Main mining sites in Katanga
Dikuluwe mine – See on map
Dikuluwe is the most western deposit of the geological Kolwezi Klippe and thus also of the Shaba copperbelt. The quarry was opened in 1975 and was planned to be connected to the nearby Mashamba West pit.
The exploitation of the sulfides zone of Di-Ma will probably be one of the largest in the world for the time to come.
In the northern part a silicate zone is mined that produced good specimens of chrysocolla, often accompanied by malachite. The southern part was rich in malachite, with banded layers up to 20cm width and encrusted open spaces with large stalactites, often covered with black oxides. In the central part a specific zone was the origin of very nice cuprite crystals on a dolomite matrix.
Dikuluwe is the most western deposit of the geological Kolwezi Klippe and thus also of the Shaba copperbelt. The quarry was opened in 1975 and was planned to be connected to the nearby Mashamba West pit.
The exploitation of the sulfides zone of Di-Ma will probably be one of the largest in the world for the time to come.
In the northern part a silicate zone is mined that produced good specimens of chrysocolla, often accompanied by malachite. The southern part was rich in malachite, with banded layers up to 20cm width and encrusted open spaces with large stalactites, often covered with black oxides. In the central part a specific zone was the origin of very nice cuprite crystals on a dolomite matrix.
Kabolela mine – See on map
From 1939 to 1943, the U.M.H.K. increased substantially its cobalt ore production with the opening of the rich cobalt mines Kabolela (central sector) This deposit is situated 15 km west of Kambove and was partly/mainly worked for cobalt during the 30’s. Typical here is the occurrence of massive spherocobaltite minerals. In rare case, massive, fine-grained, rose-red to purple sphaerocobaltite has been found at Kabolela mines typically as an in situ alteration of massive, lenticular beds of carrollite.
Linnaeite has been identified primarily in polished sections of massive sulfide ore from the Kabolela open pits. Kabolela is also renowned for the excellent specimens of heterogenite-3R in stalactitic habitus. The most beautiful heterogenites in the world have been collected at the Kabolela mine. They are found there in botryoidal masses, in stalactites, and in cavern draperies. Some museum specimens measure several tens of centimeters.
The cobalt ore fraction is assumed to be exhausted.
Kakanda mine – See on map
The surface-exploitation of Kakanda is located 30km north-west of Kambove. Kakanda Nord is known for the occurrence of brochantite (Cu4SO4(OH)6) and caves covered with malachite-stalactites. Also it is well known for its richness in malachite and tiny pink-colored crystals, cobaltoan dolomite.
At Kakanda, sphaerocobaltite crystals reach 3 mm is size and show a discoidal, pseudo-hexagonal habit; groups of singles and twins cluster together, sometimes forming delicate rosettes. Their color is deep rose to deep red, the darkness and intensity of which serve to distinguish to from associated pink cobaltiferous calcite and dolomite. Perfectly shaped crystals to 5 mm have been found at the Kakanda South mine. Malachite is found as large crystals (<2cm) that fill cavities, encrustations or large stalactites in caves.
The deposit is assumed to be depleted, but good specimens can still be found.
Kalabi mine – See on map
Kalabi has been mined for a few hundreds of years is only of historic interest. The site yielded thick layers of banded malachite, together with widespread occurrence of cornetite with well crystallized octahedral habit. A typical paragenesis at Kalabi is banded malachite with tiny cornetite crystals embedded.
Kamatanda mine – See on map
In this “rabbit-hole” copper ore was exploited only for a short time, though the deposit wasn’t exhausted. The location only yields pieces of malachite often grown together with quartz gangue.
Kambove mine – See on map
Mining in this area started in 1913 as soon as the railway reached this place. During time the “Kambove Pricipal” and “Kambove West” open pit mines were started, and later on the Kambove Mine. The open air mining activities ceased around 1960, while the underground mining endured up till 1980.
The open pit mine produced malachite and cobaltdolomite in low quality pieces (from collectors pov). Also spherocobaltite crystals were found. Exceptionally the lower orebody was richer in cobal in Kambove West.
On the other hand Kambove and the region around are renowned for the occurrence of plancheïte and, of lesser importance, shattuckite. The mine is well-known for the big specimens of carrolite and bornite. Also chalcosite, less impressive crystals as found in Kamoto, is found here as well as pink-colored quartz crystals(amethyst?).
