KOLWEZI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland and President Marna Cloete announce that the U.S. Government made a press statement during the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, stating that the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is currently performing due diligence for a potential $250 million investment to finance the open-access Lobito Atlantic Railway Corridor (Lobito Corridor) from the port of Lobito in Angola to the Angolan-DRC border.
The “transformative economic corridor” connects the Angolan port of Lobito to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Copperbelt. Once fully operational, the Lobito Corridor could significantly improve the logistics costs and carbon footprint of exporting metals from the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, the Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, as well as the future development of any copper discoveries within the Western Foreland Exploration Project.
The announcement follows the recent award of a 30-year concession on the Angolan side of the Lobito Corridor,with the potential of a 20-year extension, to a consortium including Trafigura Pte Ltd., of Geneva, Switzerland, and Mota-Engil of Porto, Portugal. The consortium will be responsible for the operation, management and maintenance of the rail infrastructure and rolling stock from the Lobito port to the Angolan-DRC border. The agreement announced in the fourth quarter of 2022 involves a total investment of $450 million, including $166 million in infrastructure upgrades and $70 million in rolling stock. Further, on January 27, 2023, the governments of Angola, DRC, and Zambia signed the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency Agreement (LCTTFA). The tri-partite LCTTFA aims to coordinate the joint development activities of the Lobito Corridor. The Lobito Corridor provides an alternative, strategic route to export markets for both Zambia and the DRC, which today both rely heavily on road transportation for the export of metals.
Link to the full U.S. Government press statement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/20/fact-sheet-partnership-for-global-infrastructure-and-investment-at-the-g7-summit/
Ivanhoe Mines’ Executive Co-Chairman, Robert Friedland commented:
“The Lobito Corridor will soon be one of the most important trade routes for vital copper metal and other critical minerals required for our planet’s energy transition. The proposed investment by the U.S. Government emphasizes that a coordinated global effort is required to upgrade critical infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa to unlock the tremendous potential of this region, and in the process generate unprecedented economic benefits for the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbours, Angola and Zambia.
“The open access to the deep-water port in Lobito by rail would not be possible without the vision and investment made by our shareholders CITIC and Zijin. CITIC was instrumental in upgrading the Lobito port and the rail line in 2014, while our joint venture partner Zijin is currently active in upgrading road and border infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo to enable access to the Lobito Corridor from the Copperbelt, as well as improve existing export corridors.
“If we are to address the daunting challenges of global climate change, it is imperative that we have international cooperation to develop responsible mineral supply chains, in partnership with the local people and communities where these mineral deposits are located.”
Freight train on the Lobito Corridor, near the port of Lobito in Angola. The rail corridor, originally called the Benguela Railway, was first built at the turn of the 20th Century and in 2014 a $1.8 billion refurbishment was completed. Source: Ministry of Transport for Angola.
The freight terminal at the Lobito port, Angola. Refurbished in 2014, the container and general cargo terminal has a total area of 241,540 square metres, a berth of 1,199 metres and the capacity to handle more than 600,000 tons of non-containerized freight and 250,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containerized freight per year.
Figure 1. Map of export routes currently used by Kamoa-Kakula. Logistics costs account for over 30% of Kamoa-Kakula’s total cash costs (C1), due to the long in-land distances travelled by road for exports to reach port.
Figure 2. Map of Kamoa-Kakula and Western Foreland licences with local road and rail infrastructure.
All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.
About Ivanhoe Mines
Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa; the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, the construction of the tier-one Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold project in South Africa; and the restart of the historic ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC.
Ivanhoe Mines also is exploring for new copper discoveries across its circa 2,400km2 of 90-100% owned exploration licences in the Western Foreland, located adjacent to, or in close proximity to, the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC.
Information contact
Investors
Vancouver: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034
London: Tommy Horton +44 7866 913 207
Media
Tanya Todd +1.604.331.9834
Forward-looking statements
Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified using words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this news release.
Such statements include without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements that the Angolan Lobito Ocean Port is approximately halved compared with Durban, South Africa, and provides for significant potential logistics cost improvement; (ii) statements that the Lobito Corridor could significantly improve the carbon footprint of exporting metals from the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, the Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, as well as the future development of any copper discoveries within the Western Foreland Exploration Project; (iii) statements that the Lobito Corridor and other initiatives, such as Ivanhoe’s work on the Kipushi border, set to transform regional logistics in the DRC and neighbouring countries, including Angola and Zambia; (iv) statements that the Lobito Corridor will soon be one of the most important trade routes for vital copper metal and other critical minerals; and (v) statements regarding future rail spur from Kamoa.
