Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo: Ivanhoe Mines has announced a major expansion of its Makoko District copper discovery in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with contained copper increasing by 30% to approximately 12 million tonnes following around 64,000 metres of additional diamond drilling.
The updated 2026 Mineral Resource estimate places the Makoko District within Ivanhoe’s broader Western Forelands Exploration Project, an extensive copper exploration area located near the company’s Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex.
According to Ivanhoe, the Western Forelands now contains 42 million tonnes of Indicated Mineral Resources grading 2.66% copper, along with 612 million tonnes of Inferred Mineral Resources grading 1.80% copper, on a 100% project basis.
The Makoko District includes the Makoko, Makoko West and Kitoko discoveries. Since the initial Makoko resource estimate, the mineralized strike length has expanded by more than 400% to around 16 kilometres, while the combined area has grown to approximately 61 square kilometres. Mineralization remains open in several directions, indicating further exploration potential.
Ivanhoe plans to expand its drilling program later this year, with a focus on shallow mineralization and upgrading portions of the Inferred Resource into the Indicated category. The company also expects to begin a Makoko scoping study in the first quarter of 2027.
The company says potential development could involve a combination of shallow open-pit and underground mining, which could help accelerate the path toward production. However, mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not by themselves demonstrate economic viability.