By: Ndlovu Nqobile
Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines has increased the size of its Western Forelands copper discovery in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by 30%, with the latest resource update strengthening the company’s view that the Makoko District is one of the world’s most significant new copper discoveries.
According to the company’s Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer Marna Cloete, the updated Mineral Resource estimate demonstrates continued strong growth at the Western Forelands, where Ivanhoe has now identified more than 55 million tonnes of contained copper across the broader basin.
The company said the Makoko District ranks as the world’s largest and highest-grade new copper discovery of the past decade.
The 2026 Mineral Resource estimate for the Makoko District stands at 34 million tonnes grading 2.66% copper in the Indicated category, alongside 612 million tonnes grading 1.80% copper in the Inferred category. The Kiala deposit, discovered in 2020, remains unchanged at eight million tonnes grading 2.67% copper.
The updated figures follow approximately 64,000 metres of diamond drilling completed in 106 holes during the 15 months between the previous resource estimate and the latest update.
Ivanhoe said the drilling added about 130,000 tonnes of contained copper to the Indicated Mineral Resource, representing a 17% increase, while approximately 2.63 million tonnes of contained copper were added to the Inferred category, a 31% increase.
The company said the resource estimate does not include exploration drilling completed after March 31, 2026, meaning additional drilling results are expected to contribute to a future resource update.
Ivanhoe plans to intensify its exploration programme in the fourth quarter, including infill drilling targeting shallow mineralisation that could potentially support open-pit mining.
The Western Forelands Exploration Project covers a majority-owned licence package spanning about 2,426 square kilometres, more than six times the size of the adjacent Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex.
The Makoko District consists of a series of interconnected copper discoveries that Ivanhoe believes share geological characteristics with the Kamoa orebody.
Ivanhoe said the potential development of Makoko could benefit from the infrastructure, technical expertise and operational experience gained through the rapid development of the nearby Kamoa-Kakula project.
The company expects development of Makoko could involve several shallow open pits, potentially allowing lower capital requirements and faster development.
A scoping study for the Makoko District is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The study is expected to assess the development potential of the district, including some of the high-grade mineralisation that Ivanhoe believes could support open-pit mining.
Friedland said the continued expansion of the Western Forelands discoveries reinforces the importance of the copper basin at a time when the global industry is facing increasing pressure to find new sources of the metal.
Ivanhoe said its exploration success in the Western Forelands has been achieved at a very low discovery cost, with the company continuing to expand the resource base through its drilling programme.
The company is also scheduled to host an investor webinar to discuss the updated Mineral Resource estimate and provide further details on its exploration and development plans for the Western Forelands.