In the first quarter of this year, Zijing’s Kamoa-Kakula Copper mine in Democratic Republic of the Congo produced 94,000 tons of copper, of which it produced a record of 35,000 tons in March and set the latest record of weekly and single-day production. The annual production guidance target of 390,000-430,000 tons of copper remains unchanged.

In the first quarter, the first and second phases treated a total of 1.93 million tons of ore, with an average grade of 5.4%. In March, the recovery rate of the first and second phase of the plant far exceeded the design index, the average monthly recovery rate as high as 88.3%, and the period once reached 90%, much higher than the design 86% index of Kamoa.

After the completion of the expansion construction of the kamoa, a total of 35,000 tons of copper in concentrate in months, including the record of weekly production of 9,016 tons of copper in the middle of March, and a record of 1,563 tons of copper on March 25.

By the end of March, Kamoa had accumulated about 4.2 million tons of high-grade and medium-grade ore, with an average copper grade of about 3.9%. In the first quarter, 2 million tons of ore were produced, copper grade 5.2%, including 1.8 million tons of ore extracted in Kakula mine, copper grade 5.6%, of which 800,000 tons of ore extracted in the high grade center of the deposit, copper grade 6.7%.

In addition, Kamoa is planning to install a separate backup power supply system in the mines to ensure that it can operate properly in the event of power outages.

According to the previously announced pre-feasibility study, the 5 million t / year selection plant will start production in the fourth quarter of 2024. By the end of March 2023, about 24% of the overall construction of the selection plant has been completed. The construction of the supporting copper smelter is progressing as schedule, about 36% has been completed. The earthwork has been completed and the civil works is progressing smoothly.