In rare case, massive, fine-grained, rose-red to purple sphaerocobaltite has been found at the Kambove, mines typically as an in situ alteration of massive, lenticular beds of carrollite or as aggregates and tiny crystals on superb carrollite crystals.
The Kambove West (underground) mine produced a 10-cm carrollite crystal which was unfortunately broken by blasting; nice twins 3 to 4 cm in size have also been found there.
Kamoto mine – See on map
The increased cobalt ore production from 1939 to 1943 started the exploitation of the gossan zone of the Kamoto mine.
Exploitation in the Kamoto copper mines started somewhere in the 50’s and is still active up to present. The mining site is situated west of Musonoi. The mining activities are divided into the Kamoto Principal open pit mine, a similar named underground mine, Kamoto North, Kamoto East and K.O.V. (Kamoto-Oliviera-Virgule). The open pit mine Kamoto Principal was worked during the 50’s and 60’s and produced only few good specimens for collectors point of view. Malachite, cuprite and cobaltcalcite were found but not of excptional quality.
The region around Kamoto was generally rich in massive cuprite with mineralised open spaces herein. Of the most remarkable findings 1cm long needles of chalcotrichite can be mentioned.
The Kamoto mine is the most important localitie for kolwezite.
The underground exploitation at Kamoto Pricipal started at the same time as the open pit and lasted until octobre 1990 when both sites joined. The mine produced good specimens of carrollite crystals (perfect octahedrons and exceptional cubes to 3 cm on calcite)together with tiny but well crystallized bornite. Open spaces within the massive cuprite layers are often covered with “katangite” and good malachite crystals. Sphaerocobaltite crystals have also been found in the Kamoto Principal (underground).The most important findings though are chalkosine-crystals up to a few centimeters or aggregates over 10cm in length.
Kamoto North was opened as enlargement of the “Principal” open pit. Remarkable specimens of bornite crystals were found here often on a calcite matrix. Sometimes the bornite was partly transposed superficially. Like in several other quarries also uraniferous enrichments were found at Kamoto. Herein urophane crystals up to 2cm can be found.
Kamoto East is the second enlargment of the earlier pits. It was mined until the 80’s when depleted. For a long time nothing worth mentioning was found here, until in 1982 a dark zone with an important uranium enrichment was discovered. Considered precious, the whole mass (150 tonnes) was transported to flank 261 at Musonoi for meticulous searching through. The zone is particularly remarkable for the presence of a restricted accumulation of uraniferous mineralization. The oxidation zone includes a series of rare uranyl and rare earth minerals such as kamotoite-(Y), Katangaite(Nd), françoisite-(Nd) and schuilingite. All these minerals were found associated with uranophane, masuyite and some undetermined species, as crusts on uraninite matrix.
Kalabi mine – See on map
Mammillary heterogenite specimens of good quality are obtained from the Kalabi mines. Stalactitic habits are rarer.
Kalongwe mine – See on map
This deposit is located 60 km south of Kolwezi. It is the type locality for cuprosklodwoskite (Cu(UO2)2 (SiO3OH)2.6H2O) and vandenbrandeite (CuUO2(OH)4). Kalongwe was prospected thoroughly, but was never exploited. The former minerals were found later on as much better specimens when enlarging the mine at Musonoi.
Kamoya mine – See on map
This little quarry, 2km west from Kambove, is well known for the occurrence of plancheïte in radially formed aggregates.
Kingamyambo – See on map
Kingamyambo was one of the richer cobalt mines opened in the period 1939-1943.
Kipushi mine – See on map
The Kipushi mineral deposit is positioned on the southeastern edge of the copperbelt. Herefore some authors don’t regard it as being part of this geological unit itself (Gauthier, 1989). In the deposit Cu-Pb-Zn-ore is present in veins and fissures throughout the hostrock. It is possibly one of the richest in the world.
Because the Kipushi deposit is situated only 500m from the Zambian border the ownership of it was a frequent matter of debate. Certainly, because the 70° W inclination of the ore body causes the mining activitities to tend further toward the border. Annual production runs about 70000 tons Zn from underground mining.
