PROJECTS AND EXPLORATION •
capacity , and the mine towards Phase 2 production capacity , the surface stockpiles are expected to continue to build at a reduced rate .
On 9 June , Kamoa Copper announced the signing of copper concentrate and blister copper off-take agreements with CITIC Metal and Gold Mountains International Mining , a subsidiary of Zijin , for 50 % each of the copper products from Kamoa ’ s Kakula Phase 1 production . With off-take agreements in place , Kamoa Copper also secured all necessary authorisations to export copper products from the Kamoa-Kakula mine to international markets .
KAMOA PLANT NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL
• Location : DRC
• Phase : Production
• Resource : Copper
Kamoa Copper announced that its 3.8 million-tonne-per-annum ( Mtpa ) concentrator plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ) is now fully operational .
According to Kamoa CEO Mark Farren the first truckloads of copper concentrate were transported to the nearby Lualaba Copper Smelter on 01 June 2021 .
“ We are extremely proud to have signed off-take agreements with CITIC Metal and Zijin at internationally competitive terms and are satisfied with the long-term tolling agreement with the local Lualaba Copper Smelter , in keeping with our commitment to in-country beneficiation , which includes Kamoa Copper ' s longerterm ambition to develop its own direct-to-blister smelter ,” says chairman of the board Ben Munanga .
The operation of the phase one concentrator and the authorisation of international copper concentrate exports are both significant milestones for Kamoa Copper , as it marks Kamoa Copper ’ s next phase of business operations , moving from exploration and development to production . With Kamoa Coppers ’ focus on in-country beneficiation coupled with its ability to produce high grade copper at international standards , this new phase will enable increased economic development for the DRC .
“ To-date , more than 10 500 dry metric tonnes of concentrate have been delivered to the local smelter , and first blister copper ingots received ,” says Farren .
The first ore was fed into the concentrator plant on 20th May 2021 , and production of first copper concentrate began on 25th May , several months ahead of schedule . As of 30 June , 313 000 tonnes of ore with a copper grade of 4.85 % has been transported directly from Kakula ’ s underground operations to the run of mine ( ROM ) stockpile . The team is currently preparing for the final plant performance tests , which will bring the C4 or ‘ hot ’ commissioning operations to a close . Feed grades are expected to increase during the month of July .
According to Farren , the past month was dedicated to the phase one plant commissioning , following the celebration of Kamoa ’ s first concentrate production .
“ We expect to meet our copper production targets for the rest of the year , and we are making good progress on the phase two concentrator plant , which is still on-track to be completed ahead of time ,” says Farren .
A total of 338 000 tonnes grading 4.59 % copper was mined in June and comprised 295 000 tonnes grading 4.76 % copper from the Kakula Mine , including 66 200 tonnes grading 7.71 % copper from the mine ’ s high-grade centre , and 43 000 tonnes grading 3.43 % copper from the Kansoko Mine .
Kamoa Copper ’ s pre-production surface stockpiles now contain approximately 3.4 million tonnes of high-grade and medium-grade ore at an estimated , blended average of 4.78 % copper . Contained copper in the stockpiles at the end of May now totals more than 162 000 tonnes . As the plant ramps up to full Phase 1 design
AKOBO SOURCES SECOND DRILL RIG
• Location : Ethiopia
• Phase : Exploration
• Resource : Gold
Akobo Minerals has signed an agreement with Midroc Geo / Exploration Services in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , to supply a second drill rig to start core drilling on the Segele gold deposit .
The drill rig will mobilise to the Akobo region shortly and the company anticipates that the drilling will start upon arrival in field . This development is an important part of increasing the Segele Mineral Resources , advancing the Joru target and supporting ongoing mining studies , as described in our company presentation from May this year .
“ This is another milestone in our Ethiopian journey . The mobilisation of a second drill rig to start additional resource
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