Following the seismic activity that occurred at the Kakula copper mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in May, Kamoa-Kakula’s engineering team implemented a three-stage plan to dewater the mine, of which Stage 2 is expected to start “imminently”, TSX- and OTCQX-listed Ivanhoe Mines revealed in an operational update published on August 25.

Stage 1 dewatering activities to stabilise and maintain current water levels were completed on June 2.

Stage 2, which will begin soon, comprises the installation of four new high-capacity, submersible pumps and new permanent surface infrastructure to dewater the eastern side of the Kakula mine from surface.

Kamoa-Kakula’s engineering team ordered the Stage 2 high-capacity, submersible pumps, each rated with a pumping capacity of 650 ℓ/s, from Hefei Hengda Jianghai Pump of Anhui province, China.

Four of the five pumps have been delivered and are undergoing installation. The remaining pump will be shipped at a later date and kept in reserve as a spare.

Representatives from Hefei Hengda Jianghai Pump are currently on site overseeing the installation of the submersible pumps, alongside Kamoa-Kakula’s project engineering team.

The 4.2 MW submersible pumps are being installed in pairs down two adjacent, existing 400 m shafts that access a deep section of the eastern side of the Kakula mine. The pumps, as well as the associated valves and piping, are currently being lowered into place from the surface.

The submersible pumps will be fully submerged until the end of November, when the majority of the dewatering is expected to be complete and the water level reaches near the bottom of the Stage 2 dewatering shafts.

The submersible pumps will be powered by a separate, dedicated 20 MW generator, primarily to minimise any disruption risk from the electrical grid.

Ivanhoe also confirmed that the rehabilitation of the currently accessible areas underground at Kakula is now complete, restoring access to all areas of the mine up to the current water levels.

Once the new Stage 2 high-capacity, submersible pumps, located on the eastern side of the Kakula mine, are operational, the Stage 1 temporary underground pumping infrastructure will be remobilised to assist with the Stage 2 dewatering activities.

Dewatering the western side of the Kakula mine is expected to be completed within eight weeks. No seismic activity was experienced in the western side of the mine.

Therefore, regaining access to the high-grade areas on this side of the mine is expected to be relatively quick, as no additional rehabilitation measures will be required. Therefore, mining grades from the Kakula mine are expected to improve notably towards year-end.

In addition, as water levels subside on the eastern side of the Kakula mine, rehabilitation will begin immediately as required. Selective mining within the existing workings on the eastern side of the mine is expected in the first quarter of next year.

Stage 3 dewatering activities will start late this year, consisting of the rehabilitation and recommissioning of major existing pump stations on the eastern side of the Kakula mine that are currently underwater.

Stage 3 will be the final dewatering stage, which will use the existing horizontal pumping infrastructure to dewater the remaining areas deep on the eastern side.

Kamoa-Kakula’s engineering team is expected to provide Kamoa-Kakula’s 2026 and 2027 copper production guidance in mid-late September. A life-of-mine plan, to be included in an updated technical report, is also expected to be released late in the first quarter of 2026.

Further, mechanical and electrical equipment installation for the refurbished Turbine #5 at the Inga II hydroelectric facility is now complete. Precommissioning activities have already started and are expected to be completed early in the fourth quarter.