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MOVERS & SHAKERS IN AFRICA | DRC Mawson West DRC’s little league player steps into the BIG arena Keep a close watch on TSX-listed, DRC-focused copper company Mawson West. The company is evolving rapidly as its status shifts gear from small-scale junior to mid-tier miner – ramping up toward the 30 000 tpa copper mark in 2015 and 40 000 tpa from 2016 onwards, writes Laura Cornish. IN SHORT In addition to welcoming on board its new operation, Kapulo, Mawson West is injecting new life into its 12 year old Dikulushi mine as it develops its underground potential. M awson West has been growing from strength to strength since its CEO Bruce McFadzean joined the company 18 months ago. Not only did the company deliver a stellar 2013 year thanks to the US$86 million in free cash generated from opencast mining at its primary asset Dikulushi, but it is also continuing this trend as it brings its second mining operation, Kapulo, on stream. 22 MINING REVIEW AFRICA ISSUE 7 2014 Both projects, formerly owned by Anvil Mining, are located in the DRC’s Katanga province. “Combined, we own about 7 300 km 2 of tenement area between both properties, covering the northern end of Lake Mweru right down to the southern end of Lake Mweru on the Congo side,” McFadzean starts. Dikulushi’s rebirth In the space of three years, Mawson West has turned the copper and silver Dikulushi operation around completely, taking it out of care and maintenance, and pushing it to deliver 21 000 t of copper concentrate from the remaining 180 m deep opencast resource in 2013. And this was just the start. Mawson West has great aspirations for the mine and is focused on seeing it reach its annual production potential, between 7 000 and 9 000 tpa of copper for 2014, by finishing what Anvil started – converting Dikulushi to an underground operation. With the first 70 m of underground infrastructure, including a 5.5 x 5.5 m decline already in place, the process has and continues to be a relatively smooth one. The mine is dewatered