Metals processor expands, progresses Zambian assets

Zambia- and South Africa-focused diversified metals processor Jubilee Metals has completed the manufacturing of a new front-end modular 50 000-t-a-month unit at its Zambia-based Roan copper processing facility.

The plant, which was shipped to Zambia in February, was designed by the Jubilee Technical Services team in South Africa, and once commissioned, will enable Roan to process multiple feed sources in excess of 1 000 t a month of copper contained in concentrates.

Jubilee Metals has undertaken optimisation initiatives at Roan alongside construction to maintain copper sulphide concentrate production at 50% of its current production capacity.

The company reports that these optimisation initiatives have performed well and have increased the copper sulphide concentrate’s copper content from 20%, to above 25%, thereby increasing the revenue potential for the sale of copper sulphide concentrates in the market.

In addition, these efforts ensured Roan continued to produce copper products while awaiting the delivery of the new front-end module, while also forming a fundamental part of Jubilee’s strategy to progress production to 13 000 t/y of copper contained in concentrates.

Project Munkoyo

Following the November 2023 signing of a copper ore offtake agreement with an existing mining company in close proximity to its Zambia-based Sable Refinery, Jubilee Metals has progressed with the trialling of about 80 000 t of run-of-mine material from the surface Munkoyo deposit, with results indicating a copper ore grade of between 1.5% and 3% of contained copper.

“At Munkoyo, early testwork of approximately 80 000 t has revealed excellent copper grades . . . for what was believed to be an uneconomic source of copper by previous owners,” says Jubilee Metals CEO Leon Coetzer.

He adds that the discovery of this new copper anomaly has the potential to become a long-term source of supply for Jubilee’s Sable Refinery. “Munkoyo is a great example of Jubilee’s ability to convert abandoned surface projects into viable opportunities through processing excellence.”

In addition, the company has undertaken initial exploration and aerial surveying of the Munkoyo licence area, which has shown the potential for a new copper resource along a one-kilometre strike.

Following this successful testing and the potential to delineate further resources on the licence, Jubilee Metals has agreed an option to acquire the licence for up to $1.5-million.

Munkoyo is located within 50 km of Sable and will be a feed source to the Sable Refinery.

Further, other work undertaken at project Munkoyo includes progress into a trenching programme from which Jubilee intends to conduct a drilling programme in the second quarter.

This phase is expected to take three to four months, and is intended to be followed by two months for analysis and planning of the subsequent phase.

Also during the second quarter, Jubilee Metals intends to start excavating a deeper test pit to access material below the current pit level. During this phase the available ore will be sent to Sable for processing.

Subject to the results, the company plans to start developing a larger pit in the second half of this year.

The larger pit targets a rate of 25 000 t a month of copper ore, which will initially be transported to Sable.

Concurrent to this work, Jubilee Metals plans to construct an upgrading copper process module at Munkoyo, for which it has already secured long lead items. The modular upgrade plant construction and implementation is expected to take six months.

In addition, Jubilee has identified several similar opportunities within Zambia where surface openpit copper reefs have been abandoned and require Jubilee’s proven processing capability.

Jubilee notes that it plans to secure more such opportunities in the near term, which offers potential for further growth in its copper operations in addition to its waste rock project, which is also currently underway.

Regarding the waste rock project, Jubilee Metals, in November 2023, secured one of the largest copper waste rock assets on surface in Zambia and has formed a strategic partnership with diversified resources group International Resource Holdings (IRH).

The copper waste rock asset in Zambia has been independently surveyed, confirming a minimum of 260-million tonnes of historical waste rock.

At this project, initial third-party surface sampling and random bulk surface sampling by Jubilee show “promising” copper grades in the targeted areas of above 1.5%, with Jubilee undertaking detailed surface waste drilling of the material to confirm overall grades.

Jubilee Metals’ Waste Rock Project involves using Jubilee’s modular copper units to produce about 24 000 t/y of copper units, at a cost below $4 000/t.

Jubilee will design, implement and operate the Waste Rock Project, with a total projected investment of about $50-million, which will be funded by IRH.

Both the large waste rock dump and the Munkoyo resources align with Jubilee’s strategy of unlocking overlooked copper resources through the application of processing capability.

Jubilee has identified several similar opportunities in Zambia which it seeks to secure in the short term as it drives to continuously increase its copper resource base as the catalyst for further expanding its processing capacity.