Mining occurred since 1925 and reached a current depth of 1200m (1992). A strong correspondence exists between the Kipushi and Tsumeb (Namibië) deposits. Kipushi is the type locality for the mineral renierite, while kipushite, briartit and gallite are concurrently described at Kipushi and Tsumeb. Besides ore minerals, also a great number of secondary minerals occur, e.g. cerussite, pseudomalachite,… Most of them comprise the phosphate-group, e.g. veszelyite, reichenbachite, … Because mineralisation occurs in a karstific environment open spaces are often covered with calcite and perimorphs hereof by quartz, barite, together wtih Zn-rich dolomite.
The most important secondary mineral is hemimorphite – colorless aggregates up to 15mm – sometimes it is lightly bluish by incorporations of pseudomalachite. Inclusions of auricalcite leed to blue or green colored specimens. Also a yellow variety exists by inclusions of greenokite. Smithsonite can be found as reniform or sometimes stalactitic masses. Seldomly white to greyish, seldom also green or blue crystals in typical “rice grain” habitus appear. Vauquelinit was found in canary-yellow tiny “tablets” together with pyromorphite descripted as “autunite” in former publications by U.M.H.K geologists, however the primary ore of the deposit contains no uranium. In the sulphides group good crystallised pieces are seldom, except for some sfalerite specimens for which the green variety of Kipushi is a classical occurrence. The green color is caused by inclusions of cobalt (Hofmann & Henn, 1984).
Cobaltite has been found in the massive ore of the Kipushi mine, it is the only occurence of this As-containing cobalt mineral in the Coperbelt.The Kipushi sfalerite contain 0.5% cadmium on average.
Kasompi mine – See on map
One of the mines started during the cobalt rush between 1939 and 1943.
Kolwezi mine – See on map
Since 1903 exploitation was started; in 1906 a furnace was build here. The town that was build got it’s name from the mine.
Apart from malachite the mineral contents is very similar to the Musonoi Principal deposit.
Specimens of cobalt-dolomite and kolwezite are of lesser quality.
Mine de l’Etoile – See on map
La “mine de l’Etoile” is an open pit mine at 12km of Lubumbashi and one of the first in exploitation (since 1911). It is a type locality for the mineral cornetit which is generally present throughout the deposit here.
Mammillary heterogenite specimens of good quality are obtained from l’Etoile. Stalactitic habits are rarer. L’ Etoile was the first mine producing cobalt ore in 1907.
Likasi-Panda mine – See on map
Likasi was the original name for this location, derived from the name of the nearby river. Later the nearby town and suburbs took over the name. Later the name of the mining site was changed to Panda. It is the type locality for buttchenbachite and likasite. Also specimens of connelite and gerhardite were found here on a massive matrix of cuprite, but well formed crystals of cuprite are rare. Mining started in 1915. The mine is considered as exhausted. Very good specimens of malachite-chrysocolla can still be found.
Ludjiba mine – See on map
The inhospitable hills of Ludjiba were almost not prospected before 1975. Then some 50 small shafts were drilled into the eastern hills. One hit a small fissure vein of libethenite in form of radial spherical rosettes and pseudomalachite. Later a specimen was re-examined and the new mineral ludijbaite was discovered. Surface prospection in the western hills yielded some more specimens on which iron-oxide pseudomorphs after carrollite could be found.
Luishia mine – See on map
Open pit mine, active from 1913 to 1949. Interesting on historical and geological grounds because of the specific ore paragenesis: chalcopyrite, partly transposed to malachite and disthene. Luishia seems linked to metamorphic rocks incorporated in the Copperbelt. Small linnaeite crystals are ).
Linnaeite has been identified primarily in polished sections of massive sulfide ore from the Luishia and Kabolela open pits.
At the Luishia open pit, tiny, perfect, lustrous carrollite crystals have been found on a bed of magnesite. Unlike carrollite from other stratiform deposits, the crystals from Luishia contain several percent nickel. First described by Buttchenbach (1947) these are nice octahedrons modified by truncated edges and tetrahexahedron faces.
Mammillary heterogenite specimens of good quality are obtained from the Luishia mines. Stalactitic habits are rarer.
During the dry season often “encrustations” of bluish minerals are found on the walls of the quarry. Mostly these are chalcantite crystls, rarely bieberite. These disappear during the rainy sesson.
