REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

MINISTRY OF MINES AND INDUSTRY

,
ANNUAL
OF THE
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
DEPARTMENT
FOR THE YEAR
1974
Price: Kl.OO
1976 . PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER LUSAKA
approximately 120000 km
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was covered. Difficulties in obtaining spares for analytical equipment
has delayed the processing of these samples, and adversely affected the work of the laboratories
generally.
8. As forecast in last year's Annual Report. the lack of storage space for rock. core and geo-
chemical samples has become a major problem. which will not be relieved until the new laboratory!
sample storage block has been completed. The delays are due primarily to. staff shortages in the
Buildings Branch and the consequent failure to complete the design work.
9. The fiI!al report on the joint prospecting project with the United Nations Development
Programme team was released in 1974. The report recommends further work on a number of prospects,
mainly related to comparatively small-scale copper mineralisation. No major mineralisation of
immediate economic potential was located.
10. The investigation of the clay reSOurces at Nega was completed. The new brickworks
and that at Kitwe, which is also based on reserves proved by the Survey, came into production in 1974
and 1975 respectively. Some preliminary work on the Mkushi River clays, which are being exploited
by Chalata Minerals Ltd, was completed. Further work on the Solwezi, Mkushi River and Masuku
(Southern Province) clays in conjunction with Mindeco, Indeco, the National Council for Scientific
Research.and the University relating to a proposal to establish a ceramic industry producing tiles,
white ware, etc., will be undertaken in 1975.
I I. At the request of Sweco, the consulting engineers, the cores of the boreholes sited to investi-
gate the ground conditions in the vicinity of the dam and headrace tunnel of Stage III of the Kafue
Hydro-electric Project were logged.
12. The country-wide survey of hot springs was completed and a report compiled. The potential
for geothermal power is considered to be low.
13. The rate of publication was again disappointingly low. The staffing situation in the Drawing
Office improved during the year, but there is a very substantial backlog of work to be cleared. The
immediate bottle-neck is. however, at the Government Printer.
14. The Director was appointed a member of a group of consultants by the Minister to advise
him in his capacity as Chairman of the parastatal mining companies-this group was disbanded in
January. 1975-and an Alternate Director of Mindeco Small Mines and the Copperbelt Power Cor-
poration. He was 'loaned' to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to act as a
consultant with a mining and sc<.:lor mission to Tanzania from mid-August to mid-Septem-
ber, and subsequently spent two weeks in Washington compiling his section of the report.
15. The Director continued to serve as an 'eX officio' member of the Mining and Industrial
Committee 0: the National Council I()[' SC'ientific Research. and as a member of the Advisory Com-
mittee and Geology ClI1'riculum Sub-Committee 01' the School of Mines (University of Zamhia I
It. STAFF
16. Although the number of resignations by expatriate staff on completion of their contracts
declined by comparison with the very high rate experienced in 1973, the situation remained a matter
of concern. The departure of the Assistant Director and the Department's most experienced geologist
in the industrial minerals field. Mr J. Wrohlieki resulted ill further depletion of the small remaining
paoloI' locally experienced. senior stalT. Other departures included the following Geologists: Mr
D. A. Clarke, Mr N. J Giglloux and Mr M. Milisavljevic. and also Mr W. Dawes (Laboratory
Technician), Mrs S. Sinadambwe (Stenographer) and Mr W. Sinkala (Learner Cartographer).
Mr S. Mulenga (Principal) left on tr;lI1sfer and promotion. By the end of the year Mr C. A. Legg
(Senior Geologist), Mr P. Reichwalder. Mr H. R. Ayres. D,' J. Ridgway and Mr O. Younge (all
Geologists) had indicated their intention to leave in 1975.
17. Appointments during 1974 included Mr T. R. Marshall. Dr E. A. O'Connor, Mr C. A.
Nguluwe, Dr A. Brandon and Mr J. G. G. Tether as Geologists, and Messrs N. S. Hunjan, W. Overton
and N. R. J. Gohil as Cartographers. Miss J. Bwalya, Mr S. Kaehasa and Mr F. M. Mwalla were
appointed Assistant Cartographers. and Miss E. Hamalila was transferred to the Department as
Stenographer. Mr M. S. Zeko was transferred to the Department to act as Principal.
