Ivanhoe’s giant Makoko copper find gets 30% bigger
Ivanhoe Mines announced that its Makoko District in the Democratic Republic of Congo now contains 42 million tonnes of indicated resources grading 2.66% copper and 612 million tonnes of inferred resources grading 1.8% copper, a 30% increase from the 2025 estimate. The company plans to begin a scoping study in the first quarter of 2027 and is considering open pits alongside underground mining. About 60,000 metres of drilling completed in 2026 was not included in the latest estimate.
Why it matters: This expansion underscores the theme of copper supply security, as rising prices and a dwindling pipeline of major discoveries intensify concerns about future supply.