Global InformationRubaya mines information
 The Luwowo coltan mine near Rubaya on March 18th, 2014. | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Rubaya mines | |
| Location | Masisi Territory |
| Province | North Kivu |
| Country |  Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Coordinates | 1°33′29″S 28°53′02″E / 1.558°S 28.884°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Coltan Cassiterite Tourmaline |
| Owner | |
| Company | Société Minière de Bisunzu Sarl |
| Website | www |
The Rubaya mines, also known as the Bibatama Mining Concession, is a series of coltan mining sites near the town of Rubaya[1] in Masisi Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Officially, the mining license is held by Société Minière de Bisunzu Sarl (SMB), associated with Congolese senator Édouard Mwangachuchu.[2] Specific sites include Bibatama D2, Luwowo, Gakombe D4, Koyi, Mataba D2, Bundjali, and Bibatama D3.[3]
The mines are the largest coltan producer in the country, producing about 1,000 metric tons of coltan a year, about half of the DRC's total production.[1] According to an April 2019 report by Sofala Partners, the mine employs about 3,500 artisanal miners.[4] The mine is partially mechanized, based on reinvested mining profits.[5] Artisanal miners work with little or no protective gear, and earn about a dollar for 14 hours of mining.[6]
The main export from the mines is an ore concentrate which contains about 33% Ta2O5 and 5% Nb2O5 by weight. However, the concentrate also contains about 0.14% uranium and 0.02% thorium, which is enough naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) to entail significant complications in handling.[7]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Biggestwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Coltan a minefield in the Congo". thestar.com. 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
- ^ Benjamin Teschner (May 2014). "CTC Standards Certification Audit of MHI Mining and the COOPERAMA Cooperative's Coltan Mines at Bibatama, North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo" (PDF). Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
- ^ Nyirabihogo, Noella (2020-01-04). "Delayed Paychecks Leave DRC Miners Scrambling For Options". Global Press Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
- ^ "What It Takes to Make Conflict-Free Smartphone". IndustryWeek. 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ Alberto Rojas Blanco, Raquel Villaecija (2016-01-19). "Blood and minerals: Who profits from conflict in DRC? - Human Rights". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ Elie Kabende (2020-07-10). Pre-treatment of tantalum and niobium ores from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to remove uranium and thorium. Murdoch University Research Repository (Thesis). Retrieved 2023-01-07.