Ivanhoe Mines is pleased to announce an updated Mineral Resource estimate for the Makoko District, part of its expansive Western Forelands Exploration Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The new 2026 estimate reveals a 30% increase in contained copper, now totaling approximately 12 million tonnes.
The Western Forelands Exploration Project spans 2,426 square kilometres, a licence area over six times larger than the nearby Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex. Within this vast region, the Makoko District stands out as a series of interconnected, world-class copper discoveries, continuing to grow in size and significance.
Since the last update in May 2025, Ivanhoe has completed roughly 64,000 metres of diamond drilling, using mineable shape optimization (MSO) to refine resource estimates. This methodology enhances the accuracy of reported Mineral Resources compared to previous block model estimates.
“The Western Forelands discoveries continue to grow explosively, confirming the area as the most important sedimentary-hosted copper basin on our planet,” said Ivanhoe Founder and Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland. “In the past 30 years, it’s hard to find a copper system larger than this. Our geologists have already identified over 55 million tonnes of copper in the basin, and we’re confident more world-class systems will be found for generations.”
“Makoko remains the world’s largest and highest-grade new copper discovery of the past decade, arriving at a time when new copper sources are desperately needed but becoming increasingly rare. Our discovery rate is extraordinary, 100 million pounds of contained copper for every 1,000 metres drilled, at an exceptionally low cost, creating tremendous shareholder value.”
“This year, we will intensify drilling efforts, with a projected 60,000 metres planned beyond the current update. We also plan to begin scoping studies shortly, targeting some of the highest-grade open-pit copper mines globally,” Friedland added.
This latest resource update underscores Ivanhoe Mines’ leadership in copper exploration and development in the DRC. With ongoing drilling and evaluation, the company aims to expand the resource further and advance towards mining feasibility.
