Nickel, chrome ore output decline in 1st quarter
Zimbabwe’s nickel and chrome ore production during January-March 2021 fell from a year earlier following Covid-19-related output disruptions.
Output for both products fell following production cuts during renewed lockdowns from early January to mid-February, according to data from the country’s finance and economic development ministry. Neighbouring South Africa also closed its border for one month until mid-February to combat the spread of Covid-19.
Nearly three-quarter of Zimbabwe’s chrome ore production was used in the alloy processing industry in the first quarter because of higher profits, with the rest exported directly.
China imported 141,184t of chrome ore from Zimbabwe during January-March, up by 36.4pc from a year earlier, while its shipments of high-carbon alloy rose by 9.6pc to 27,632t. Deliveries of nickel ore climbed by 30.8pc to 12,079t.
Zimbabwe’s mining industry accounted for 80pc of its total exports in the first quarter.
Nickel in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe nickel occurs within the Archean craton in rocks of komatiitic composition a good example is at Trojan mine.
Nickel also appears layered/unlayered mafic-ultramafic intrusive bodies e.g. Empress, Madziwa Great dyke. It’s also found in nickel laterite e.g. northern part of the Great Dyke hydrothermal shear zone deposits. There are nickel deposits in several serpentinite areas in greenstone belts with igneous complexes around the country. The country has got huge potential in komatiite and laterite and more than 30 nickel deposits are known. Currently, production is at Trojan mine in Bindura.
| Zimbabwe nickel, chrome ore output | (t) | ||
| 1Q ’21 | 1Q ’20 | ± % | |
| Chrome ore | 300,926 | 353,668 | -14.9 |
| Nickel ore | 3,284 | 3,936 | -16.6 |