The March 2026 mineral reserve and resource update for Kamoa Copper in the Democratic Republic of Congo covers the Kakula P95 optimization project and the Kamoa Phase 3 concentrator. It also describes the on-site smelter, which produced its first anode in December 2025.
The Kamoa-Kakula Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Update Technical Report, Kamoa Copper SA, Democratic Republic of Congo, was prepared by AMC Mining Consultants South Africa and others, with an effective date of 31 March 2026. Process plant design was by DRA Projects. Total concentrator capacity is about 17 Mtpa. The Kakula Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators are being modified to 10.5 Mtpa, and the Kamoa Phase 3 concentrator has achieved about 6.5 Mtpa. That concentrator was commissioned in June 2024 for 5.0 Mtpa. It has consistently run above design, with recoveries above 86% at a head grade of about 2.3%. The Kakula P95 project aims to raise Kakula recovery to 90%.
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report effective date | 31 March 2026 | Not applicable | AMC for Kamoa Copper SA (Ivanhoe Mines) |
| Total concentrator capacity | About 17 | Mtpa | Kakula 10.5 plus Kamoa 6.5 |
| Kakula design | 3.34% Cu feed, 47.0% Cu concentrate, 90.6% recovery | Not applicable | Mass pull 6.4% |
| Kamoa upgrade design | 2.46% Cu feed, 35.1% Cu concentrate, 83.0% recovery | Not applicable | Mass pull 5.83% |
| Kakula P95 regrind | Two additional 5.5 MW HIGMills per module | Not applicable | Plus flash flotation in the secondary mill |
| Kamoa crushing | Two CS660 cones, 315 kW, F80 195 to P80 52 mm | Not applicable | Screens at 50 mm |
| Kamoa HPGR | Polycom 17/12-5, two 1,200 kW drives | Not applicable | Closed at 8 mm |
| Kamoa ball mills | Two 7.0 m x 10.37 m EGL, dual 5,000 kW each | Not applicable | Primary to P80 152 µm, secondary to P80 57 µm |
| Kamoa flotation | Eleven 300 m³ rougher/scavenger cells | Not applicable | Jameson high-grade cleaner and recleaners |
| Kamoa regrind | Two 1,800 kW HIG mills | Not applicable | 80% passing 15 to 20 µm |
| Smelter | Direct-to-blister flash, about 500,000 tpa anode | Not applicable | About 1.2 Mt/a of concentrate |
| Anode | Typically 99.7% Cu | Not applicable | Three 660 t anode furnaces |
Overview
Each Kakula module has a shared crushing and screening plant, an HPGR milling circuit and flotation with regrind. Each also has its own concentrate thickening, filtration and loading and its own tailings thickening, with shared tailings disposal and backfill feed. The Kamoa concentrator crushes in cone crushers and an HPGR, grinds in two ball mills in series and floats a high-grade concentrate from the first rougher cells. Low-grade concentrate is reground in HIG mills and upgraded in a scavenger cleaner bank and Jameson recleaner cells. Concentrates from both plants go to the smelter. There they are dried and smelted to blister copper in a direct-to-blister flash furnace (DBF), with a slag cleaning furnace, anode furnaces and casting wheels, and the off-gas goes to a sulphuric acid plant.
Key Process Stages
Kakula P95 modifications. A flash flotation cell treats half of the secondary mill cyclone underflow. A coarse-fine split cyclone cluster feeds a coarse rougher and fine scavenger flotation. The rougher-scavenger bank is reconfigured, and a sodium silicate depressant is added for the fine scavengers. Two additional 5.5 MW HIGMills per module regrind the coarse rougher tails and fine scavenger concentrate. Concentrate is thickened to about 55% solids and filtered on four Larox PF 72/72 filters to 8% moisture. A new tailings thickener is added for each module, and the existing ones become clarifiers.
