At the Barrick Gold/Equinox Zambia Ltd Lumwana Operation, in the Domes Region of northern Zambia - Following the Boseto visit in northern Botswana, the group returned to Johannesburg on Saturday 3 May, and then on the following day, Sunday 4, flew via Lusaka to Solwezi in northern Zambia. By that evening the members of the tour group had arrived in Solwezi by road and air from all points to rendezvous at the Kansanshi Hotel where they held an Introductory Meeting and Dinner.
Next morning, after an early breakfast, the group departed at 06:30 am by bus for Lumwana. On arrival, after a safety induction, they were given a very comprehensive, well thought-out and presented series of lectures by Barrick exploration and mine geology staff, including Ryan Bartlett, Guy Hatcher, Michelle Woiwod, Yuri Dobrotin and Kabanga Kapaipi, that lasted for over 90 minutes. The tour group was impressed with the scope, thoroughness and scientific rigour of the work presented, and by the amount of preparation that had gone into assembling what we were shown. Time was spent afterward, studying the posters on the wall with Barrick geologists (top), and discussing aspects of the presentations with the Barrick experts (lower left - Ryan Bartlett, to the right, explains aspects of the protolith geochemistry).
The group was next taken to a point overlooking the Malundwe pit, where mine geologist Henry Sikala gave a more mine oriented presentation and overview of the deposit (lower right), before going down into the pit to study the structure, ore and country rocks. Photographs by Mike Porter.
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