Konkola Deep Mining Project, Zambia - June 2006

Project Discipline: Mining Sector
Business Unit: Aveng Grinaker-LTA Mining

Year: June 2006 - current
Client: Konkola Copper Mines Plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vedanta Resources (India)
Location: Zambia

The project entails the mining construction of the following facilities:

1. Sinking of a 1,505m deep, 9.4m x 7.0m wide “elliptical” shaft at No. 4 Shaft. The shaft will be equipped as follows:

• two x 37 ton and two x 26 ton capacity rock skips for ore and waste hoisting;
• a double deck man/service cage;
• four x 600mm diameter main pump columns as well as the associated power supply cables (26 at 185mm square cables).

Rock hoisting will be done from two levels, viz; 1,010mL and 1430mL.

2. An integral feature of the shaft construction was the establishment of a “Mid Shaft Loading” (MSL) facility at 1,010mL with a rock hoisting capacity of ± 12,500 ton/day. This system was commissioned on 31 March 2010 followed by shaft sinking operations from 1,140mL to shaft bottom (1,505mL). The ultimate shaft capacity will be 25,000 ton/day.

3. Three x 800 ton/hour underground rock crushers and associated storage silos and load-out facilities

4. Major underground pump station on 1,390mL as well as the associated pumps (18 off) dirty water settlers (8 off at 16m diameter) and clear water sumps (8 off at 12m diameter), and underground power sub-station

5. 5.0m diameter sub ventilation shaft from 875mL to 1,505mL

6. Infrastructure development on the new mining levels (horizons) viz; 800mL, 875mL, 950mL, 1,050mL, 1,150mL, 1,250mL and 1,350mL.

7. The deepening of the current operating No 1 Shaft from 1,070mL to 1,515mL. It will be a 6.2m diameter shaft equipped to accommodate the present man/service cage, service pipes and cables to also service the lower mining levels.