Kamoa-Kakula Sets New Copper Production Record as Phase 3 Ramp-Up Nears Completion

Ivanhoe Mines has announced that its Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) achieved a new daily copper production record of 2,096 tonnes on August 31, 2024. This milestone comes as the complex nears the completion of its Phase 3 ramp-up, which is set to reach full steady-state production soon.

In August, the combined operations of the Phase 1, 2, and 3 concentrators at Kamoa-Kakula produced 40,347 tonnes of copper in concentrate, with a record milling output of 1.1 million tonnes for the month. The Phase 3 concentrator alone milled approximately 350,000 tonnes of ore in August, and production is expected to increase further as the site approaches its nameplate processing rate of 5 million tonnes per annum.

The fine-grinding mills, critical to the final stage of the Phase 3 concentrator ramp-up, are in the process of hot commissioning. Once completed, the copper recovery rate is expected to improve to the target of 86%, up from the 77% recovery rate averaged in August.

Ivanhoe Mines expects to meet its 2024 copper production guidance of between 440,000 and 490,000 tonnes, with year-to-date production already at 263,000 tonnes.