Kamoa crushing and HPGR. Underground ore (F100 450 mm) is conveyed to a 20,000 t ROM stockpile. Two 3.6 x 7.0 m double-deck screens split it at 50 mm, and about 60% goes as oversize to the cone crushers. Screen undersize goes to a 7,500 t HPGR feed stockpile. The HPGR is closed on a 3.6 x 7.3 m multi-slope screen at 8 mm, with a bypass chute for tramp metal.
Kamoa milling. The primary ball mill is closed with twelve 660 mm cyclones to P80 152 µm. The secondary ball mill runs in reverse feed configuration with twenty-two 350 mm cyclones to P80 57 µm. The mills are charged with 70 mm and 30 mm high-chrome balls.
Kamoa flotation. Eleven 300 m³ forced-air cells make a high-grade concentrate from the first two or three cells. That goes to a single Jameson cell with froth washing. The rest is a low-grade concentrate. The low-grade concentrate and Jameson tails are reground in two 1,800 kW HIG mills to 15 to 20 µm. They are then floated in nine 160 m³ scavenger cleaner cells and two Jameson recleaner cells. Collector is a mix of a xanthate and a dithiophosphate.
Kamoa tailings and concentrate. Tailings are thickened in a 47 m high-rate thickener to 55% solids, with a 50 m clarifier. The underflow goes to the backfill plant or to three pump trains of four high-pressure centrifugal pumps in series feeding the TSF. A fifth pump per train will be needed for the Mupenda tailings facility. Concentrate goes through a 24 m thickener to 55% solids, then filtration.
Smelter. Kakula and Kamoa concentrates are held in separate 15,000 t stockpiles and blended. A 200 t/h steam tube dryer dries them to bone-dry. The blend is fed with lime, pulverized coal (with pyrite agreed as a replacement) and recycled dusts to the DBF burner with oxygen-enriched air from a VPSA oxygen plant. Slag copper is held at 16 to 22% to keep blister sulphur below 0.2% and limit foaming. The DBF produces 70 to 85% of the blister copper. Slag at about 20% Cu is reduced with coke in a six-electrode rectangular arc furnace to about 3% Cu, then slow cooled for copper recovery. Three 660 t anode furnaces refine the blister, which is cast on two 110 t/h twin casting wheels.
Additional Interesting Data and Summary
The overall Kamoa plant recovery is lower in the plan because of higher supergene content in the 2026 PFS schedule. The smelter's DBF suits sulphur-deficient, low-energy concentrates. A Kamoa to Kakula ratio above about 70:30 would require lower feed rates and toll treatment of the excess. A double flash process is planned for late in the mine life, when Kakula is exhausted. Smelter hot commissioning started in December 2025 after a 60 MW uninterruptible power supply was installed for power stability, and production was nearly 70% of nameplate at the time of the report.
In summary, the 2026 Kamoa-Kakula update describes a 17 Mtpa HPGR-ball and flotation complex. It is being optimized for 90% recovery at Kakula and is integrated with an on-site direct-to-blister flash smelter that makes copper anode.
Key Processes
- Cone crushing and HPGR in closed circuit with screens
- Two-stage ball milling with cyclones
- Flash flotation and coarse-fine split flotation (Kakula P95)
- Rougher-scavenger flotation, Jameson high-grade cleaning and recleaning
- HIGMill regrinding of low-grade concentrate
- Concentrate thickening and pressure filtration
- Tailings thickening, backfill and high-pressure pumping to the TSF
- Steam drying and direct-to-blister flash smelting
- Electric slag cleaning, anode refining and anode casting
- Sulphuric acid production from off-gas
Source: Kamoa-Kakula Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Update Technical Report, Kamoa Copper SA, Democratic Republic of Congo, prepared by AMC Mining Consultants South Africa (Pty) Ltd and others, effective date 31 March 2026.
Technical report and processing history
The following archived source profiles have been consolidated here to preserve the project’s processing history and study context.
