80.08%
Underground Mine
Zinc-lead-silver
The Rosh Pinah underground zinc-lead mine and 2,000 tpd milling operation is located in southwestern Namibia, 600 km south of Windhoek and 20 km north of the Orange River, at the edge of the Namib Desert. The Rosh Pinah mine has been in continuous operation since 1969 and currently produces zinc and lead sulphide concentrates containing minor amounts of copper, silver, and gold. The zinc and lead concentrates are transported by road to Luderitz, a port on the Namibian Coast, and then shipped to the international spot markets.
The Rosh Pinah mine is 80.08% owned by Trevali and 19.92% by Namibian Broad-Based Empowerment Groupings and an Employee Empowerment Participation Scheme (EEPS).
Rosh Pinah mine is hosted by the Rosh Pinah Formation (Hilda Subgroup of the Port Nolloth Group), forming part of the Neoproterozoic Gariep Terrane deposited onto a Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic basement of granite gneisses and supracrustals.
The base metal sulphides at the Rosh Pinah mine are contained within the approximately 30-metre thick ore equivalent horizon (OEH). In the Rosh Pinah mine area, the Rosh Pinah Formation has been shown to be at least 1,250-metres thick.
The primary mineralization type at the Rosh Pinah mine is a silicified, grey to dark grey, finegrained and laminated unit locally called microquartzite mineralization. It consists of alternating millimetre to centimetre wide bands of sulphides (sphalerite, pyrite and galena + minor chalcopyrite) and is believed to represent a classic sedimentary-exhalative (SEDEX) style exhalite. The argillite mineralization at the Rosh Pinah mine would be similarly derived, but diluted with background benthonic argillite.
Mineral reserves and mineral resources in above table derived from the technical report entitled “Technical Report on the Rosh Pinah Mine, Namibia” dated April 7, 2017 and effective December 31, 2016 prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc.; Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) definitions were followed for Mineral Reserves and Resources; Mineral Reserves are estimated at various Net Smelter Return (NSR) cut-off values depending on required development; Mineral Reserves are estimated using average consensus forecast long-term prices of US$1.03/lb Zn, US$0.93/lb Pb, US$18.65/oz Ag and US$1,358/oz Au at an exchange rate of 17.71 NAD/US$; Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves; Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 4% Zn Equivalent; Shown at 100% ownership; Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.