Skorpion Zinc making strides in mining

IN its relatively short existence on the Namibian mining scene, Skorpion Zinc has managed to contribute significantly to the country’s economic development through export earnings and employment creation.

Since its establishment at Rosh Pinah in 2001, Skorpion Zinc has contributed close to four per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Mining is the mainstay of the country’s economy and last year the sector generated N$11,44 billion from the sale of products.It contributed 63 per cent of Namibia’s total export revenue of N$18 billion.Briefing journalists on the operations at Skorpion Zinc Mine on Tuesday, General Manager Gerald Boting commended the Government on creating “an enabling environment to encourage foreign investment that has led to greater confidence in investors”.Such an environment had led to the setting up of Skorpion Zinc by Anglo American at N$4,2 billion – Namibia’s single largest investment since Independence.Boting said mining had in the last year been boosted by good base metal prices, with zinc prices also remaining at good levels.”The global metal prices have reached unprecedented heights in the past year or so, and the company aims to maintain its current production levels to ensure that it maximises on the good prices currently in the marketplace,” said Boting.The open-cast Skorpion mine uses conventional load and haul techniques to extract ore before it goes through the refining process – a first of its kind.The General Manager said his company was aiming at producing 150 000 tonnes of special high grade (SHG) zinc for 2007.The zinc from the mine is exported mainly to Europe and Asia.The zinc ingots are stacked at the mine into one-tonne bundles which are transported to the Skorpion Zinc warehouse at Luederitz prior to shipment abroad.Zinc is mainly used for galvanising, alloys and pharmaceutical use.According to available data the zinc at Skorpion is of the best quality in the world and is registered on the London Metal Exchange (LME), as SHG grade at 99,99 per cent zinc.Boting said as Skorpion Zinc was setting an international precedent with its refining process, there were obstacles to overcome.”The path to reaching 100 per cent production has not been an easy one.As the first of its kind in the refining process of zinc oxide, Skorpion Zinc faced many technical challenges.This included two impurity excursions in the electro wining section, which curbed production significantly.We are on target to achieve 150 000 tonnes of SHG zinc for 2007.”Due to its major work, Skorpion Zinc has a power requirement of 95 megawatts – using 20 per cent of Namibia’s power demand – which is supplied via a single line from Keetmanshoop.Boting said one of the problems facing the industry was a shortage of skills.He said Skorpion Zinc had to resort to employing skilled foreigners.Currently seven per cent of the staff complement at the mine is made up of non-Namibians, mostly South Africans, Zimbabweans, Zambians and Paraguayans who provide the much-needed skills to run the mine efficiently.He added that it was unfortunate that in their quest to improve such skills, Skorpion Zinc was failing find students from the Karas Region who could qualify for bursaries to study mathematics and science.Boting also noted that zinc, being a non-renewable mineral, posed a great challenge.”Continuous exploration is taking place in the area with the view to extend the resource beyond the expected life of mine.In addition, the company, recognising that the inhabitants of this town would need to continue after the life of mine, has contracted SMEs Compete to provide business training to potential entrepreneurs to enable them to establish and sustainably run businesses.”Skorpion Zinc’s life of mine was 17 years, with 10 years remaining.Currently Skorpion Zinc employs over 7 000 permanent workers and some 1 873 contractors.Mining is the mainstay of the country’s economy and last year the sector generated N$11,44 billion from the sale of products.It contributed 63 per cent of Namibia’s total export revenue of N$18 billion.Briefing journalists on the operations at Skorpion Zinc Mine on Tuesday, General Manager Gerald Boting commended the Government on creating “an enabling environment to encourage foreign investment that has led to greater confidence in investors”.Such an environment had led to the setting up of Skorpion Zinc by Anglo American at N$4,2 billion – Namibia’s single largest investment since Independence.Boting said mining had in the last year been boosted by good base metal prices, with zinc prices also remaining at good levels.”The global metal prices have reached unprecedented heights in the past year or so, and the company aims to maintain its current production levels to ensure that it maximises on the good prices currently in the marketplace,” said Boting.The open-cast Skorpion mine uses conventional load and haul techniques to extract ore before it goes through the refining process – a first of its kind.The General Manager said his company was aiming at producing 150 000 tonnes of special high grade (SHG) zinc for 2007.The zinc from the mine is exported mainly to Europe and Asia.The zinc ingots are stacked at the mine into one-tonne bundles which are transported to the Skorpion Zinc warehouse at Luederitz prior to shipment abroad.Zinc is mainly used for galvanising, alloys and pharmaceutical use.According to available data the zinc at Skorpion is of the best quality in the world and is registered on the London Metal Exchange (LME), as SHG grade at 99,99 per cent zinc.Boting said as Skorpion Zinc was setting an international precedent with its refining process, there were obstacles to overcome.”The path to reaching 100 per cent production has not been an easy one.As the first of its kind in the refining process of zinc oxide, Skorpion Zinc faced many technical challenges.This included two impurity excursions in the electro wining section, which curbed production significantly.We are on target to achieve 150 000 tonnes of SHG zinc for 2007.”Due to its major work, Skorpion Zinc has a power requirement of 95 megawatts – using 20 per cent of Namibia’s power demand – which is supplied via a single line from Keetmanshoop.Boting said one of the problems facing the industry was a shortage of skills.He said Skorpion Zinc had to resort to employing skilled foreigners.Currently seven per cent of the staff complement at the mine is made up of non-Namibians, mostly South Africans, Zimbabweans, Zambians and Paraguayans who provide the much-needed skills to run the mine efficiently.He added that it was unfortunate that in their quest to improve such skills, Skorpion Zinc was failing find students from the Karas Region who could qualify for bursaries to study mathematics and science.Boting also noted that zinc, being a non-renewable mineral, posed a great challenge.”Continuous exploration is taking place in the area with the view to extend the resource beyond the expected life of mine.In addition, the company, recognising that the inhabitants of this town would need to continue after the life of mine, has contracted SMEs Compete to provide business training to potential entrepreneurs to enable them to establish and sustainably run businesses.”Skorpion Zinc’s life of mine was 17 years, with 10 years remaining.Currently Skorpion Zinc employs over 7 000 permanent workers and some 1 873 contractors.