Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project sets fresh monthly record for underground development with 2,069 metres achieved in September; more than 22.6 kilometres now complete – 44% ahead of plan
October 1, 2020
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project sets fresh monthly record for underground development with 2,069 metres achieved in September; more than 22.6 kilometres now complete – 44% ahead of plan
Construction of the project’s first 3.8 million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) processing plant and surface infrastructure at the high-grade Kakula Mine more than 52% complete, with first production less than a year away
Orders now being placed for the long-lead items for the project’s second 3.8 Mtpa processing plant
Development from Kakula’s southern decline nearing the centre of the orebody, where grades average between +5% and +8% copper
Pre-production surface stockpiles at Kakula North, Kakula South and Kansoko now contain an estimated 803,000 tonnes of ore
KOLWEZI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng “Miles” Sun announced today that underground development at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project totalled 2,069 metres in September, setting a new monthly record for the project and bringing the total underground development to more than 22.6 kilometres – approximately 7.0 kilometres, or 44% ahead of schedule.
The project’s monthly total of 2,069 metres of underground development is comprised of 1,696 metres at the Kakula Mine and 373 metres at the Kansoko Mine, which is located at the Kamoa Deposit – approximately 10 kilometres north of the Kakula Mine.
Several underground development headings at the Kakula Mine now have transitioned into the higher-grade ore zones near the centre of the deposit, grading between approximately +5% copper and +8% copper. October will be the first month of mining in Kakula’s high-grade ore from the southern access drives, and this ore will be stored on a separate high-grade surface stockpile near the southern decline. Mining on the northern side of the orebody also will soon intersect the higher grade ore.
The main access drives between northern and southern declines have less than 520 metres remaining before they connect in the high-grade centre of the deposit. The connection is expected to occur next month and will significantly increase ventilation to the centre of the orebody, allowing for additional mining crews to begin work in Kakula’s high-grade ore zones.
In addition to driving the main connecting access drives, underground mining crews at Kakula are focused on preparation work for developing the high grade, drift-and-fill stoping blocks in the centre of the orebody, where the average grade is up to +8% copper. Opening up of the mining footprint for these high-grade stoping areas entails development work in areas of low-, medium- and high-grade ore, and is designed to coincide with the start-up of the processing plant next year. This will allow mining crews to deliver high-grade stoping ore directly from the underground to the processing plant.
Drift-and-fill stoping is a highly-efficient form of underground mechanized mining and will allow the operation to efficiently recover significantly more tonnes from the orebody. Once drift-and-fill stoping operations begin, mining at the Kakula Mine will produce a significantly higher proportion of high-grade stoping ore than lower-grade development ore.
Underground development at the Kansoko Mine currently is in low-to-medium-grade ore zones, grading between approximately +2% and +3% copper. Kansoko is being developed by training crews and will be a supplemental source of ore when the Kakula concentrator processing capacity doubles to 7.6 Mtpa − currently planned to be commissioned in Q2 2022.
Pre-production surface ore stockpiles now total more than 803,000 tonnes
In September, mining crews at the Kakula and Kansoko mines produced and transported to surface approximately 132,000 tonnes of ore, bringing the project’s total pre-production ore stockpiles to an estimated 803,000 tonnes. September’s ore production is approximately 24% higher than August.
The ore being mined from the northern portion of the Kakula Mine is transported to surface via the conveyor system and placed on a blended surface stockpile that now contains 540,000 tonnes grading an estimated 3.73% copper; comprised of 125,000 tonnes of high-grade ore grading 6.00% copper, and 415,000 tonnes of medium-grade ore grading 3.05% copper.
Two additional, pre-production ore stockpiles are located at the Kakula South decline (approximately 168,000 tonnes grading 2.73% copper) and the Kansoko decline (approximately 95,000 tonnes grading 2.34% copper).
“The new underground record achieved in September puts development progress months ahead of plan,” said Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper’s CEO. “With each passing month, our mining and engineering teams are increasingly confident that the forecasted mining productivity rates used in our engineering studies are conservative – a testament to the focus and dedication of the project’s mining crews as well as the remarkable consistency of the Kakula and Kansoko orebodies.”
“The next major milestone in the mine’s development will be the joining of the northern and southern access drives, which is expected in November. Once this is achieved, the opening up and ledging of the drift-and-fill blocks can commence in the high-grade core of the deposit, where the average grade is up to +8% copper,” Mr. Farren added.
First copper production expected in less than a year
Initial production at the Kakula Mine processing plant is scheduled for Q3 2021. Kakula is projected to be the world’s highest-grade major copper mine, with an initial mining rate of 3.8 Mtpa at an estimated average feed grade of more than 6.0% copper over the first five years of operation. Kakula is the first of multiple, planned, high-grade mining areas on the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa-Kakula mining licence.
The Kakula Mine will have one of the most favourable environmental footprints of any tier-one copper mine worldwide. The mine will be powered by clean, renewable hydroelectricity and be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of copper produced. Kakula also will have a relatively small surface footprint, as approximately 55% of the mine’s tailings will be pumped back into underground workings.
