[Ivanhoe Reports Updated Resource Estimate for DRC Exploration Project; Contained Copper Doubles]
On May 14, Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines announced the independently verified, updated Mineral Resource estimate for the Makoko area within its Western Forelands Exploration Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Western Forelands license area, which borders the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, covers 2,393 square kilometres—approximately six times the size of the Kamoa-Kakula mining area.
Since November 2023, the Makoko District has extended by 2 kilometres to a total strike length of 13 kilometres, with total contained copper doubling during that period. According to the latest update, the Makoko District now hosts Indicated Mineral Resources of 27.7 million tonnes at a grade of 2.79% copper and Inferred Mineral Resources of 493.7 million tonnes at 1.70% copper, all based on a 1.0% copper cut-off grade.
In total, Ivanhoe has now identified 38.9 million tonnes of contained copper in Measured & Indicated Resources and an additional 13.6 million tonnes in Inferred Resources across the broader Western Forelands license package—including the Kamoa and Kakula deposits—based on the same 1.0% copper cut-off.