Furthermore, concerning this specific forward-looking information concerning the operation and development of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex and Kipushi projects and Western Foreland, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper, nickel, zinc, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; (xvi) changes in project scope or design; (xvii) recoveries, mining rates and grade; (xviii) political factors; (xviii) water inflow into the mine and its potential effect on mining operations, and (xix) the consistency and availability of electric power.
Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether such results will be achieved. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed above and under the "Risk Factors" section in the company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and its Annual Information Form, and elsewhere in this news release, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.
Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.
The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors outlined in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the company's MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and its Annual Information Form.
刚果民主共和国科卢韦齐 — 艾芬豪矿业 (TSX: IVN; OTCQX:IVPAF) 联席董事长罗伯特·弗里兰德 (Robert Friedland) 与总裁玛娜·克洛特 (Marna Cloete) 宣布,美国政府在2023年日本广岛举行的七国集团 (以下简称"G7") 峰会期间向媒体发表讲话,表示美国国际开发金融公司 (以下简称 "DFC") 正进行尽职调查,为连接安哥拉洛比托港口与安哥拉-刚果(金)边境的洛比托大西洋开放式铁路走廊 (以下简称 "洛比托走廊") 建设提供2.5亿美元的融资方案。
连接安哥拉洛比托港口和刚果民主共和国 (以下简称 “刚果(金)”) 铜矿带的 “转型式经济走廊”,全面投入服务后,预计将使卡莫阿-卡库拉 (Kamoa-Kakula) 铜矿及基普什 (Kipushi) 锌-铜-锗-银矿出口金属以及西部前沿(Western Foreland) 探矿权日后开发铜资源所产生的物流成本和碳足迹显著减少。
包括瑞士日内瓦托克公司 (Trafigura Pte. Ltd.) 及葡萄牙波尔图Mota-Engil公司在内的财团,最近获得安哥拉授予洛比托走廊为期30年的特许经营权 (可申请延期20年)。财团将负责从洛比托港口到安哥拉-刚果(金)边境的铁路基础设施和铁道机车车辆的运行、管理和维护工作。2022年第四季度公布的协议涉及总投资额4.5亿美元,其中包括1.66亿美元用于基础设施升级,以及7,000万美元用于机车车辆。2023年1月27日,安哥拉、刚果(金)和赞比亚政府签署了《洛比托走廊过境运输便利化协议》,旨在协调三方共同发展洛比托走廊的建设活动。目前,赞比亚和刚果(金)的金属出口主要依赖公路运输,而洛比托走廊将为两国提供战略性的替代路线通往出口市场。
艾芬豪矿业执行联席董事长罗伯特·弗里兰德先生评论说:“洛比托走廊快将成为进出口全球能源转型所需铜金属和其他关键矿产资源的最重要贸易路线之一。美国政府这项投资建议,强调必须得到国际间的协作努力,升级改造整个撒哈拉以南非洲的关键基础设施,从而释放该地区的巨大潜力,为刚果民主共和国及邻近的安哥拉和赞比亚带来前所未有的经济效益。”
“我们的股东中信和紫金的远见和投资,促成了打通洛比托深水港口的开放式鉄路建设。中信于2014年在洛比托港口和铁路的升级改造发挥了重要的作用,而我们的合资伙伴紫金目前正积极升级刚果(金)的公路和边境基础设施,打开从铜矿带进入洛比托走廊的通道,并改善现有的出口走廊。”
“为应对全球气候变化带来的严峻挑战,我们必须开展国际间的合作,与矿产营运国家的当地人民和社区合作,以负责任的方式开发矿产供应链。”
