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Geology of the Munali Nickel Deposit, Zambia

Conference Paper · May 2006

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.1486.6967

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D.M. Evans Wandi Banda

Natural History Museum, London Queen Mary, University of London
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 Nickel Exploration and Exploitation in Africa - Geological Society of South Africa, May 2006

Geology of the Munali Nickel Deposit, Zambia

Evans, D. 1, Banda, W.2, Dunbar, M.2 Osborne, G.2, Tabeart, F.2, and Windrim, D.2
1
Carrog Consulting, 83 Hartland Drive, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 0TJ, U.K.
evans_dave_m@hotmail.com
2 Albidon Ltd., Suite 1 Hillway House, 141 Broadway, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia

The Enterprise Deposit at Munali is currently being evaluated by a bankable feasibility

study for possible commencement of mining in late 2006. The deposit is hosted in a
composite gabbro intrusion within metasedimentary rocks of the Zambezi metamorphic
belt, southern Zambia. The current JORC mineral resource is 6.93Mt @ 1.4% Ni, 0.2%
Cu; (97,000 tonnes contained Ni). The deposit is open and drilling is continuing.

The Zambezi belt is underlain by Mesoproterozoic basement crust (island arc granitoids,
1106 to 1090 Ma), which are overlain by younger metasediments (Nega Formation and
others). An eclogite belt with MORB characteristics runs E-W to the north of Munali,
indicating a possible proto-ocean and suture zone towards northern margin. Pan-African
thrusting (590 – 550 Ma) is generally directed from north to south, onto the Meso-
proterozoic Choma-Kalomo block. The Munali Gabbro is likely a Neoproterozoic
intrusion into the Nega Formation (early Katangan rift-related sediments (rift origin).

Munali Hills Granite (1090 Ma) forms a basement to the immediate north of the deposit.
Clastic and carbonate sediments of the Nega Formation overlie this calc-alkaline
granite. The Munali Gabbro intruding the Nega Formation occurs on the distinct Munali
Lineament and is strongly magnetic. The gabbro body has a homogeneous core of fine
to medium-grained equigranular gabbro, and brecciated, heterogeneous marginal zones,
characterised by mixed mafic-ultramafic lithologies, and locally intense biotite and
carbonate alteration. The mafic rock types of the marginal zone include coarse,
poikilitic gabbro and fine olivine basalt. The ultramafic rock types include very coarse
grained olivinite, with variable amounts of interstitial magnetite-apatite-sulphide-
carbonate material (Fig. 1). Geochemical and textural evidence suggest that the central
Munali gabbro is coeval but not co-magmatic with the enclosed/marginal sulphide-
bearing ultramafic rocks.

Figure 1. Sulphide (light) and magnetite (grey) interstitial to coarse euhedral olivine

Presentation given 26th May 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa Page 1

 Nickel Exploration and Exploitation in Africa - Geological Society of South Africa, May 2006

Sulphide mineralization occurs as weak interstitial material in olivinite and as net-

textured to massive breccias enclosing all other rock types, and associated with
magnetite-apatite-scapolite-carbonate veining. The sulphides are associated with
carbonate fluids, in a late-stage high energy event. Mineralization is strongest in the
southern part of the south-west margin of the Munali Gabbro body (Enterprise deposit –
Fig. 2), but grade-thickness shoots with a north-west oblique plunge occur elsewhere
along this margin. Exploration targets exist along strike and down dip.

SW NE

Figure 2. SW-NE cross section of the Enterprise Deposit, Munali. The main Munali
Gabbro (equigranular unmineralized gabbro) is situated to the NE. A 50 to 100m
mineralized marginal zone lies between the Munali Gabbro and structurally overlying
marble (“limestone”), quartzites and schists of the Nega Formation. The higher grade
mineralization occurs within and towards the base of the marginal zone. This higher
grade mineralized zone is modelled very well by electromagnetic survey data (“EM
conductor”), indicating the continuity of sulphides within this breccia zone.

Presentation given 26th May 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa Page 2

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