Africa: Kipushi mine

Kipushi is a past-producing, high-grade underground zinc–copper mine located in the Central African Copperbelt. In 2016, Ivanhoe mines appointed SRK to complete a pre-feasibility level mining geotechnical investigation and design.The project is currently focused on two high-grade zinc orebodies, which will be mined by longhole stoping with post-filling. Using geotechnical and structural borehole logs, scanline mapping, and ATV data, SRK produced a geotechnical block model and a structural model. Geotechnical design parameters, based on risk management strategies, were derived and include backfill strength and support requirements. SRK is now carrying out the feasibility level work.