TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines has made a high-grade copper discovery to the west of its Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The discovery was made on joint venture licences recently acquired in the Western Foreland, with the discovery having been named Kitoko, which means “beautiful” or “gift” in the local languages.

The Kitoko discovery confirms the presence of a high-grade copper mineralisation system between 1 000 m and 1 140 m below the surface.

Kitoko fine-grained copper mineralisation is hosted in near flat-lying siltstone of the lower Grand Conglomerate, like that observed at the tier-one Kamoa, Kakula, Makoko and Kiala deposits.

Additionally, like these deposits, the Kitoko mineralisation is bottom-loaded with the highest copper grades occurring at the base of the mineralised zone.

Ivanhoe explains that, as mineralisation occurs at the Kakula orebody, the lower section of the mineralised zone features occurrences of high-grade chalcocite and bornite copper sulphide minerals, with chalcopyrite copper sulphide mineralisation more prevalent towards the top.

The currently defined mineralised zone is trending southwest over 1.9 km of strike, with a dip extent of between 600 m and mineralisation remains open in all directions.

The Kitoko discovery is about 25 km west of the ultrahigh-grade Kakula mine, and five kilometres south and southeast of the Makoko deposit and is located inside a package of newly acquired joint venture (JV) licences in the Western Foreland.

Some of Kikoto’s intersections include 3.37 m of copper grading 3.54% from a downhole depth of 1 077 m; 6.43 m of copper grading 4.92% from a downhole depth of 1 071 m; 4.18 m of copper grading 3.6% copper from a downhole depth of 1 065 m; and 6.79 m of copper grading 3.35% from a downhole depth of 1 089 m.

The new package of licences increases Ivanhoe’s highly prospective Western Foreland land position by 10% to 2 654 km².

Under the terms of the JV that covers the 247 km² of newly acquired licences, Ivanhoe has an initial interest of 10% with an earn-in right to increase its ownership by funding ongoing exploration activities.

Ivanhoe expects to make further exploration spending commitments in 2024, to increase its interest to 60%.

The company started exploration activity on the Western Foreland licences in July 2017

By the end of 2023, Ivanhoe expects to have completed more than 166 000 m of diamond drilling on these sites.

When combined with the recent mineral resources at the nearby Makoko and Kiala deposits, the Kitoko discovery marks a turning point for our strategy in the Western Foreland. We are excited to explore options for near-term, high-grade copper production across our majority-owned licences,” says Ivanhoe founder and co-chairperson Robert Friedland.