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April 2015
MODERN MINING
45
COUNTRY FOCUS –
ZAMBIA
feature
discoveries anywhere in the world.
Mukonka says that with the global dip
in exploration spending, work for AMC
Exploration Services has become more diffi-
cult to secure but points out that it has several
active assignments in Zambia and the DRC, one
being the Lumwana West project for Argonaut
Resources. “Exploration is obviously a very
cyclical business and we’re confident that it will
turn up again in due course,” he says. He adds
that AMC can claim to be one of the leading
geological consultancies when it comes to the
Central African Copperbelt, with an unrivalled
knowledge base that has been built up over
many years and over a multitude of projects.
While AMC does not involve itself in pro-
cess plant design, it can consult on metallurgy,
its lead expert in this field being Dr Chris John,
who is currently based in South Africa. He
has over 30 years’ experience in minerals pro-
cessing on the Copperbelt. A graduate of the
University of Birmingham (with a PhD from
the University of Newcastle), he enjoyed a long
career with ZCCM before entering the consult-
ing field, most recently with AMC.
On the environmental side, AMC remains
busy. This division of the company offers a
full range of services including the preparation
of baseline studies and ESIAs, the design and
establishment of environmental monitoring
systems, environmental management, tailings
design, monitoring and management and gov-
ernment reporting and compliance. It has in the
past partnered with Golder Associates in South
Africa, with which it has an informal alliance.
Says Mukonka: “Given that much of the work of
AMC Environmental Services revolves around
statutory requirements in the field of health,
safety and the environment on the mines, our
environmental side has held up very well in the
face of the global mining recession.”
As regards AMC Mining Services, Mukonka
says it has enjoyed a healthy workload over the
past several years but acknowledges that the
dip in the copper price is now starting to be
felt on the Copperbelt. “Certainly we’re expect-
ing more challenging business conditions as
we move forward. We have several contracts
in place both in Zambia and the DRC but
replenishing the pipeline of projects is going to
become increasingly difficult until commodity
prices recover,” he concludes.
“Certainly we’re
expecting more
challenging
business
conditions as we
move forward.”
Edwin Mukonka