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Mass balance modelling of cobalt sources in the Tenke-Fungurume copper-cobalt district, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Malena Cazorla-Martínez, Lingli Zhou

2026encobaltcopperleachingsedimentary rocksAfrica

Abstract

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Sedimentary rock-hosted copper-cobalt deposits of the Central African Copperbelt (CACB) supply over 70% of global cobalt production. This study aims to evaluate potential cobalt sources in the Tenke-Fungurume copper-cobalt district (TFMD) using a mass balance modelling approach. The methodology involved modelling parameters such as source rock volume, composition, and cobalt leaching efficiency. The results indicated that the estimated total cobalt budget for TFMD is 25.1 Mt, revealing that the thickness of the Katangan basal units required to supply the budget exceeds observed values, requiring over 3,800 m for red beds and 1,900 m for gabbro. However, a combination of Katangan basal units with a basement containing over 63% lherzolite achieved the cobalt budget in forward models. Additionally, the model highlighted that increasing basement leaching efficiency from 5% to 23% significantly impacted sourcing effectiveness. It was suggested that ultramafic rocks associated with the NE Kibaran belt and the presence of hyper-saline residual brines contributed to efficient cobalt leaching, reinforcing the importance of ultramafic basement rocks and leaching efficiency in cobalt sourcing within the CACB.

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Cite This Work

@article{218529fd-744b-48ba-96b9-be75582f65c7,
  title={Mass balance modelling of cobalt sources in the Tenke-Fungurume copper-cobalt district, Democratic Republic of the Congo},
  author={Malena Cazorla-Martínez and Lingli Zhou},
  year={2026},
  language={en}
}
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mass balance modelling of cobalt sources in the Tenke-Fungurume copper-cobalt district, Democratic Republic of the Congo
AU  - Malena Cazorla-Martínez
AU  - Lingli Zhou
PY  - 2026
LA  - en
ER  -

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