Kamoa-Kakula 2017 Development Plan
Kamoa-Kakula 2017 Development Plan
| Company | Ivanhoe Mines |
| Mine | Kamoa-Kakula |
| Date | 2017 |
| Region | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Commodities | Copper |
| Throughput | 6 Mtpa |
| Mine Life | 26 years |
| Status | Development |
Executive Summary
The Kamoa-Kakula 2017 Development Plan outlines the technical and economic feasibility for the underground mining and processing of copper deposits in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The plan encompasses the Kamoa 2017 Prefeasibility Study (PFS) for the Kansoko Mine and the Kamoa-Kakula 2017 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Kakula Mine. The project targets a combined production capacity of up to 12 Mtpa, with the Kansoko PFS focusing on a 6 Mtpa concentrator feed rate. The mining methods selected include controlled convergence room-and-pillar and drift-and-fill with pastefill, designed to handle the specific geological conditions of the Central African Copperbelt.
The processing infrastructure is designed to handle Run-of-Mine (ROM) ore through a staged crushing and grinding circuit, followed by flotation to produce copper concentrate. The concentrator design utilizes primary and secondary cone crushers, ball mills for grinding, and IsaMills for regrinding. Flotation circuits include rougher, scavenger, cleaner, and recleaner stages to maximize copper recovery. The project includes significant infrastructure development, including power supply rehabilitation, tailings storage facilities, and logistics corridors to the Lobito and Durban ports.
Financial analysis indicates a strong economic case, with the Kakula 6 Mtpa PEA showing an after-tax NPV of US$4.2 billion and the Kamoa-Kakula 12 Mtpa PEA showing an NPV of US$7.2 billion. The project relies on significant infrastructure investment, particularly in power generation and transport, to support the long-term operation. The plan assumes a copper price of US$3.00/lb and includes detailed cost estimates for capital and operating expenditures over the life of the mine.
Processing Profile
- Crushing: Primary Cone Crusher (CS660), Secondary Cone Crusher (CH865)
- Milling: Ball Mill (22 ft x 36 ft), IsaMill (M10000)
- Flotation: Rougher, Scavenger, Cleaner, Recleaner Cells
- Leaching: N/A
Reports
Website: https://www.ivanhoemines.com/what-we-do/operations-projects/kamoa-kakula-mining-complex/
Report Date: 2017
Region: Democratic Republic of Congo
Project Status: Development
Commodity: Copper
Throughput: 6 Mtpa
Mine Life: 26 years
Kamoa-Kakula 2017 PFS Technical Report
Kamoa-Kakula 2017 PFS Technical Report
| Company | Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. |
| Date | 2017 |
| Region | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Commodities | Copper |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Throughput | 6 Mtpa |
| Mine Life | 26 years |
Executive Summary
The Kamoa-Kakula 2017 Prefeasibility Study (PFS) evaluates the development of the Kamoa-Kakula copper project located in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project comprises the Kamoa deposit (including Kansoko Mine) and the Kakula deposit. The PFS considers a 6 Mtpa (million tonnes per annum) underground mining operation using room-and-pillar and controlled convergence mining methods. The process plant utilizes staged crushing, ball mill grinding, and flotation to produce a copper concentrate grading approximately 37% Cu for Kamoa and 54.9% Cu for Kakula. The project has a 26-year life of mine with total processed material of 125.2 Mt at an average grade of 3.81% Cu. Copper recovery is projected at 87.52%, producing 11.4 Mt of concentrate containing 4,178 kt of copper. The after-tax NPV at 8% discount rate is US$2,063 million with an IRR of 24.2%.
Key Parameters
Reports
Website: https://www.ivanhoemines.com/what-we-do/operations-projects/kamoa-kakula-mining-complex/
Report Date: 2017
Region: Democratic Republic of Congo
Project Status:
Commodity: Copper
Throughput: 6 Mtpa
Mine Life: 26 years
Mine Type: Underground
Ore type:
Kamoa Copper Project — 2012 Technical Report
Kamoa Copper Project — 2012 Technical Report
| Company | Ivanplats Limited |
| Date | 2012 |
| Region | Katanga Province, DRC |
| Commodities | Copper |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Throughput | 5,000,000 tpa |
| Mine Life | 61 years |
| Status | Development |
Executive Summary
The Kamoa Copper Project Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlines a long-term underground mining operation located in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project is designed to process 5 million metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ore, primarily utilizing a room-and-pillar mining method with initial open pit feed. The concentrator is configured with an MF2 circuit, featuring primary and secondary ball mills followed by a complex flotation circuit including roughers, scavengers, and multiple cleaner stages. The concentrate is processed on-site via a Direct to Blister Flash Smelting (DBF) technology, producing blister copper and sulphuric acid as saleable products.
