According to a report by Mining.com, Ivanhoe Mines announced that its Kakula West copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has resumed production after a temporary suspension lasting one month.
This underground mine is part of the company's Kamoa-Kakula copper joint venture. On May 18, the mine was forced to suspend production due to severe water inflow caused by seismic activity in the region.
The Kamoa-Kakula joint venture is Africa's largest copper mine, with Ivanhoe holding a 39.6% stake.
Analysts believe that once the necessary pumping and repair work is completed, the mine should be able to resume production.
Mining activities in the eastern section are also expected to commence immediately, with a focus on advancing from existing stopes to new areas.
In a statement, Robert Friedland, the company's Executive Chairman, said, "We are grateful and thankful to our team for their rapid response in stabilizing the water table at Kakula and resuming mining on the west side."
"The team quickly secured the critical equipment needed to remove water from the entire mine, while also preparing to mine a high-grade area in the east."
With the resumption of production at the Kakula copper mine, Ivanhoe has set new production targets for the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture in 2025: 370,000 to 420,000 mt of copper concentrates.
Based on the midpoint, this projection represents a 28% decrease from the previous production target set in January (520,000 to 580,000 mt).
Ivanhoe stated that the downward revision in production expectations takes into account the potential impact of recent seismic activity and related disruptions at the Kakula mine. Several risk factors, such as further seismic activity and infrastructure damage, were also highlighted as considerations.
Additionally, the company's management has withdrawn the production target of approximately 600,000 mt for 2026, pending further evaluation.
Friedland emphasized, "Although it is premature to establish production plans for 2026 and 2027, the future of the Kamoa-Kakula joint venture remains bright."
As previously disclosed, the Phase 1 and Phase 2 beneficiation plants at Kakula are still operating at half of their capacity, processing surface ore inventory. The beneficiation plants are expected to restore their capacity for the remainder of the year as mining volumes increase in the western section of the mine, according to Ivanhoe.
Meanwhile, the Kamoa underground mine, as well as the adjacent Phase 3 beneficiation plant, are operating well.
With the necessary copper concentrate supply in place, the on-site smelter is expected to commence operations in September, with the first products to be produced in October 2025.
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