Kipushi Zinc Mine Debottlenecking Advances; 2025 Production Guidance Unchanged

Published: Jul 9, 2025 17:48

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On July 8, Ivanhoe Mines provided a Q2 2025 production update, reporting that its Kipushi zinc concentrator in the DRC produced 41,800 tonnes of zinc in concentrate during the quarter. In June, ore throughput fell to around 41,100 tonnes due to a nine-day shutdown for the first phase of the debottlenecking program and the temporary processing of lower-grade ore. The shutdown focused on upgrading the tailings pumping system to support sustained operation at nameplate capacity, and modifying the dense media separation (DMS) circuit to address blockages caused by excess fines. Following the upgrade, DMS daily availability improved significantly from 6 to 16 hours, reducing unplanned downtime. A second phase of upgrades is scheduled for August, with a seven-day shutdown planned to complete all remaining work. Upon completion, the concentrator’s annual throughput capacity will rise from 800,000 to 960,000 tonnes, and DMS availability is expected to increase further to 22 hours per day. Despite Q2 disruptions, Ivanhoe maintains its full-year zinc production guidance at 180,000–240,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate, citing a strong ramp-up in the second half.

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