Economic analysis of the project indicates a Net Present Value (NPV) of US$1.16 billion at a 10% discount rate, with an after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.0% and a payback period of 5.29 years. The mine life is estimated at 61 years based on a mineral inventory of 299 Mt. The project is currently in the development phase following the granting of an Exploitation Permit in August 2012, with a focus on further drilling and engineering studies to advance to a Feasibility Study.
Key operational parameters include a copper feed grade of 3.30% and a designed recovery of 85.4% at a concentrate grade of 32.8% Cu. The smelter has a capacity of 660,000 tpa concentrate, corresponding to 182,260 tpa copper product. Cobalt recovery is conceptually included in the smelter design but is not currently part of the revenue stream. The project relies on refurbished hydroelectric power plants and road logistics for supply chain management.
Key Commodities
- Copper
- Sulphuric Acid (By-product)
- Cobalt (Potential)
Processing Methods
- Crushing: Primary Jaw Crusher, Secondary/Tertiary Cone Crushers
- Milling: Primary Ball Mill (25 ft), Secondary Ball Mill (19 ft), IsaMill (Regrind)
- Flotation: Rougher, Scavenger, Cleaner, Re-cleaner
- Smelting: Direct to Blister Flash Smelting (DBF), Slag Cleaning Furnace (SCF), Cobalt Reduction Furnace (CoRF)
Reports
Website: https://www.ivanhoemines.com/what-we-do/operations-projects/kamoa-kakula-mining-complex/
Report Date: 2012
Region: Katanga Province, DRC
Project Status: Development
Commodity: Copper
Throughput: 5,000,000 tpa
Mine Life: 61 years
Mine Type: Underground
Ore type:
Kamoa 2016 Prefeasibility Study
Kamoa 2016 Prefeasibility Study
| Company | Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. |
| Date | 2016 |
| Region | Kolwezi District, Lualaba Province, DRC |
| Commodities | Copper, Cobalt, Silver, Gold |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Throughput | 3 Mtpa |
| Mine Life | 24 years |
| Status | Development |
Executive Summary
The Kamoa 2016 Prefeasibility Study (PFS) outlines the development plan for the Kamoa Copper Project located in the Kolwezi District of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project is currently in the development stage, targeting an annual production rate of 3 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of ore with a mine life of approximately 24 years. The deposit is primarily sulphide-hosted within the Grand Conglomerat unit, featuring hypogene and supergene mineralisation dominated by chalcopyrite, bornite, and chalcocite. The study evaluates underground mining methods, specifically Stepped Room and Pillar (SR&P) for shallower depths and Drift and Fill (D&F) for deeper zones, with Controlled Convergence Room and Pillar identified as a potential alternative to improve extraction ratios.
Metallurgical testwork supports a conventional sulphide flotation flowsheet involving two-stage crushing and ball milling to liberate copper minerals. The process circuit includes primary and secondary ball mills followed by rougher, cleaner, and scavenger flotation banks, with regrinding of middlings to achieve high-grade copper concentrates. The PFS confirms reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction based on a copper price of US$3.00/lb, with mineral reserves defined as Probable Mineral Reserves converted from Indicated Mineral Resources. The project requires significant infrastructure development, including power supply from refurbished hydro plants and rail transport options to the coast.
