PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Sanyati copper mines is a 100% owned subsidiary company of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). The Deposit was first worked on in 1919 with several companies exchanging the mineral claims up to 1975 when Messina Development Company acquired the claims. However, these have since been acquired by ZMDC who are the current holders of Mining Title Special Grant measuring 12 995 hactres.
Project Operational Status
The mine is currently not operating following its closure in 1995 due to low productivity and commodity price.
Location
The mine is situated about 115 kilometers South West of Chinhoyi town, Zimbabwe. Access to mine is through gravel roads either from Kadoma or Chinhoyi.
Current Production Output
There is currently no production at Sanyati Mine. Old mine infrastructure remains and needs rehabilitation and upgrading before commencement of operations.
Regional Geology
The geology is composed of mainly granites and gneiss partly overlain by the intensely folded late Precambrian sequence of minor sediments and volcanics of the Lomagundi and Piriwiri Group.
Horizontal sediments belonging to the Sijarira Group and the Karoo system (Carboniferous to Jurassic) rests unconformably on the Lomagundi and Piriwiri rocks as well as the granite and gneisses.
The mineralisation is concentrated within the metasediments mainly micaceous schists and ankeritic marbles of the Piriwiri formation. The main ore minerals are pyrrhotite, cubanite, chalcopyrite and galena supported by arsenopyrite and pyrite and the ore zone is concordant with stratigraphy of the area averaging between 5m to 15m in thickness. The strike length averages from 200m to 950m and thickens in fold hinges.
The deposit is polymetallic, with Copper being chosen as the main metal for immediate extraction. The resource calculation is encouraging and redefinition of the cut off grades will yield a significantly higher deposit. The cut -off grade was 1% while current practice has seen most mining companies using 0.5% as a cut off grade.