Robert Friedland and Yufeng “Miles” Sun, Co-Chairmen of Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN; OTCQX: IVPAF) are pleased to report that underground development at the Kakula Copper Mine now has reached the high-grade ore within the deposit. Grades of approximately 4% copper have been returned from sampling, and grades are expected to significantly increase as the development crews advance the drifts toward the deposit’s central mining zones that are in excess of 8% copper in the second half of 2020.

 

“This intersection marks a significant milestone in the context of our exploration and development efforts at Kamoa-Kakula that began more than 13 years ago,” said David Edwards, Geology Manager, Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project. “Now that you can see and touch Kakula’s high-grade copper ore, it really hits home that we are well underway toward building the first of multiple high-grade copper mines in the area.”

 

The Kakula connection drift is being developed to rapidly gain access to the highest grades in the centre of the deposit, and also connect with the Kakula South ventilation decline to increase the air flow to the underground working areas in the large-scale mechanized Kakula mining operation, allowing for more development and production mining crews.