Processing Profile
- Crushing: Primary and Secondary Cone/Jaw Crushers
- Milling: Two-stage Ball Mill, Regrind (IsaMill)
- Flotation: Rougher, Cleaner, Scavenger, Recleaner Cells
- Leaching: N/A
Reports
Entities
Concepts
Website: https://www.ivanhoemines.com/news-stories/news-release/ivanhoe-mines-announces-updated-independent-study-results-for-the-kamoa-kakula-copper-complex/
Report Date: 2016
Region: Kolwezi District, Lualaba Province, DRC
Project Status: Development
Commodity: Copper, Cobalt, Silver, Gold
Throughput: 3 Mtpa
Mine Life: 24 years
Mine Type: Underground
Ore type:
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Recovery: High-Grade Concentrator & DBF Smelter
Kamoa-Kakula Copper Recovery: High-Grade Concentrator & DBF Smelter
Source: Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (2026)
Website: https://www.kamoacopper.com/en/
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Throughput | 10.5 | Mtpa | Kakula concentrator combined capacity (Phase 1 and 2) |
| Throughput | 6.5 | Mtpa | Kamoa concentrator effective capacity (above design 5.0 Mtpa) |
| Mill Power | 10,000 | kW | Kamoa primary ball mill: dual 5,000 kW VSD drives |
| Mill Power | 5,500 | kW | Kakula regrind HIGMill per module (two per module) |
| Target Grind Size | 53 | µm | P80 in ball mill cyclone overflow |
| Head Grade | 3.34 | % Cu | Kakula concentrator design ROM grade |
| Head Grade | 2.46 | % Cu | Kamoa concentrator upgrade design ROM grade |
| Recovery % | 90.6 | % | Kakula concentrator design recovery (P95) |
| Recovery % | 83.0 | % | Kamoa concentrator upgrade design recovery |
| Processing Capacity | 17 | Mtpa | Combined total concentrator capacity |
| Energy Consumption | 8 | MW | Electrical power generated from waste heat recovery at smelter |
| Operating Hours | 7,998 | hours/year | Kakula milling circuit operating time |
| Operating Hours | 7,709 | hours/year | Kamoa milling circuit operating time |
Overview
The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, operated by Kamoa Copper SA (a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines, Zijin Mining Group, Crystal River Global Limited, and the DRC government), represents one of the world’s largest and highest-grade copper mining operations. Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Central African Copperbelt, the complex integrates two concentrators and a state-of-the-art copper smelter to produce blister copper anode grading >99.66% Cu. The 2026 Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Update considers a total concentrator production capacity of approximately 17 Mtpa, combining the Kakula Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators (10.5 Mtpa) with the Kamoa Phase 3 concentrator (6.5 Mtpa). Recovery methods are designed to maximize copper extraction from high-bornite chalcocite and chalcopyrite ores through conventional comminution, flotation, and Direct-to-Blister Flash (DBF) smelting. The Kakula concentrator is undergoing optimization (Project P95) to achieve 90.6% copper recovery, while the Kamoa concentrator operates above design capacity with recoveries exceeding 86% at a head grade of approximately 2.3% Cu. The onsite Kakula copper smelter, commissioned in December 2025, employs Metso-licensed DBF technology to treat 1.2 Mtpa of blended concentrate, producing 500 ktpa of copper anode and 783 ktpa of sulphuric acid as a co-product. This integrated recovery flowsheet—from run-of-mine ore through crushing, HPGR, ball milling, flotation, regrind, and smelting—minimizes concentrate transport costs, reduces carbon footprint via waste heat recovery (8 MW electrical power), and ensures high metal recovery. As of early 2026, the smelter is ramping up to nameplate capacity, with ongoing infrastructure upgrades to resolve early operational challenges including oxygen plant capacity and ladle heat loss.
Key Process Stages
- Stage 1: Crushing and Screening – ROM ore (F100 450 mm) is crushed via cone crushers in closed circuit with vibrating screens to 100% passing 50 mm. At Kamoa, two CS660 cone crushers (315 kW each) reduce material from F80 195 mm to P80 52 mm. Primary screen undersize is conveyed to HPGR feed stockpile.
