Dikulushi Mine

Dikulushi mine
Location
Dikulushi mine Location in the Congo 8.893901°S 28.27264°E / 8.8939°S 28.27264°E / -8.8939; 28.27264Coordinates: 8.893901°S 28.27264°E / 8.8939°S 28.27264°E / -8.8939; 28.27264
Location	Lake Mweru
Province	Katanga
Country	DR Congo
Owner
Company	Mawson West Ltd
Website	Mawson West website
Year of acquisition	2010
ASX	MWE (currently delisted)
Production
Products	Copper Silver
Production	Copper: 400 tonnes/month Silver: 35,000 ounces/month
Financial year	2010
History
Opened	2002

The Dikulushi mine is a copper mine and silver mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located some 23 kilometres (14 mi) west of Lake Mweru and 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Kilwa in the Moero Sector of Pweto Territory, Katanga Province.

The mine came into production in October 2002 and was then owned by the leading DRC copper company Anvil Mining within some 10% Community Trust involvement. The mine has a total of 481,000 tonnes of proven mineral reserves and over 650,000 estimated.^{[citation needed]} While the mine was operational, heavy trucks carrying concentrate crossed Lake Mweru on a large motorised pontoon ferry from Kilwa to Nchelenge, a distance of 44 kilometres (27 mi), from where they drove 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi) to a copper smelter in Tsumeb, Namibia.^[1]

In October 2004 there was a small-scale uprising in Kilwa which was brutally suppressed by FARDC soldiers of the 62nd Brigade. Anvil Mining Congo was accused of providing logistical support to the troops.^[2] The company published a statement by the Traditional Chiefs of Moero Sector that firmly denied any involvement by Anvil in the massacre and that praised the company for the benefits it had brought to the region.^[3] As of December 4, 2008, Anvil had placed Dikulushi Mine on "Care and Maintenance" due to the low prices of copper.^[4]

In March 2010, Anvil sold the mine to Mawson West Ltd.^[4] The transfer would let Anvil focus on its larger copper projects, including the Kinsevere Stage II project expected to start commissioning early in 2011 and to produce 60,000 tonnes annually.^[5] Mawson West reopened the Dikulushi mine in July 2010.^[6]

References

1. ^ Anvil Mining: "Dikulushi Operation". Website accessed 30 March 2007.
2. ^ "Anvil Mining and the Kilwa Massacre, D.R. Congo: Canadian Company Implicated?". MiningWatch Canada. June 16, 2005. http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=4241. Retrieved 2011-11-03. 
3. ^ "Vote of confidence in Anvil". The Anvil 1 (2). October 2005. http://www.anvilmining.com/files/AnvilN-letterOct05Ver2.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-03. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Anvil sells its 90% stake in Dikulushi mine in DRC for 28% of MWE in scrip Business Spectator, published: 1 March 2010, accessed: 29 December 2010
5. ^ Jamie Ashcroft (February 26, 2010). "Anvil Mining sells Dikulushi project to Mawson West". Proactive Investors. http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/5274/anvil-mining-sells-dikulushi-project-to-mawson-west-5274.html. Retrieved 2011-11-03. 
6. ^ DIKULUSHI Mawson West website, accessed: 29 December 2010

External links

• Anvil Mining website
• Mawson West website