deeper areas of the pit. This circuit will initially comprise two large cone crushers, with the ability to add more crushers at a later date. The crushers will treat a portion of the ore feeding the stockpile, crushing the top size to below 40 mm. A pebble crusher will also be installed to crush pebbles ejected from the SG mills to below 10 mm to minimise critical size build-up in the milling circuit.

The Enterprise operation will focus on nickel ore containing about 1% nickel. Assuming a 90% recovery, nickel production will be 18 000 t/y.

The Intrepid mine will target copper ore at two-million tons a year.

The proposed 50-million-ton-a-year copper sulphide concentrator and associated plant infrastructure will consist of maintenance workshops, mining facilities, a tailings storage facility and associated administration offices.

Additional amenities required include roads, power and water supply, as well as a significant housing facility.

Value
The Sentinel mine and the smelter project will require a capital investment of more than $2.4-billion.

Duration
Following a two-year design and construction phase, the Sentinel mine will be commissioned by early 2014.

The current mine life is estimated at 12 years, or until 2026, when the Enterprise mine will be brought on line, with ore treated at Sentinel over a five-year period, until 2032.

Intrepid will then provide ore feed for a further five years until 2036.

This timeframe is expected to increase further, as it is highly likely that additional geological resources will be identified in the Trident region.

Latest Developments
The Zambian government has permitted First Quantum to restart construction of its Sentinel copper project, which was halted this year because of environmental concerns.

Government ordered First Quantum in May to stop the construction of a dam, a vital source of water for the Sentinel project.

The Environmental Ministry will allow First Quantum to proceed with building the dam, although it will continue to study the impact of the construction, it said in a document dated July 18.

As a result, First Quantum will no longer need to shed 500 jobs, as was initially planned when construction of the dam was halted.

The company will double the work rate to ensure the copper mine is completed by the company's stipulated deadline of 2014.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Coastal & Environmental Services and Resettlement & Development Solutions, on behalf of the Environmental Council of Zambia (environmental-impact assessment).

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
FQM president Clive Newall, tel +44 14 0327 3484, fax +44 14 0327 3494 or email clive.newall@fqml.com.