Kamativi mine
| Location | |
|---|---|
Kamativi mine | |
| Matabeleland North Province | |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Coordinates | 18°19′41″S 27°4′0″E / 18.32806°S 27.06667°E |
| Production | |
| Products | tin, tantalum, lithium |
| History | |
| Opened | 1936 |
| Closed | 1994 |
The Kamativi mine was the largest tin mine in Zimbabwe.[1] The mine is located in western Zimbabwe in Matabeleland North Province.[2] The Kamativi mine has reserves amounting to 100 million tonnes of tin ore grading 0.28% tin thus resulting 0.28 million tonnes of tin.[1] The tin and tantalum mine opened in 1936 and operated until 1994, when it closed due to lower tin prices on world markets.[3] Since the mine's closure, local artisanal miners have worked the pegmatite for cassiterite and tantalite.[4]
The ore has subsequently been determined to contain lithium,[3] and a project has been launched to extract the lithium from the mine's tailings.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Global lithium resources" (PDF). uchile.cl. 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
- ^ "Kamativi Mine, Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe". MinDat. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023.
- ^ a b Szlugaj, Jarosław (2022). "Lithium sources and their current use". Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi (Mineral Resources Management). 38 (1): 61–88. doi:10.24425/gsm.2022.140613. citing Goodenough, Kathryn; Deady, Eimear; Shaw, Richard (2021). "Lithium resources and their potential to support battery chains in Africa". British Geological Survey. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Scenic view of Kamativi tin mine". MinDat. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023.
- ^ "Kamativi Lithium Project". Kamativi Lithium and Bulawayo Gold Projects, Zimbabwe. Galileo Resources Plc.