The status of one of the world’s most important copper mines remains clouded in uncertainty, more than a week after seismic activity caused widespread flooding deep below ground.
(Bloomberg) — The status of one of the world’s most important copper mines remains clouded in uncertainty, more than a week after seismic activity caused widespread flooding deep below ground. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.’s Kamoa-Kakula complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the world’s top sources of copper and was on course to become the third-biggest supplier of the key energy-transition metal this year.
Yet its current condition is a mystery, with contrasting messages from its biggest shareholders. Some information has been disclosed: water levels have risen after pumping and electrical infrastructure in the Kakula underground mine was damaged.
Ivanhoe’s Chinese partners — Zijin Mining Group Co. and CITIC Metal — are helping to secure powerful pumps that can help remove that water. The impacted mine accounts for at least 70% of the complex’s current production, according to a note from analyst at Citigroup Inc. The flooding could shut the Kakula underground operation until at least the fourth quarter, Citi said, while adding that output can be ramped up without significant cost once the water has been pumped out.
For the rest of this article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-29/flooded-mine-in-congo-is-latest-threat-to-global-copper-supply