Reuters reported that Zambia's Baluba copper mine will resume operations in December after its owners complete rehabilitation work and replace obsolete machinery. The government had initially said that production at Baluba would start in May this year.

Mr Sydney Chileya the spokesman for NFC Africa, a subsidiary of China Non-Ferrous Metals Corporation said that USD 60 million would be spent on upgrading the mine.

He said that "After the machinery has been replaced and upgraded then underground development at Baluba should start in readiness for the resumption of production by December. He added that spending of the USD 60 million will start this month and we are confident that this cash injection will bring the mine back into production."

Mr Chileya said that development studies at Mulyashi would begin after production at Baluba copper mine resumed. Development of Mulyashi project would start early next year but he gave no further details.

He said that "The developed reserves were exhausted by the previous investor and most of the mining equipment is obsolete."

LCM was previously a JV of the Bein Stein Resources Group and the International Minerals Resources which placed the mine under care and maintenance in December before CNMC purchased it for USD 50 million.

(Sourced from Reuters)