Luiswishi mine – See on map
The Luiswishi site is located 20km north of Lubumbashi. In 1913 the first uranium ore was found here. Still up to now small amounts of oxidised ore are being mined by hand. The mine isn’t exhausted yet. Because the water in the lake contains high levels of Cu-salts it is free of bacteria and therefore a popular bathing site.
Luiswishi is the type locality for sengierite (Cu2(UO2)2V2O8.6H2O) and yielded the best specimens hereof up to now. The crystals are up to 0,3mm and often embedded in a clay-talcish matrix. Chrysocolla and malachite, in form of good colored, banded aggregates, stalactites or fibrous aggregates are found abundantly in this site. One of the open pit trenches is still accessible and delivers good specimens, often found together with copperphosphates pseudomalachite, libethenite and cornetite.
Mashamba mine – See on map
The Mashamba West open pit is located at 1km from the Dikuluwe mine. The pit has L-shaped dimensions (1km x 1.7km and 100m depth – 1988). There also is a less important eastern quarry.
In the ’80 large amounts of beautifull specimens were found of pink cobaltcalcite, cuprite, malachite, kolwezite, … ; and micromounts of carnotite, duhamelite, metayuyamunite and vésigniéite as well as other minerals with special morphology: baryte, chrysocolla, dioptase, plancheïte, white calcite,…
In Mashamba West big pink scalenohedrons of cobaltoan calcite are found some partially covered with kolwezite. It also produced pink hexagonal centimeter sized prisms of cobaltoan calcite with three-faced rhombohedron terminations. The Mashamba West mine is the most important localities for kolwezite. Kolwezite is found there as beautiful groups of stalactites. In 1997 it was discovered in a large vug on the upper level, as part of a botryoidal succession beginning with heterogenite at the base, then a layer of kolwezite up to 2 cm thick, followed finally by a top layer of cobaltiferous malachite with surface coatings of chrysocolla and kolwezite knobs. Such concretions are exceedingly rare. A partial coating of kolwezite on groups of large, rose-red cobaltoan calcite crystals are also found.
Mindigi mine – See on map
This deposit, that isn’t exhausted yet, can be found 5km to the East of Swambo and was mined for cobalt and copper during the 30’s and 40’s. From collector’s point of view this mine is very important.
Beautiful specimens of malachite with chrysocolla, fibrous brochantite and pink calcite can be found. This was probably the first deposit where good pieces of cobalt-calcite were found. The minerals are found in a very hard hostrock layer of which a large amount is still present in the mine.
Pseudostalactites (stalactites without a feeder canal) with a core of heterogenite (3R) and with concentric areas of malachite on the exterior, have been found. The 2H polymorph of heterogenite been found only in Mindigi, and only in association with the crystallized habits that have the metallic luster of heterogenite 3R.
The relatively seldom minerals clinoclase and cornubite can be found on the flanks of the pit. Mindingi is also the type locality for heterogenite-2H. Transparent quartz-crystals with tiny heterogenite inclusions are one of the typical findings of this location.
Good specimens together with malachite and chrysocolla are often partly covered with black oxides which isn’t detrimental to their beauty.A one time only discovery of a quartz in scalenoëdric habitus has been found.
The best specimens of chysocolla found in the Shaba region are of the “katangite”-variëty. “Katangite” is white when dry and will color blue when wetted. On the tongue a typical rough feeling can be sensed. It consists of tiny crystals, mostly plancheïte, that are kitted together with chrysocolla. In the 50’s Gilbert Gauthier made a one time only discovery of a quartz in scalenoëdric habitus, which was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.
M’Sesa mine – See on map
M’Sesa I is situated 2 north of Kambove. The quarry was abandoned in the 70’s and in the meantime all the slopes were exhausted. The two nearby quarries produced high quality malachite specimens. M’Sesa was the first deposit where pseudomalachite crystals were found. The location is also renowned for the good specimens of plancheïte and pseudo-octahedral crystals libethenite often on pseudomalachitecrusts.
In open spaces in massive cuprite ore well crystallized spangolith occurs. Buttchenbachite and clarringbullite were found here.
Mupine mine – See on map
This deposit is was mined in three stages from 1953 and 1982. The mineralogy is comparable to the Musonoi site. Here also sphaerocobaltite and kolwezite were found, together with good specimens of cobaltcalcite.
