TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines has announce an update on operational activities at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, including preliminary geotechnical findings relating to underground seismic activity experienced at the Kakula Mine.
Underground mining on the western side of the Kakula Mine has resumed in a safe and conservative manner, with equipment and mining crews returning underground on June 7, 2025. The short-term mine plan for the western side of Kakula has been updated to include recommendations from the preliminary findings.
Mining activities in the eastern side of the Kakula Mine are expected to start imminently, with activities solely focused on developing access drives to a new mining area east of the existing mine workings. Development to the new mining area will be isolated from the dewatering activities on the same side of the mine.
As announced on June 2, 2025, additional underground pumping capacity was installed at the Kakula Mine, stabilizing underground water levels. The frequency of seismic activity has decreased since first reported on May 18, 2025. Dewatering the eastern side of the Kakula Mine is expected to commence in August 2025 and be complete during the fourth quarter.
Recommendations from the preliminary geotechnical findings from world-leading experts have been included in the short-term mine plans for the Kakula Mine to ensure a safe restart of underground operations. Concurrently, medium- and long term mine plans are under review by Kamoa-Kakula management, together with technical consultants.
The Phase 1 and 2 concentrators continue to operate at approximately 50% of their combined operating capacity, processing ore from surface stockpiles. The processing rate of the concentrators will ramp up throughout the remainder of 2025, as mining on the western side of the Kakula Mine increases, supplemented by feed from ore stockpiles. Mining operations at the Kamoa underground mine, as well as ore processing at the adjacent Phase 3 concentrator, continue to outperform.
With the necessary copper concentrate expected to be available, the on-site copper smelter is anticipated to start up in September, with first anode expected in October 2025.
Ivanhoe Mines Executive Co-Chair, Robert Friedland commented: “We are thankful and deeply appreciate our team’s swift response to stabilize underground water levels in the Kakula Mine and resume mining on the western side. The team has quickly secured the critical equipment needed to safely dewater the entirety of the mine, while preparing to access a new high-grade mining area in the east. “While it’s still too early to outline our detailed plans for 2026 and 2027, the future remains bright across the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex and adjacent Western Forelands Exploration Project. Kamoa-Kakula is, and will continue to be, a world class Tier One operation, with decades ahead of us as one of the world’s leading copper producers.”
President & Chief Executive Officer, Marna Cloete, commented: “We are working tirelessly to safely and systematically restore full operations at the Kakula Mine. Safety has always been, and will always remain, our highest priority. We want to extend our sincere thanks to the mining crews, the engineering teams and our long-term contractors for their extraordinary efforts in restoring pumping capacity and restarting operations, all without any lost time injuries. “The resilience of our team and the strength of our operations reflect the extraordinary nature of this world-class copper district—and the future it holds for generations to come.”
Underground water levels in Kakula Mine have stabilized; underground mining recommences on the western side of Kakula
Although water inflow rates into the Kakula Mine modestly increased following the initial seismic activity, they have since stabilized at approximately 4,000 litres per second. With existing underground pumping infrastructure impacted by the seismic activity, a total of approximately 4,400 litres per second of additional underground pumping capacity was installed, stabilizing underground water levels. The new pump stations feed into the existing central pumping infrastructure, where the water is then pumped to surface at four locations near the bottom of the north and south twin declines.
With water levels stabilized, mining in the western side of the Kakula Mine has restarted. Mobile equipment and mining crews, which were evacuated from the mine on May 18, 2025, are returning underground, with the first blast having occurred on June 7, 2025. Short-term mine plans have been updated to include the recommendations from the preliminary geotechnical findings. Kamoa-Kakula’s mining crews aim to ramp up mining from the western side of the Kakula Mine to approximately 300,000 tonnes per month (3.6 million tonnes per year on an annualized basis) during the second half of 2025, subject to underground conditions.
For the remainder of 2025, Kakula’s underground mining crews will focus on three activities: ramping up mining on the western side of the Kakula Mine; developing a new mining area on the eastern side of the Kakula Mine; and ramping up production from the Kamoa mining area.