Ivanhoe extends Makoko copper deposit, finds high-grade Kitoko zone

Ivanhoe Mines has extended its Makoko copper deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Western Forelands past 13km in strike length and reported fresh high-grade copper at a new prospect called Kitoko, the company said in an exploration update.

An 81,000-metre drilling campaign completed last year drove the expansion, increasing Makoko's strike by 20% and delineating a new zone, Makoko West, with copper intercepts found 120 to 300 metres below surface and between five and 15 metres thick. Ivanhoe added 336 sq km of new licences to the project area, a 20% increase.

Echoes of Kakula

Ivanhoe said the mineralisation style at Kitoko resembled that of its Kakula deposit, roughly 10km away, part of the flagship Kamoa-Kakula complex it operates with Zijin Mining Group. "The western extension of Makoko is demonstrating high copper grades at shallower depths," said founder and co-chairman Robert Friedland, describing it as "potentially a logical place to commence mine development activities in the Western Forelands."

Makoko sits about 10km from the western edge of the Kakula orebody within the wider Kamoa-Kakula joint venture, which was forecasting 2025 output of between 520,000 and 580,000 tonnes of copper at the time — a guidance range that seismic disruption would force the company to abandon within three months.

Betting on the Copperbelt's edges

The update reflects Ivanhoe's broader strategy of using exploration in the Western Forelands to extend the Central African Copperbelt, which spans northern Zambia and southern DRC, beyond its known boundaries. With global copper production having reached 22.4 million tonnes in 2023, according to the International Copper Study Group, miners with exploration success in tier-one jurisdictions have been able to command a premium from investors hungry for future supply.

Ivanhoe said updated resource estimates for Makoko, along with initial estimates for Makoko West and Kitoko, were due in the second quarter. The company would go on to nearly double Makoko's overall resource base within three months, and by September 2026 the district's contained copper had grown to roughly 12 million tonnes, underlining how quickly the Western Forelands programme was reshaping Ivanhoe's growth pipeline beyond Kamoa-Kakula itself.

Sources

• Mining.com: Ivanhoe expands Makoko copper deposit in DRC, 24 Feb 2025