- Stage 2: HPGR and Ball Milling – Crushed ore is fed to High-Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR; e.g., Polycom 17/12-5 with dual 1,200 kW drives) operating in closed circuit with wet screening to produce P80 of 4.5 mm. HPGR product is gravity-fed to a two-stage ball milling circuit (dual 5,000 kW drives at Kamoa) in closed circuit with cyclone clusters, achieving target grind size P80 53 µm. Flash flotation in the milling circuit recovers liberated chalcocite.
- Stage 3: Rougher and Scavenger Flotation – Milled slurry is classified into coarse and fine fractions for separate rougher flotation circuits. High-grade (fast-floating) rougher concentrate and medium-grade (slow-floating) scavenger concentrate are produced. Rougher concentrate reports to low-entrainment high-grade cleaner circuit. Scavenger concentrate and cleaner tailings undergo regrind.
- Stage 4: Concentrate Regrind and Cleaning – Scavenger concentrate and coarse rougher tailings are reground to P80 ~10 µm in a regrind circuit (vertical tower HIGMills with 5.5 MW per module at Kakula). The regrind product is upgraded through a three-stage scavenger cleaning circuit. Final concentrate combines high-grade cleaner concentrate, scavenger recleaner concentrate, and optional medium-grade scavenger cleaner concentrate.
- Stage 5: Direct-to-Blister Flash Smelting – Blended concentrates from both concentrators are dried and fed to a Metso-licensed DBF furnace operating at ~1200°C. Blister copper (99.66% Cu) is transferred via launder to three 660-tonne anode refining furnaces with twin casting machines. Slag is cleaned in a 30 MVA electric furnace, and off-gas feeds a DCDA sulphuric acid plant (783 ktpa H2SO4). Waste heat recovery generates 8 MW electricity.
Additional Interesting Data and Summary
The Kamoa-Kakula recovery system is underpinned by rigorous testwork and trade-off studies (Section 13 of the technical report) that optimized flowsheet configuration for the unique mineralogy—high-bornite and chalcocite at Kakula versus chalcopyrite-dominant ore at Kamoa. The Kakula concentrator achieves a mass pull to final concentrate of 6.4% of mill feed, producing a final concentrate grade of 47% Cu. At Kamoa, the mass pull is 5.83% at a concentrate grade of 35.1% Cu, reflecting the higher energy requirements of chalcopyrite flotation. The regrind circuit at Kakula uses two new 5.5 MW HIGMills per module for ultra-fine grinding to 10 µm, enabling additional liberation of locked copper minerals. Four Larox PF 72/72 M60 filter presses dewater concentrate to 8% moisture (w/w). Tailings management includes thickening, with existing thickeners converted to clarifiers to improve water recovery, and a dedicated backfill plant for underground support. The smelter operates 7,400 hours per annum (84.5% availability) and can treat a Kamoa:Kakula concentrate blend ratio up to 70:30; beyond this ratio, the DBF heat balance becomes unmanageable and acid plant capacity is exceeded. Early ramp-up challenges—VPSA oxygen plant underperformance, launder blockages at Anode Furnace No. 3, and skull formation in cast iron ladles—are being addressed with additional oxygen modules, burner installations, and procurement of insulated ladles. As of the effective date (March 2026), the smelter operates at approximately 70% of nameplate capacity. Sustainability initiatives include waste heat recovery generating 8 MW of electrical power and a DCDA sulphuric acid plant that captures SO₂ emissions, producing 783 ktpa of acid for sale or reagent use. The concentrators achieve high water recirculation via thickener overflow and clarifiers, minimizing fresh water intake. The Kamoa-Kakula complex is a benchmark for modern copper recovery in the DRC, with future outlook including further debottlenecking of the Kamoa concentrator to its original 10 Mtpa modular design and complete smelter ramp-up to 500 ktpa copper anode, strengthening its position as a top-tier global copper producer.
Key Processes: Flotation, Gravity Separation, SAG Mill, Ball Mill, Crushing
Target Commodities: Copper, Zinc, Lead