Musonoi mine – See on map
The Musonoi mine, located on the western end of the Katanga Crescent, 2km west of Kolwezi,is part of the Kolwezi klippe. It is a very large copper and cobalt mine of which only the oxidation zone has been exploited to date.
The exploitation of the particularly well developed “cobalt cap” was begun in 1940-41, while the mine itself did not begin operation until 1945. The Musonoi Principal open pit mine was mainly mined during the 40’s. During the 50’s the extension-quarry I was started and later on, in the 70’s, a new extension (II) of the exploitation was initiated. In the course of time all three mines were joined.
Musonoi is the type locality for kolwezite. Apart from that good malachite crystals with a specific habitus, typical for the location, can be found. Also partly transposed carrollite-crystals up to 5cm grown upon fissure-filling pinkish dolomite gangue could be found on the flanks of the quarry. Sphaerocobaltite crystals in cock’s comb-like aggregates on a matrix are also typical for Musonoi Principal.
In the western sector of this mine, showing heavy tectonic faulting (called the “Musonoi extension”) a uranium-bearing zone was found in the 1950’s in the lower copper-cobalt orebody. Selenium is closely associated with the uranium. This zone has a length of approximately 100 meters and a height of about 50 meters. The U-Se-rich zone was mined in both the extension quarries. During the 15 years of mining of this zone torbernite-crystals up to 1cm in length could be found.
The primary ore doesn’t contain any uraninite anymore, but constist of Se-rich digenite and Cu-Pd-rich trogtalite. The rare mineral oosterboschite was discovered here for the very first time. In the category of secondary minerals vauquelinite is to be mentioned. It consists of tiny rosettes of rounded tablets with a light brown to yellowish brown color. Musonoi produced worldclass specimens of torbernite, cuprosklodowskite, vandenbrandeite and kasolite (uraniferous), chalcomenite and cobaltomenite, demesmaekerite, derriksite, guilleminite and marthozite.
The exploitation of the particularly well developed “cobalt cap” was begun in 1940-41, while the mine itself did not begin operation until 1945. The Musonoi Principal open pit mine was mainly mined during the 40’s. During the 50’s the extension-quarry I was started and later on, in the 70’s, a new extension (II) of the exploitation was initiated. In the course of time all three mines were joined.
Mutoshi (Ruwe) mine – See on map
The original intention of the explorations in the Katanga region was to find gold. Mainly copper was found, but at Mutoshi there was gold, at least for a few years. The main deposit was found as a remobilized and concentrated mineralisation in the deeper R1 layers. It consists of malachite-aggregates, which often make up large beautiful specimens (“mushrooms” and “cobwebs” between stalactites. The occurrence of native gold as inclusions within the malachite is typical for the Mutoshi deposit. Gold can also be found as accessory mineral in the uraniumdeposits in the R2-layers and is at Mutoshi even enriched by the specific genetic circumstances.
This gold rich part of the deposit was mined since 1903 by T.L.C., while copper extraction only started during the 40’s. Total production of gold reached 700kg. From Mutoshi rare vanadate minerals, uranium rich minerals and dioptase, platinum and agardite-(Y) are described. The rare-earth spectrum in agardite-(Y) is almost the same as that of Kamoto-East.
Shamitumba mine – See on map
On this location small amounts of cobalt ore were mined by hand during the 30’s and 40’s. It is the type-locality for julienite, of which specificity and natural occurrence is doubted. As julienite can be syntheticised easily, it is assumed that it might come into existence there where cobalt comes in contact with organic matter.
Shangulowe mine – See on map
During the 30’s and 40’s the Shangulowe quarry was mainly mined by hand. Typical for this deposit is the occurrence of baryte.
Main minerals are malachite and plancheïte, whereby pseudomorphs of these two minerals by barite are very remarkable.
Shangulowe is one of the rare localities where azurite can be found (mm-size specimens). Overall this mineral is rather rare in the Katanga province.
Shinkolobwe-Kasolo mine – See on map
The outcrops of the mineralised R2-banks around Shinkolobwe were already known for hundreds of years and were exploited for copper.
The main hill was named Kasolo.
