Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Sphalerite vs. Anorthite
Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Frontier Mine, Sakania, Sakania Territory, Haut-Katanga, DR Congoi
Regional Level Types
Frontier MinePit (Active)
SakaniaTown
Sakania TerritoryTerritory
Haut-KatangaProvince
DR CongoCountry

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
PhotosMapsSearch
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
12° 43' 33'' South , 28° 28' 13'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
-12.72606,28.47037
GRN:
S09E20
Type:
Pit (Active) - last checked 2023
Köppen climate type:
Cwa : Monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Kitwe400,914 (2012)29.1km
Ndola394,518 (2015)31.5km
Mufulira120,500 (2012)31.7km
Kalulushi66,575 (2012)42.7km
Luanshya113,365 (2012)46.0km
Mindat Locality ID:
413131
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:413131:4
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Kaluani; Frontier-Kishiba-Lufua


An open pit copper mine on the border with Zambia. A large tailings storage facility is located between the mine and Sakania.

Frontier Mine is a rare example of a structurally controlled, vein-hosted Cu sulphide deposit in the Zambian Copperbelt. The stratigraphy, from oldest to youngest, comprises a basal, volcano-sedimentary succession made up of a basal sandstone with intercalated andesite, overlain by dolomite interbedded with shale and mudstone. An olive-green, 10–15 m thick, massive to weakly-foliated mudstone is developed mainly in the northwestern portion of the open pit. This succession, in turn, is overlain by argillite, ranging between 10 and 100 m in thickness, interbedded with limestone of highly variable thickness (5–70 m). The term 'argillite' is used in the mine to describe a pale, greenish-grey to pinkish, fine-grained, weakly to strongly foliated and variably altered pelitic protolith. Copper mineralization at Frontier Mine is associated with three main sets of quartz-carbonate-sulphide veins. Chalcopyrite is the main Cu-sulphide in all vein generations, whereas pyrite is volumetrically a minor phase. Mineralized vein sets occur mainly in Mwashya Subgroup argillite and carbonaceous shale. However, unlike most deposits in the Zambian Copperbelt, mineralization is not stratiform. Instead, economic-grade mineralization transgresses the stratigraphy, both into dolomite of the underlying Upper Roan Subgroup and the stratigraphically higher Grand Conglomerate.

Located in the territory of Sakania.

It is reported that many citizens in the area had their land and property expropriated by various mining companies and the mine is now operated by Eurasian Resources Group (owned 40% by the Kazakhstan government). According to Wikipedia (2021) the company supplies all of its copper product to China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group and Yunnan Copper.

A village was created for the displaced people (Kishiba).

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


7 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
ⓘ 'Apatite'
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ 'Biotite'
Formula: K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Rutile
Formula: TiO2

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘChalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘRutile4.DB.05TiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘDolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘAlbite9.FA.35Na(AlSi3O8)
Unclassified
ⓘ'Biotite'-K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Apatite'-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Hⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ RutileTiO2
Oⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FFluorine
Fⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Fⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
NaSodium
Naⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Mgⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
SSulfur
Sⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
ClChlorine
Clⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
KPotassium
Kⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Caⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Tiⓘ RutileTiO2
FeIron
Feⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Feⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
CuCopper
Cuⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate
Central AfricaRegion
DR Congo

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

[1]Fourie, Heike; Kisters, Alexander; Basson, Ian James (2025) Deformation, alteration and implicit 3D geomodelling of deposit-scale controls of vein-hosted copper mineralization of the Frontier Mine, Democratic Republic of Congo. Mineralium Deposita, 60 (7). 1409-1431 doi:10.1007/s00126-025-01351-1
Quick NavTopCommoditiesMineral ListRock TypesOther RegionsReferences
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 3, 2026 09:24:01 Page updated: February 9, 2026 13:30:52
Go to top of page