货运列车在洛比托走廊上行驶,靠近安哥拉洛比托港口。铁路走廊原称本格拉铁路,始建于20世纪初,其后于2014年耗资18亿美元完成翻新工程。信息来源:安哥拉交通部。
安哥拉洛比托港口的货运码头,于2014年翻新后,集装箱和散杂货码头总面积达24.2万平方米,泊位占1,199米,每年可处理60万吨以上的非集装箱吞吐量以及25万 TEU (二十英尺当量单位) 的集装箱吞吐量。
图1﹕卡莫阿-卡库拉目前使用的出口路线图。由于运送精矿到港口的内陆距离遥远,单单是物流成本已占卡莫阿-卡库拉 C1 现金成本总额的 30%以上。
图 2﹕卡莫阿-卡库拉和西部前沿的采矿权证范围,以及当地的公路和铁路基础设施。
除非另有指明,所有货币数字均以美元为单位。
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主要项目:位于刚果(金)的卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿项目的扩建工程、位于南非的普拉特瑞夫(Platreef) 顶级钯-铑-铂-镍-铜-金矿的开拓工程;以及同样位于刚果(金)、久负盛名的基普什超高品位锌-铜-锗-银矿的重建工程。
同时,艾芬豪矿业正在刚果(金)境内、毗邻卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿项目的西部前沿探矿权内寻找新的铜矿资源。西部前沿探矿权占地2,400平方公里,由艾芬豪矿业全资拥有及持有90%权益。
联系方式
投资者
温哥华﹕马修·基维尔 (Matthew Keevil),电话﹕+1.604.558.1034
伦敦﹕托米·霍顿 (Tommy Horton) ,电话﹕+44 7866 913 207
媒体
坦尼娅·托德 (Tanya Todd) ,电话﹕+1.604.331.9834
前瞻性陈述
本新闻稿载有的某些陈述可能构成适用证券法所订议的"前瞻性陈述"或"前瞻性信息"。这些陈述及信息涉及已知和未知的风险、不确定性和其他因素,可能导致本公司的实际业绩、表现或成就、其项目或行业的业绩,与前瞻性陈述或信息所表达或暗示的任何未来业绩、表现或成就产生重大差异。这些陈述可通过文中使用"可能"、"将会"、"会"、"将要"、"打算"、"预期"、"相信"、"计划"、"预计"、"估计"、 "安排" 、"预测"、"预言"及其他类似用语,或者声明"可能"、"会"、"将会"、"可能会"或"将要"采取、发生或实现某些行动、事件或结果进行识别。这些陈述仅反映本公司于本新闻稿发布当日对于未来事件、表现和业绩的当前预期。
该等陈述包括但不限于下列事项的时间点和结果﹕(i) 关于安哥拉洛比托海港的距离,相比南非德班港约短一半,显着降低物流成本的陈述;(ii) 关于洛比托走廊预计将使卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿及基普什锌-铜-锗-银矿出口金属以及西部前沿探矿权日后开发铜资源所产生的物流成本和碳足迹显着减少的陈述;(iii) 关于洛比托走廊以及艾芬豪在基普什边境口岸进行的建设工作等其他举措,将为刚果(金)和邻近的安哥拉和赞比亚的区域性物流带来全新局面的陈述;(iv) 关于洛比托走廊快将成为进出口铜金属和其他关键矿产资源的最重要贸易路线之一的陈述;以及 (v) 关于未来建设卡莫阿铁路支线的陈述。
另外,对于与卡莫阿-卡库拉铜矿、基普什及西部前沿项目开发有关的特定前瞻性信息,公司是基于某些不确定因素而作出假设和分析。不确定因素包括:(i) 基础设施的充足性;(ii) 地质特征;(iii) 矿化的选冶特征;(iv) 发展充足选矿产能的能力;(v) 铜、镍、锌、铂金、钯、铑和黄金的价格;(vi) 完成开发所需的设备和设施的可用性;(vii) 消耗品和采矿及选矿设备的费用;(viii) 不可预见的技术和工程问题;(ix) 事故或破坏或恐怖主义行为;(x) 货币波动; (xi) 法例修订;(xii) 合资企业伙伴对协议条款的遵守情况;(xiii) 熟练劳工的人手和生产率;(xiv) 各政府机构对矿业的监管;(xv) 筹集足够资金以发展该等项目的能力;(xvi) 项目范围或设计更变;(xvii) 回收率、开采率和品位;(xviii) 政治因素;(xix) 矿山进水情况及对于开采作业的潜在影响;以及 (xx) 电源的稳定性和供应。
前瞻性陈述及信息涉及重大风险和不确定性,故不应被视为对未来表现或业绩的保证,并且不能准确地指示能否达到该等业绩。许多因素可能导致实际业绩与前瞻性陈述或信息所讨论的业绩有重大差异,包括但不限于公司截至2023年3月31日止三个月的《管理层讨论与分析》和当前年度信息表中 “风险因素” 部分以及本新闻稿其他部分所指的因素,以及有关部门实施的法律、法规或规章或其不可预见的变化;与公司签订合约的各方没有根据协议履行合约;社会或劳资纠纷;商品价格的变动;以及勘查计划或研究未能达到预期结果或未能产生足以证明和支持继续勘查、研究、开发或运营的结果。
虽然本新闻稿载有的前瞻性陈述是基于公司管理层认为合理的假设而作出,但公司不能向投资者保证实际业绩会与前瞻性陈述的预期一致。这些前瞻性陈述仅是截至本新闻稿发布当日作出,而且受本警示声明明确限制。根据相应的证券法,公司并无义务更新或修改任何前瞻性陈述以反映本新闻稿发布当日后所发生的事件或情况。
基于公司截至2023年3月31日止三个月的《管理层讨论与分析》和当前年度信息表中 “风险因素” 及其他部分所指的因素,公司的实际业绩可能与这些前瞻性陈述所预计的业绩产生重大差异。