Zijin News, Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project of Zijin Mining sets fresh monthly record for underground development with 2,069 metres achieved in September and bring the total underground development to more than 22.6 kilometres.

Several underground development headings at the Kakula Mine now have transitioned into the higher-grade ore zones near the centre of the deposit, grading between approximately +5% copper and +8% copper. The project’s total

pre-production ore stockpiles has an estimated total of 803,000 tonnes of ores that now contains 540,000 tonnes grading an estimated 3.73% copper; comprised of 125,000 tonnes of high-grade ore grading 6.00% copper. Two additional, pre-production ore stockpiles are located at the Kakula South decline

(approximately 168,000 tonnes grading 2.73% copper) and the Kansoko decline

(approximately 95,000 tonnes grading 2.34% copper).
The main access drives between northern and southern declines is expected to connect next month and will significantly increase ventilation to the centre of the orebody, allowing for additional mining crews to begin work in Kakula’s high-grade ore zones. Underground mining crews at Kakula are focused on preparation work for developing the high grade, drift-and-fill stoping blocks in the centre of the orebody. Once drift-and-fill stoping operations begin, mining at the Kakula Mine will produce a significantly higher proportion of high-grade stoping ore than lower-grade development ore; and also  allow mining crews to deliver high-grade stoping ore directly from the underground to the processing plant.

Initial production at the Kakula Mine processing plant is scheduled for Q3 2021. Kakula is projected to be the world’s highest-grade major copper mine, with an initial mining rate of 3.8 Mtpa at an estimated average feed grade of more than 6.0% copper over the first five years of operation. Kakula is the first of multiple, planned, high-grade mining areas on the 400-square-kilometre Kamoa-Kakula mining licence.The mine will be powered by clean, renewable hydroelectricity and be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of copper produced.