Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kipushi Zinc Mine
Ownership: Ivanhoe Mines 62%
Gécamines 38%
The Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver-lead mine in the DRC is the world's highest-grade zinc mine, and is on track to return to production in Q3 2024. Kipushi is expected produce approximately 270,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate upon recommencement of production, which will place it among the world's largest zinc producers.
The mine is adjacent to the town of Kipushi in the DRC approximately 30 kilometres southwest of the provincial capital of Lubumbashi. It is a high-grade, underground zinc-copper project in the Central African Copperbelt which mined approximately 60 million tonnes grading 11% zinc and 7% copper between 1924 and 1993. In addition to producing copper and zinc, the mine produced 12,673 tonnes of lead and approximately 278 tonnes of germanium between 1956 and 1978. The mine had been managed on a care and maintenance basis since 1993. In late 2022, Ivanhoe and its partner Gécamines finalized an agreement to return Kipushi to production.
Download 2022 Feasibility Study
36.4% zinc
Average grade over the first five years of production
800kt
Capacity per-annum of the new zinc concentrator
250kt
Production of zinc contained in concentrate over the first 5 yrs of operation
11.8 Million
Measured and Indicated Mineral Zinc Resources
Construction of the new 800,000-tonne-per-annum concentrator facility is nearing completion. The concentrator includes dense media separation (DMS) and a milling and flotation circuit and is expected to produce more than 270,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate over the first five years of production. Design recoveries are targeted at 96%, with a concentrate grade averaging 55% contained zinc.
Underground development continues to open multiple access levels into the Big Zinc orebody, while decline development is well-advanced. A total of 5,580 metres of lateral and decline development has been completed to date. Stope perimeter drives are being developed on the 1,245m, 1,260m, 1,290m and 1,320m levels, with stope access development at the 1,335-metre level advancing well. Waste rock and low-grade mineralized rock from the advancement of the perimeter and access drives are being hoisted to the surface through Shaft 5 and stockpiled. Shaft 5 is planned to be the main production shaft once operations commence, with a maximum hoisting capacity of up to 1.8 Mtpa. The bottom of Shaft 5 provides primary access to the lower levels of the mine, including the Big Zinc orebody, along the 1,150-metre haulage level.
Stoping of ultra-high grade Big Zinc orebody began ahead of schedule in December 2023 with approximately 260,000 tonnes of development ore stockpiled on surface. The first stoping block was successfully mined out during the first quarter. A total of 18,733 tonnes were mined at the 1,245m level, with an average grade of 18.7% zinc. Mining panels have been established between the 1,290-metre level and the 1,320m level.
Powered by renewable hydro-generated electricity, Kipushi is set to be among one of the world’s lowest Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emitters per tonne of zinc metal produced and will be the world’s highest-grade major zinc mine, with an average grade of 36.4% zinc over the first five years of production.
Shaft 5
Shaft 5 is planned to be the main production shaft once operations commence, with a maximum hoisting capacity of up to 1.8 Mtpa. The bottom of Shaft 5 provides primary access to the lower levels of the mine, including the Big Zinc orebody, along the 1,150-metre haulage level.
Mining Method
Cemented rock fill will be utilized to backfill open stopes with tailings from the surface. Ore is crushed underground, conveyed to the base of the P5 shaft, hoisted to the surface and conveyed to the nearby run-of-mine stockpile.
Tailings Management
The re-establishment of operations at Kipushi requires the construction of a new tailings storage facility. The ultra-high grade nature of the ‘Big Zinc’ orebody, means that only ~65% of the ore processed is deposited as tailings. This is one of the lowest rates of tailings generation for a base metal mining operation in the world.
Kipushi 2022 Feasibility Study, February 2022
Kipushi 2019 Mineral Resource Update
Kipushi 2017 Pre-Feasibility Study, January 2018
Kipushi Project – Preliminary Economic Assessment NI 43-101 Technical Report, May 2016
Kipushi Project – Mineral Resource Estimate NI 43-101 Technical Report, January 2016
Ivanhoe Mines and Gécamines Sign New Joint Venture to Restart the Ultra-High-Grade Kipushi Mine, a Century Since First Opening
Construction of new concentrator and underground development well ahead of schedule for first production in Q2...
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