Sinomine Resources

Sinomine Resource Group Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 中矿资源集团股份有限公司) is a Chinese mining and resource development company headquartered in Beijing. The company operates a portfolio of projects across Africa, Asia, and Canada.

Sinomine was founded in 1999 as part of China’s reform of its state-owned geological survey system and was originally focused on geological services. It later evolved into a vertically integrated mining company. In 2015, Sinomine became publicly listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

In 2019, Sinomine acquired the historic Tanco Mine in Manitoba, Canada, producing cesium and rubidium. However, starting in 2022, Canadian government policy shifted decisively against Chinese ownership in the critical minerals sector. In November 2022, Canada ordered Sinomine and two other Chinese firms to divest from Canadian lithium assets.^[2] Despite these pressures, Sinomine retained ownership of the Tanco Mine and continued operating the mine.

In response to these restrictions, Sinomine accelerated its overseas expansion in Africa.

Sinomine owns and operates the Tanco Mine in Manitoba, which produces lithium, cesium, and rubidium. It is one of the world’s few cesium-producing commercial mines.^[3]

In Namibia, Sinomine acquired the Tsumeb Smelter from Dundee Precious Metals in 2024. The facility processes complex copper concentrates and recovers by-products including gold and silver.^[4]

Sinomine controls Bikita mine, a major lithium producer in Zimbabwe. The company has built facilities to process spodumene and petalite, and has plans for a lithium smelter as part of a US$500 million investment.^[5][6]

In Zambia, Sinomine is developing two copper-focused assets:

• The Kahishi Copper-Gold Mine is a joint venture located northeast of Lusaka. It began production in December 2021 and has an ore processing capacity of 300,000 tonnes per year. The project primarily produces copper but also yields gold as a by-product.^[7]

• The Kitumba Copper Mine is located in Zambia’s Central Province, in the Mumbwa district. Sinomine acquired the project in 2024 and holds a 65% interest. The deposit contains an estimated 36.06 million tonnes of copper ore with an average grade of 1.72%. In April 2025, Sinomine began surface stripping operations and announced plans to invest approximately US$560 million in mining, beneficiation, and smelting infrastructure. Production is targeted to begin in September 2026.^[8]