All long-lead items for Kakula’s initial 3.8-Mtpa processing plant now have been delivered to site with the exception of the transformers, which are currently en route and expected around the third week of October.
Aerial view of the Kakula Mine showing the tonnes and grade of the main pre- production stockpiles at the northern declines. The stockpile currently contains approximately 540,000 tonnes grading 3.73% copper; comprised of approximately 125,000 tonnes at 6.00% copper and 415,000 tonnes at 3.05% copper.
Miner Fabrice Kasunka marking the face for drilling in the room-and-pillar mining area of the Kakula Mine.
Kakula southern decline medium-grade ore stockpile currently containing approximately 168,000 tonnes grading 2.73% copper.
Miner Haliday Mujinga operating an Epiroc double-boom drilling rig at Kakula.
Kansoko decline medium-grade ore stockpile currently containing approximately 95,000 tonnes grading 2.34% copper. Recently-erected transmission towers for the new 35-kilometre powerline that will carry high-voltage hydroelectricity from the national grid to Kamoa-Kakula can be seen in the background.
Development work at the Kakula Mine now concentrated on accessing the high-grade stoping zones within the next six months
Underground development of the Kakula Mine – the first of multiple, near-surface copper deposits planned to be put into production on the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa- Kakula mining licence – is significantly ahead of schedule. Mine connection drives (interconnected, parallel tunnels providing access to the ore zones) are being driven from both the north and the south to effect a holing in the centre of the high-grade zone.
The connection drifts are expected to be joined in November. This will increase underground ventilation, allowing additional mining fleets to begin working in the high- grade ore zones.
Development of the eastern perimeter drives also is well advanced and a second set of connection drifts are being planned. Mining of medium-grade ore in the room-and-pillar block is progressing well.
Kakula’s northern access drive #1, showing a high concentration of gray- coloured chalcocite ore. Chalcocite, which is almost 80% copper by weight, largely accounts for the mine’s average feed grade of 6.6% copper over the first five years of operations, and 5.2% copper on average over a 21-year life.
Figure 1: The eastern portion of the Kakula Mine ─ representing less than half of the overall 13.3-kilometre-long Kakula Deposit ─ overlain on southern Manhattan Island to provide a sense of the scale of the underground operations.
Figure 2: Underground development completed to the end of September (in black) and scheduled mine development over the three months ending December 31, 2020. Majority of the development during this period will be in the initial drift-and-fill mining area within Kakula’s high-grade zone (+8% copper).
Construction of the initial 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant and other surface infrastructure rapidly progressing; orders for long-lead-time items now being placed for the second 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant
Construction of Kakula’s initial 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant is progressing well. Civil works are now nearing completion, with approximately 24,000 cubic metres (of a total of 31,000 cubic metres) of concrete poured to date. Concrete bases for the bulk of the plant areas have been fully or partially handed over to the mechanical contractor, and mechanical erection and installation is underway in almost all plant areas.
Structural steel fabrication is complete, with the bulk of the structural steel already delivered to site. Fabrication of platework is complete, with a number of items already on site and installed. Piping is progressing according to schedule with around 15 kilometres (of a total of 81 kilometres) of piping already delivered.
Over 1,000 tonnes of steel now has been installed. All floor and sidewall plates for the concentrate thickener and the tailings thickener are in position, and welding is complete. Steel erection on the mill building is progressing well. Prefabrication and installation of the plant front-end conveyor gantries is well advanced. Steel erection of the concentrate storage shed and the reagent store house is underway.
Both ball mills have arrived on site and the shells, trunnions and motors have been lifted into position.
All long-lead items for the initial 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant have been delivered to site with the exception of the transformers, which are currently en route and expected around the third week of October. The transformers are the heaviest single piece of project equipment, weighing 85 tonnes each.
Beijing-based CITIC Construction is building Kakula’s first phase, backfill paste plant. The backfill plant will be used to mix tailings from the processing plant with cement to produce paste backfill. The backfill will be pumped back into the mine and used to help support mined-out areas. Approximately one half of the mine’s tailings will be sent back underground, significantly reducing the surface tailings storage. Construction of the backfill plant civil works is well advanced and erection of the two 2,000-tonne cement storage silos has started.
Construction of the tailings dam has commenced and is progressing well, with the aim to complete most of the earthworks before the rainy season starts in November.
Cranes installing the shells and trunnions for the second of two identical ball mills that will be used to grind the copper ore at Kakula’s initial 3.8-Mtpa processing plant. A 3D illustration of the finished ball mills (shown in green) is below, with the next two ball mills for the recently-initiated second processing plant shown in magenta.
Kakula’s initial 3.8-Mtpa processing plant under construction, showing the first four flotation cells (in green) and the two ball mills (yellow). A 3D illustration of the finished plant is below, with the recently-initiated second 3.8-Mtpa processing plant shown in magenta.