Overview
Stage | Construction |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Drift & Fill
- Room-and-pillar
- Paste backfill
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 37 years (as of Jan 1, 2020) |
The Kakula-Kansoko 2020 PFS is a combined schedule comprising of the Kakula 2020 FS (6.0 Mtpa) and a Kansoko 1.6 Mtpa schedule.
Engineering and early works for the Phase 3 expansion, including a new box cut and twin declines to access new mining areas, are progressing quickly. The third, significantly larger concentrator is being designed and is expected to be commissioned in Q4 2024. Phase 3 is expected to be fed from a combination of the established mine at Kansoko Sud, together with the new mines at Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2. |
Source:
p. 3
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Crystal River Global Ltd.
|
0.8 %
|
Indirect
|
Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
20 %
|
Indirect
|
Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.
|
39.6 %
|
Indirect
|
Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd
|
39.6 %
|
Indirect
|
Kamoa Copper SA
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|

The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project — a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20%).
Contractors
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Summary:
Deposit Types
The mineralisation identified to date within the Project is typical of sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposits. Such deposits can be hosted in either marine or continental (red-bed) sediments. Major global examples of these deposits include the Kupferschiefer (Poland), most of the deposits within the Central African Copper belt (such as Konkola, Nkana, Nchanga, Mufulira, Tenke–Fungurume, and Kolwezi), Redstone (Canada), and White Pine (USA).
Common features of sediment-hosted copper deposits are (Kirkham, 1989; Hitzman et al., 2005):
•Geological setting: Intracratonic rift; fault-bounded graben/trough, or basin margin, or epicontinental shallow-marine basin near paleo-equator; partly evaporitic on the flanks of basement highs; sabkha terrains; basal sediments highly permeable. Sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposits occur in rocks ranging in age from Early Proterozoic to late Tertiary, but predominate in late Mesoproterozoic to late Neoproterozoic and late Palaeozoic rocks.
•Deposit types:
-Kupferschiefer-type: Host rocks are reduced facies and may include siltstone, shale, sandstone, and dolomite; these rocks typically overlie oxidised sequences of haematite-bearing, coarser-grained, continental siliciclastic sedimentary rocks (red beds). As the host rocks were typically deposited during transgression over the red bed sequence, these deposits tend to have exceptional lateral extents. The Central African Copperbelt deposits a ........

Mining Methods
- Drift & Fill
- Room-and-pillar
- Paste backfill
Summary:
The overall mining rate is 7.6 Mtpa, constraining Kansoko to 1.6 Mtpa until Kakula is depleted, at which point the mining rate at Kansoko increases to reducing to 6.0 Mtpa for the remainder of the mine life after the completion of Kakula. The Kansoko ore zones occur at depths ranging from approximately 60–1,235 m. Access to the mine will be via twin declines. Mining will be performed using the room-and-pillar mining method in the mineralised zone between 60–150 m and controlled convergence room-and-pillar for mineralised zones below 150 m.
The room-and-pillar method will be used in the mineralised zone between 60–150 m, to minimise the risk of surface subsidence. Continuing room-and-pillar mining below 150 m is required in selected areas for production ramp-up. A controlled convergence room-andpillar test panel will be completed before additional controlled convergence room-andpillar panels will be approved for mining.
The Kansoko development schedule initially is 1.6 Mtpa creating a combined 7.6 Mtpa for the Kakula-Kansoko 2020 PFS. The Kansoko schedule then focuses on establishment of necessary mine services and support infrastructure to set up the initial production mining areas and ramp-up to 6.0 Mtpa ore production and associated development waste.
The Kakula 2020 FS mine design access is via a pair of declines on the north side and a single decline on the south side of the deposit. One of the north declines will serve as the primary mine ........