In 1915 the surveyor Major Sharp “spotted” a yellow spot in the bushes while on a field campaign. This led to the discovery of one of the largest uraniferous deposits in the world. The hill Kasolo was named Shinkolobwe Signal afterwards. Shinkolobwe is a epigenetic stockwork-type deposit that is either mined in open air as underground. Uranium is found together with cobalt- and nickel rich minerals, while there is only very few copper present. The main nickel sulfide found is vaesite.
It is typical for Shinkolobwe that many newfound minerals are discovered on older collected specimens. The original deposit at Shinkolobwe is regarded exhausted.
Shituru mine – See on map
This quarry is located at 2km to the east of the Likasi-Panda mine.
Geologically this mineral deposit is interesting because it is situated within the R4 group which is uncommon for a stratabound deposit because it is of volcanic-sedimentary origin and was subdue to a significant oxidizing enrichment.
During the 70’s the occurrence of libethenite in octahedral form, rosettes and sometimes lenticular shape was discovered in the old mine and exploited by amateur collectors. These crystals were often accompanied by cm-thick conchoïdal crusts of pseudomalachite. Later, in 1987, by further investigation was discovered that this material also contained the mineral ludjibait.
Swambo mine – See on map
Swambo is situated 36 km to the west of Shinkolobwe, near the Midingi mine. It is a uranium-bearing mineralization of the same type as that at Shinkolobwe.
The mineralization is located in a fragment of the Mines Group included in a megabreccia of the Roan. This fragment has risen along a major fault bounded on both sides by the Kundelungu formation. More precisely, the uranium is located along the West fault which terminates the fragment on the west.Uranium is accompanied by cobalt, nickel and precious metals in the orebody. The oxidation zone is strongly developed; and there is massive uraninite still present throughout the oxidation zone, with the sulfides of Cu, Co and Ni, as at Shinkolobwe.
Research was done by means of drilling in 1957, and then a mine shaft was sunk in 1958. A number of underground galleries were also excavated and other shafts sunk in the 70’s, but in the end the mine was not brought into production. Swambo is a model small uranium deposit which has yielded the most beautiful soddyite crystals seen to date, as well as a new species, swamboite. Gold is also present, as small rods and veins. It is clear that many other species would be found if the mine were exploited.
Swambo is the type locality for swamboite and is renowned for its uranium-rich minerals. The most important mineral is soddyite(large transparent crystals up to 4mm with a phantom of opake soddyite in the middle).
Tantara mine – See on map
This deposit is a geological curiosity while it lies within the Ki 1.2.2-layers (“calcaire de Kakontwe”). It was only mined minimal.
The deposit consists of a copper-silicate mass, up to 15% in Cu-grade, which generated around 2000 tonnes of copper. The deposit is exhausted.
The most remarkable mineral is dioptase. It is often accompanied by white and/or pink, massive but gemmy cobaltoan calcites. Plancheite and shattuckite can also be found together with dioptase which yields very exceptionally beautiful specimens. Pseudomorphs of dioptase and shattuckite after calcite are typical findings for Tantara.
Tenke-Fungurume area – See on map
The large number of deposits in this regions still contain large supplies of ore. Tenke and Fungurume are the names of two special hills at the end of a series of deposits, altogether about 30km in axial length. The open air exploitation will probably start in nearby future.
From the large number of collected core samples during the vast exploration campaigns only a few number of relatively good specimens is known. Though, it would be almost impossible that such a large deposit wouldn’t contain any mineralogical rarities, more in particular because silicate minerals dominate and the tectonisation favorites the formation of secondary mineralisations.
K.O.V. – See on map
K.O.V. stands for the Kamoto-Oliveira-Virgule deposit. This large open pit mine combines the both groups of exploitations at Kamoto and Musonoi. It was initiated in 1982. The nearby depleted quarries are presently used as dumps for the overburden and tailings. The site is situated at 5km eastwards of the Kamoto shaft.
The name is derived from Kamoto, linking to the Kamoto East and North mines, Oliviera, after a small layer within the R2-group named to the original prospector, and Virgule, the name of the main deposit.
There is a superficial enrichment of cobalt, where copper has been entirely leached away.
The expected lifetime of the exploitation is estimated at another number of years, to reach about 400m in depth.
In 1987 a major discovery of an uranium enrichment was made which yielded world class specimens of roubaultite (<7mm)and zeunerite. Also good findings of brochantite-crystals were made.