Kamoa-Kakula shatters previous production records, mining 400,000 tonnes of ore grading 5.36% copper in March, including 100,000 tonnes grading 8.70% copper from the centre of the Kakula Mine
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April 6, 2021
Kamoa-Kakula shatters previous production records, mining 400,000
tonnes of ore grading 5.36% copper in March, including 100,000
tonnes grading 8.70% copper from the centre of the Kakula Mine
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Pre-production ore stockpiles hold 2.56 million tonnes grading 4.60%
copper, containing more than 117,000 tonnes of copper
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Overall progress of Kamoa-Kakula’s first phase, 3.8-Mtpa mining and
milling operation 92% complete; commissioning of concentrator plant
underway with first copper production on track for July 2021
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Kamoa-Kakula’s main 220-kV substation energized with clean,
renewable hydropower
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Phase 2 expansion to 7.6 Mtpa progressing well toward a Q3 2022
start-up; engineering to commence for Phase 3 expansion to 11.4 Mtpa
KOLWEZI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX:
IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng “Miles” Sun are pleased to announce
that underground ore production at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) mined and stockpiled a record 400,000 tonnes of ore grading
5.36% copper from the Kakula and Kansoko mines in March. This tonnage was 18%
higher than the 339,000 tonnes mined and stockpiled in February.
The 400,000 tonnes mined in March comprised 364,100 tonnes grading 5.52% copper
from the Kakula Mine, including 100,000 tonnes grading 8.70% copper from the mine’s
high-grade centre, and 36,000 tonnes grading 3.78% copper from the Kansoko Mine.
The project’s pre-production surface stockpiles now contain approximately 2.56 million
tonnes of high-grade and medium-grade ore at an estimated blended average of 4.60%
copper. Contained copper in the stockpiles increased by approximately 21,500 tonnes
in March – to a cumulative total of more than 117,000 tonnes (the current copper price is
approximately US$9,100 a tonne).
Kamoa-Kakula is on track to substantially exceed the 3.0 million tonnes of high-grade
and medium-grade stockpiled ore, holding more than 125,000 tonnes of contained
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copper, that the 2020 pre-feasibility study projected would be stockpiled prior to the
planned start of processing in July 2021.
Underground mine development continues well ahead of schedule
Kamoa-Kakula also set a fresh monthly mine development record in March, with an
advancement of more than 3,100 metres, bringing total underground development to
approximately 38.6 kilometres – around 13.5 kilometres ahead of schedule.
Drift-and-fill stoping operations are progressing well at the Kakula Mine, with
approximately 70% of the ore production coming from stoping operations and the
remainder coming from mine development activities. Drift-and-fill stoping is a highly-
productive mining method of extracting underground ore, where a single tunnel, known
as a stope, is extracted leaving an open void that is subsequently backfilled to allow for
the extraction of the neighbouring stope in sequence.
Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper’s CEO, commented: “The outstanding mining rate in March
was driven by improved crew efficiencies and a higher percentage of ore coming from
drift-and-fill stoping operations. We are comfortable with the mining performance as we
move into final commissioning of the Phase 1, 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant. If we
consistently mine at around 400,000 tonnes per month, we will continue to add to the
surface stockpiles ahead of our Phase 2, 7.6 Mtpa concentrator plant commissioning,
which is expected in Q3 2022.
“We will continue to monitor the mining rate to ensure there is a balance between the
number of new mining crews we add to our underground operations and the surface ore
stockpiles ahead of Phase 2 commissioning. The large surface ore stockpiles will give
us considerable flexibility during the ramp up of Phase 2 production.”
Mr. Friedland added: “It is extremely encouraging to see how much better the project’s
actual mining performance has been compared to the projections presented in the 2020
independent definitive feasibility and pre-feasibility studies. This is a testament to the
determination and resilience of our on-site team that has worked tirelessly over the last
year to deliver the first phase of this massive project on time and on budget, despite the
challenges posed by COVID-19. As we continue to ramp-up underground operations at
the Kakula and Kansoko mines, and expand the processing facilities, our primary focus
remains on the health, safety and well-being of our employees and contractors.
The proceeds from our recently completed US$575 million, 2.50% convertible senior
note financing opens the distinct possibility of earlier development of Kamoa-Kakula’s
Phase 3 expansion to 11.4 Mtpa, which would bring copper production at the Tier One
copper mine to approximately 530,000 tonnes, or approximately 1.2 billion pounds, per
year. The funding also allows us to quickly expand our exploration program on our
Western Foreland licences adjoining Kamoa-Kakula, in pursuit of our next world-scale
copper discovery.”
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Chancelle Kabinda, Utility Vehicle Operator – one of many talented Congolese
women helping to build Kamoa-Kakula into the world’s next great copper mine.
Phase 1 copper production from the Kakula Mine is scheduled to begin in July 2021.
Kakula is projected to be the world’s highest-grade major copper mine, with an initial
mining rate of 3.8 Mtpa at an estimated early average feed grade of more than 6.0%
copper, ramping up to 7.6 Mtpa in Q3 2022.
Phases 1 and 2 combined are forecast to produce up to approximately 400,000 tonnes
of copper per year. Based on independent benchmarking, the project’s phased
expansion scenario to 19 Mtpa would position Kamoa-Kakula as the world’s second-
largest copper mining complex, with peak annual copper production of more than
800,000 tonnes.
Given the current copper price environment, Ivanhoe and its partner Zijin are exploring
the acceleration of the Kamoa-Kakula Phase 3 concentrator expansion from 7.6 Mtpa to
11.4 Mtpa, which may be fed from expanded mining operations at Kansoko, or new
mining areas at Kamoa North (including the Bonanza Zone) and Kakula West.
The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%),
Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of
the Democratic Republic of Congo (20%).
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A 2020 independent audit of Kamoa-Kakula's greenhouse gas intensity metrics
performed by Hatch Ltd. of Mississauga, Canada, confirmed that the project will be
among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of copper produced.
March’s ore production was 18% higher than February at slightly lower
grades; pre-production surface ore stockpiles now total approximately 2.56
million tonnes grading 4.60% copper
Chart 1: Cumulative tonnes and grade of pre-production ore stockpiles at the
Kakula and Kansoko mines – May 2020 to March 2021.
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Chart 2: Growth in contained copper in pre-production ore stockpiles at the
Kakula and Kansoko mines – May 2020 to March 2021.
Chart 3: Projected growth in contained copper in pre-production stockpiles at the
Kakula and Kansoko mines up to July 2021. Dotted lines denote projections
based on the 2020 pre-feasibility study.
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The ore being mined from the northern portion of the Kakula Mine is transported to
surface via the conveyor system and placed on a blended surface stockpile that now
contains approximately 1.44 million tonnes grading an estimated 4.86% copper.
Additional pre-production ore stockpiles are located at the Kakula southern decline
(826,000 tonnes at a blended grade of 4.56% copper) and the Kansoko decline (287,000
tonnes at blended grade of 3.37% copper).
Kakula’s main pre-production stockpiles at the northern declines. The blended
stockpiles currently contain approximately 1.44 million tonnes grading 4.86%
copper.
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Kakula southern decline blended ore stockpiles containing approximately
826,000 tonnes grading 4.56% copper (consisting of 380,000 high-grade tonnes
@ 6.33% copper and 447,000 medium grade tonnes @ 3.06% copper).
Kansoko decline blended ore stockpiles containing 287,000 tonnes grading
3.37% copper (consisting of 50,000 high-grade tonnes @ 5.50% copper and
238,000 medium-grade tonnes @ 2.92% copper).
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Figure 1: Underground development completed at Kakula Mine to April 3, 2021 (in black).