Flow Sheet:
Crushed ROM ore with a top size (F100) of 350 mm from underground, is conveyed to a single 15,000 t ROM stockpile for storage prior to the surface crushing circuit. The material is extracted from the stockpile, at a controlled rate via three variable speed apron feeders, and is discharged onto the secondary screening feed conveyor.
Crushing and Screening
The secondary screening feed conveyor transfers material from the ROM stockpile, together with secondary crusher product, to the 285 t secondary screening feed bin. The material is screened at 50 mm using two 3.6 x 7.0 m, dual deck, vibrating screens. The secondary screen oversize material, roughly 60% of the screen feed, is conveyed to the secondary crushing circuit for size reduction, while the secondary screen undersize material reports to either one of the two HPGR feed stockpiles via the secondary screen undersize transfer conveyor. The secondary screen oversize material reports to the 225 t secondary crushing feed bin, via the secondary crushing feed conveyor. The material is extracted at a controlled rate using dedicated feeding systems to feed three continuously operating cone crushers (Model: CS660). Each secondary cone crusher is installed with a 315 kW motor to achieve a size reduction from F80 195 mm to P80 55 mm. The secondary cone crusher product is conveyed to the secondary screening feed bin via the secondary screening feed conveyor. Tramp iron removal systems are included on the secondary crushing feed conveyor. Provision is made for dust suppression at the screening and crushing buildings. Process cameras are provided at the secondary screening building for monitoring.
HPGR Stockpiling
The secondary screening undersize product is conveyed to the actuated, HPGR storage feed splitter chute arrangement where the material can be split between the two HPGR feed stockpiles or directed to either one of the two stockpiles depending on stockpile levels via the HPGR feed stockpile conveyors.Each HPGR feed stockpile is designed to store a live capacity of 5,000 t. The material is extracted from each of these stockpiles, at a controlled rate via two variable speed belt feeders, which discharge the material onto dedicated HPGR feed bin transfer conveyors.
HPGR Crushing
The HPGR crushing circuits will consist of two identical modules. The secondary screening undersize product is extracted from the HPGR feed stockpile at a controlled rate using two variable speed belt feeders, which discharge the material onto the HPGR feed bin transfer conveyor. The HPGR feed bin transfer conveyor transfers the material onto the HPGR feed bin conveyor, where the secondary screen undersize product is combined with the primary mill feed screen oversize recycle stream.The combined HPGR feed material reports to the 225 t HPGR feed bin, via the HPGR feed bin conveyor. The material from the HPGR feed bin is extracted at a controlled rate using variable speed vibrating feeder which discharge onto the HPGR feed conveyor. Tramp iron removal systems are included on the HPGR feed conveyor in the form of a tramp iron removal magnet followed by a metal detection unit. The HPGR unit, a Polycom HPGR 17/12-5, is fitted with 2 x 1,200 kW drives to achieve a size reduction from F100 50 mm. Provision is made for dust suppression at the HPGR building.HPGR crushed ore is conveyed to the primary mill feed screen for closed circuit classification at 8 mm. The primary mill feed screen - a dual deck 3.6 m x 6.1 m vibrating unit, is utilised for primary mill feed classification. The primary mill feed screen oversize product (plus 8 mm) is collected on the HPGR feed bin conveyor and recycled to the HPGR circuit for size reduction. The screen undersize material (minus 8 mm) gravitates to the primary mill feed hopper where it combines with the primary mill classification cyclone underflow.
Primary Milling
The primary milling circuit will consist of two identical modules. Each module comprises of a 20'Ø x 32' EGL, overflow discharge ball mill (installed with a 7000 kW VSD) operating in closed circuit with a cyclone cluster consisting of 12 x 500 mm diameter units. The primary mill feed screen undersize material (–8 mm) gravitates to the primary mill feed hopper where it combines with the primary mill classification cyclone underflow. The primary mill slurry gravitates to the 150m3 primary mill discharge sump, via a trommel screen, from where it is pumped to the primary mill classification cyclone at a controlled rate and density, using variable speed duty/standby pumping systems. The primary mill classification cyclone overflow product, P80 140 µm, reports to the secondary mill discharge sump as feed.Addition of 70 mm high chrome steel balls is affected using a magnet and sputnik arrangement, to load the media to the primary mill feed hopper via the primary mill feed screen underpan. Spillage produced in the primary mill circuit will report to spillage collection sumps, from where it is pumped to the primary mill discharge sump. Oversize material from the primary mill trommel screen (scats) reports to dedicated scats conveying systems.
The design allows for dedicated mill relining machines to each primary mill to facilitate with mill relining. Provision is made for process cameras at the primary mill feed screen areas, for monitoring purposes.
Secondary Milling
As per the primary milling circuit design, the secondary milling circuit consist of two identical modules. Each module comprises of 20'Ø x 32' EGL overflow discharge ball mills (installed with a 7,000 kW VSD), operating in closed circuit with a cluster of 16 x 350 mm diameter classification cyclones.
The primary milling classification cyclone overflow products report to the 150 m3 secondary milling discharge sump in a reversed feed configuration, where it combines with the secondary mill product, prior to being fed to the secondary mill classification cyclone at a controlled rate and density.
The secondary mill classification cyclone underflow product gravitates to the secondary mill feed hopper, while the cyclone overflow product (P80 53 µm) reports to the mechanical agitated, 400 m3 rougher flotation surge tank via a two-stage metal accounting sampling installation. Milling circuit product is pumped to the rougher flotation feed box using variable speed, duty/standby, pumping systems.
Addition of 30 mm high chrome steel balls is affected using a magnet and sputnik arrangement, to load the media to the secondary mill feed hopper. Dosing of reagents are via dedicated dosing funnels.
Provision is made in the design for spillage collection and pumping systems, as well as a process camera at the rougher flotation feed tank area.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Projected Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Copper
|
Payable metal
|
M lbs
| 523 | 19,356 |
Copper
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| 539 | 19,948 |
Copper
|
Metal in concentrate
|
M lbs
| 541 | 20,006 |
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| ......  |
Tonnes milled, LOM
| ......  |
Annual processing capacity
| ......  |
Annual milling rate
| ......  |
Annual ore mining rate
| ......  |
Mining scale, tpd
| ......  |
* According to 2020 study.
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Reserves at September 8, 2020:
Mineral Resources are reported at 1% cut-off grade.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Probable
|
235 Mt
|
Copper
|
4.47 %
|
23,190 M lbs
|
Type | Material | Diameter | Length | Description |
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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