Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Safety

    Ivanhoe Mines’ Congo smelter start-up: production and recovery notes for engineers

    January 2, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Ivanhoe Mines’ Congo smelter start-up: production and recovery notes for engineers

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Ivanhoe Mines has started copper anode production at the Kamoa-Kakula direct-to-blister smelter in the DRC, a 500,000 tpa facility targeting 99.7%-pure anodes and an overall copper recovery of 98.5%, with first output achieved on 29 December, about five weeks after heat-up. The smelter is being ramped to handle concentrates from the Phase 1–3 concentrators, with 2026 mine output guided at 380,000–420,000 tonnes of copper and on-site concentrate inventories cut from 37,000 to about 17,000 tonnes. Stage 2 dewatering of the earthquake-flooded Kakula mine is complete, selective mining has restarted, and Stage 3 pump-station recommissioning is planned through Q2 2026 without constraining production.

    Technical Brief

    • Once ramped, Kamoa-Kakula mine output (400 kt mid-point) will utilise ~80% of smelter nameplate capacity.
    • Excess concentrate beyond Phase 1–3 throughput will be toll-smelted at the nearby Lualaba smelter near Kolwezi.
    • On-site copper-in-concentrate inventory is planned to drop from ~37,000 t to ~17,000 t during 2026 destocking.
    • Copper sales in 2026 are forecast ~20,000 t higher than mine production due to inventory drawdown.

    Our Take

    In our database, Ivanhoe Mines features in several late-2025 copper-price pieces that highlight record LME levels, so bringing a 98.5% recovery, 99.7%-purity smelter at Kamoa-Kakula online positions the company to monetise more of the value chain during a structurally tight copper market.

    The related December 3, 2025 item on Kamoa-Kakula’s expected 2026 output dip suggests this smelter ramp-up will initially run below its nameplate, implying some spare processing capacity that could later accommodate debottlenecking or third-party feed if logistics and politics in the DRC allow.

    With BMO Capital Markets appearing both in this piece and in multiple copper market round-ups in our coverage, the positive share-price reaction (up about 5% to C$16, C$23.2 billion market cap) signals that mainstream analysts are now assigning tangible value to in-country smelting in the DRC rather than treating it as execution risk.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Dellner Bubenzer mining brakes: integrated drivetrain design notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 10 hours ago

    Dellner Bubenzer mining brakes: integrated drivetrain design notes for engineers

    Dellner Bubenzer is supplying a wide range of industrial brakes and couplings for mining hoists, slewing drives and belt conveyors, developed in long-term collaboration with OEMs. The company focuses on both service and emergency braking solutions tailored to heavy-duty mining duty cycles and harsh environments, addressing controlled hoisting, precise slewing and high-tension conveyor stopping. For engineers, the key point is an integrated approach to drivetrain and braking design, rather than bolt-on safety systems, across multiple critical mining applications.

    SKRI ‘phytocapture’ at Raygorodok: dust control performance insights for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 23 hours ago

    SKRI ‘phytocapture’ at Raygorodok: dust control performance insights for mine engineers

    China’s Zijin Mining is expanding RG Gold’s Raygorodok operation in Kazakhstan with a $500 million processing plant while deploying SKRI’s ‘phytocapture’ system, planting over 100,000 Scots pines across more than 20 hectares about 1.7 km downwind of the open pit. Supercomputer modelling using regional wind-rose data sets tree species and spacing to form multilayered vegetative barriers, not simple landscaping. SKRI reports particulate-matter reductions above 40%, with the forest belt expected to capture roughly one-third of dust emissions as mining advances towards the barrier.

    Barrick’s Reko Diq copper project delays: capex and schedule lens for mine planners
    Mining
    about 24 hours ago

    Barrick’s Reko Diq copper project delays: capex and schedule lens for mine planners

    Barrick Mining has warned of “significant increases” to the capital budget and schedule for the 50%-owned Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan, where Phase 1 was previously costed at US$5.6–6.0 billion and Phase 2 at US$3.3–3.6 billion, with first production targeted by end-2028. Citing escalating security risks in Pakistan and the wider region, Barrick will slow field development and extend the technical and financing review to mid‑2027, while keeping the project under “active management” with reduced capital spend. The porphyry deposit, holding an estimated 15 million tonnes of copper reserves and modelled for a 37‑year mine life, remains central to Barrick’s Tier 1 copper strategy and its long-term community commitments in Balochistan.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy