KOLWEZI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) is responding today to a media report stating that miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) received an order on May 26, 2021 that has banned the export of copper and cobalt concentrate from the country.
Ivanhoe Mines confirms that it is aware of the order issued to customs officials by the provincial director of Customs and Excise in the Katanga Province of DRC. Ivanhoe Mines also is aware of a subsequent letter confirming that companies with a derogation letter from the Minister of Mines will be allowed to export concentrates.
A sector wide derogation from the concentrate export prohibition expired on April 12, 2021 and was replaced by a framework allowing the Minister of Mines to grant individual derogations on a case-by-case basis following an application by an interested party.
Ivanhoe Mines’ President and CFO Marna Cloete commented, “The concentrate export ban is not new. However, the rules now recognize that a derogation may be justified for a number of reasons. Kamoa Copper has filed the necessary application materials and we have had constructive discussions with the Minister of Mines on obtaining a derogation for Kamoa-Kakula given current limitations on smelting capacity in-country."
Ms. Cloete continued, “We fully intend to utilize local smelter capacity to the extent possible. Furthermore, as we announced in March, Ivanhoe Mines, together with our joint venture partner Zijin Mining, is assessing the construction of a smelting complex at Kamoa-Kakula for the production of blister and anode copper. This is all part of our intention to operate responsibly in the DRC for generations to come, and for the benefit of all of our stakeholders, including the Government of DRC who are our 20% partner in Kamoa Copper.”
Commercial Copper Production Commences
On March 26, 2021, Ivanhoe Mines announced the start of copper concentrate production at the Phase 1, 3.8 million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) Kamoa-Kakula Mine, several months ahead of schedule.
On May 26, 2021, Ivanhoe Mines senior management met with DRC Government officials as part of the early commencement of production, including His Excellency Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(L-R): President Kgalema Motlanthe, Former President of South Africa and an Ivanhoe Mines Independent Director; Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Marna Cloete, Ivanhoe President and CFO.
Kamoa Copper is the DRC operating company of the joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group, Crystal River and the Government of the DRC that is developing the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine.
About Ivanhoe Mines
Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discoveries in the DRC and at the Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC.
Kamoa-Kakula began producing copper concentrates in May 2021 and, through phased expansions, is positioned to become one of the world's largest copper producers. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi will be powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity and will be among the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe Mines has pledged to achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine when large-scale electric, hydrogen and hybrid underground mining equipment become commercially available. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration licences in the DRC, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project.
Information contacts
Investors: Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 / Media: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034
刚果民主共和国科卢韦齐 — 艾芬豪矿业 (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) 今天就刚果民主共和国 (以下简称"刚果(金)") 多家矿企于2021年5月26日收到禁止铜和钴精矿出口命令的媒体报道作出回应。
艾芬豪矿业确认，公司已知悉刚果(金)加丹加省海关和税务局局长向海关官员发出的命令。艾芬豪矿业也知悉，随后的官方信件确认海关将允许获得矿业部长豁免书的矿企继续出口精矿。
刚果(金)政府对于精矿出口禁令的豁免期已于2021年4月12日结束，取而代之的框架方案是在有关矿企提交申请后，由矿业部长逐一审查并批准针对个案的豁免。
艾芬豪矿业总裁兼首席财务官玛娜·科洛特 (Marna Cloete)评论说﹕"刚果(金)过去就曾采取禁止精矿出口的措施。但是，此次的命令确认，若干理由可能被认为是获得豁免的合理依据。鉴于目前刚果(金)国内冶炼产能有限，卡莫阿铜业已提交所需文件，为卡莫阿-卡库拉项目申请出口禁令的豁免，并且已经与矿业部官员进行了建设性的讨论。"
科洛特女士接着说："我们计划尽可能充分利用当地冶炼厂的产能。此外，正如我们3月份公告所述，艾芬豪矿业与我们的合作伙伴紫金矿业正积极研究在卡莫阿-卡库拉建设冶炼厂的可能性，以生产粗铜和阳极铜。这正是我们全心全意来负责任的运营该项目的核心所在，为世世代代的刚果人以及利益相关方，包括刚果(金)政府 (拥有卡莫阿铜业20%股权) 创造利益。"
商业化铜生产正式启动
2021年3月26日，艾芬豪矿业公布卡莫阿-卡库拉 I期年处理矿石380万吨的矿山正式启动铜精矿生产，比原计划提前数月。
2021年5月26日，艾芬豪矿业高管就提前启动生产与刚果(金)政府官员，包括刚果民主共和国总统费利克斯·齐塞克迪 (Félix Tshisekedi) 阁下进行会谈。
从左至右﹕前任南非总统兼艾芬豪矿业独立董事卡莱马•莫特兰蒂 (Kgalema Motlanthe)、刚果民主共和国总统费利克斯·齐塞克迪、艾芬豪矿业总裁兼首席财务官玛娜·科洛特。
卡莫阿铜业是一家位于刚果(金) 的运营公司，目前正在开发艾芬豪矿业、紫金矿业、晶河全球及刚果(金)政府合资的卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿项目。
关于艾芬豪矿业
艾芬豪矿业是一家加拿大的矿业公司，正在推进旗下位于南部非洲的三大合资项目：位于刚果(金) 的卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿和位于南非的普拉特瑞夫 (Platreef) 钯-铑-铂-镍-铜-金矿；以及同样位于刚果(金)、久富盛名的基普什 (Kipushi) 锌-铜-锗-银矿。
卡莫阿-卡库拉项目于2021年5月启动铜精矿生产，未来将分阶段进行扩建，预计将会成为全球最大规模的铜生产商之一。卡莫阿-卡库拉和基普什将使用清洁、可再生的水电，并将成为世界上每单位金属温室气体排放量最低的矿山之一。艾芬豪矿业已作出承诺，卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿将会在电、氢和混合技术的大型地下采矿设备可供商业使用时，尽快引入采矿作业，，致力实现净零运营温室气体排放 (范围一和二)。同时，艾芬豪正在刚果(金)境内其全资拥有的、毗邻卡莫阿-卡库拉项目的西部前沿 (Western Foreland) 探矿权内寻找新的铜矿资源。
联系方式
投资者﹕比尔·特伦曼 (Bill Trenaman)，电话﹕+1.604.331.9834 /
媒体﹕马修·基维尔 (Matthew Keevil)，电话﹕ +1.604.558.1034