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a few centimetres across in porous, friable arkose which is evidently weathered. A sample of this
material assayed more than 4% U,O" but this must be regarded as a freak value representative of
only a small enriched pocket.
130. Preliminary results from the Chizwabowa Ridge to the west indicate that much of the
uranium present occurs in another, apparently secondary form. The highest spectrometer responses
have been recorded from thin, dark ferruginous zones along joint and bedding planes.
131. The results of the ground follow-up work done to date have been somewhat disappOinting
in view of the intensity of the anomaly as originally determined by the airborne survey. However. the
viability of this occurrence will depend on whether the uranium mineralisation seen at the surface is
of secondary origin, i.e. the result of oxidation and redistribution, or whether it is primary. In the
former case it is possible that the primary mineralisation will prove to be more amenable to exploitation
in terms of both the distribution and nature of the minerals present. This question can only be resolved
by drilling to intersect the mineralised horizon (bed S4) below any zone of oxidation which may be
present.
132. (e) Hot and Mil1eral Springs (e. A. Legg, Senior Geologist). Thc preliminary examination
of the hot springs of Zambia was completed early in the year, with visits to the Choma and Kalomo
areas of the Southcrn Province. and the Luana Valley. The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and
National Parks provided a helicopter forthe visits to the Luano Valley.
133. As the observed water temperatures can be accounted for simply by circulation of ground-
waters in deep, but laterally restricted, fracture systems, none of the groups of springs can be regarded
as indicating the presence of significant resources for geothermal power generation.
134. None of the spring waters contains salts in commercially extractable concentrations,
although it is possible that drilling based on detailed geological and geophysical investigations might
discover more concentrated brines. Village-scale exploitation of some springs is a very old tradition.
135. Economic Report No. 50 (in press) makes recommendations for detailed studies of the
more interesting springs.
136. (d) Nanga phyllite deposit (R. S. Prasad, Geologist). The assessment of the Nanga phyllite
deposit (see Annual Report for 1973, p. 27) as suitable additive material for the Nega Nega clay was
concluded. Thirty diamond drill holes with an aggregate depth of 572 m outlined a block ol'weathered
psammitic phyllite and schist 650 m by 150 m at depths of up to 20 m from the surface. The drilling
was financed by Zambia Clay Industries Ltd.
137. Laboratory tests show that the material is of medium plasticity, low to medium linear
shrinkage. and relatively uniform bulk density. porosity and compressive strength; some samples
show high vitrification. All the test samples gave a uniform red colour on firing. Size analyses show that
the percentage of clay decreases gradually with depth.
138. Reserves of 2.3 million cubic metres have been proved-sufficient for 15-20 years if
20-25 per cent additive material is included in the mixture.
139. Intercalations of garnetiferous schist and calcareous matter result in the material from
outside the reserve block being unsuitable for use as an additive.
140. (e) Mkushi River Clay Deposit (0. Younge, Geologist). A reconnaissance investigation
was made of the area around the clay pit near Mkushi worked by Chalata Industrial Minerals Limited
in an attempt to locate further reserves. Five pits with an average depth of 1.5 mwere sunk at distances
of 160 to 510 m to the north-west of the pit. In three of them, where remnants of pegmatite dykes of
low dip intersect quartz-mica schists of the Kalonga Formation. white clay mixed with weathered
schist was located. Such localities are ollen marked by an abrupt change of surface slope. The
investigation will be continued in 1975.
MISCELLANEOUS INVE$TlGA nONS
141. Geological 5;ufI>eyIOx.f(JI'd Ul1il'ersity A1useul11 Joint Palaeontological f:.:xpedifiol1 10 ,tic!
Luangwa Valley (e. D. Kerr, Senior Geologist). An expedition to the Luangwa Valley to
collect palaeontological specimens and data was undertaken by Dr T. S. Kemp (Curator of the
Zoological Collection, Oxford University Museum), Mr H. P. Powell (Assistant Curator of the
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