The mine employs around 2,200 people. Subsequent weathering and uplifting created a barren, leached cap, up to 180 m thick, over a high grade supergene enriched ore, both overlying the primary sulphides. Primary sulphide mineralisation includes pyrite, chalocopyrite and bornite, with covellite and chalcocite in the enriched zone.
Some areas contain significant oxide copper oxides overlying the sulphides.
28 Komatsu 830-E and 23 Caterpillar 793C dump trucks, each of 218 t capacity. In-pit truck despatching and monitoring is handled by a system from Wenco International Mining Systems, while project materials, maintenance and costing control is achieved using Mincom s Mine Information Management System. The sulphide concentrator employs crushing, milling and flotation circuits. The separate oxide ore plant uses solvent extraction-electrowinning technology to produce cathode copper metal directly from leached ore. Oxide ore is crushed and sized, then heap-leached, the dissolved copper being recovered directly by electrolysis.