en.Wedoany.com Reported - Zambian copper producer Jubilee has resumed delivering run-of-mine ore from the Molefe Mine to the Sable Refinery, marking significant progress in its copper strategy expansion. After completing the integration of Pit 2 and Pit 3, the company has restarted refining activities and will steadily ramp up production.
According to the updated mining plan, Jubilee's Molefe Mine in Zambia has recommenced deliveries of run-of-mine ore to the Sable Refinery, with the first batch delivered and refining activities subsequently resumed. The accelerated pre-stripping plan, initiated in April 2026 and targeted for completion in July 2026, aims to support sustained production growth and improve feed supply. Development work to integrate Pit 2 and Pit 3 into a single open-pit mine is progressing well.
The updated mining plan optimizes the extraction scope of the orebody, enabling access to a larger volume of high-grade and medium-grade copper material. Following the completion of pit integration and development, the Molefe Mine plans to increase deliveries of high-grade copper ore from the vein to the Sable Refinery from approximately 12,000 tons per quarter to over 30,000 tons. Specific targets are: increasing run-of-mine ore deliveries to approximately 6,000 tons per month in June 2026, to approximately 8,500 tons per month in August, and achieving stable deliveries of 10,000 tons per month by October 2026. This represents an increase of over 100% in run-of-mine ore deliveries to Sable. The production ramp-up plan will utilize a mix of freshly mined ore and strategic stockpile materials, while advancing integrated on-site ore sorting and processing capabilities for both high-grade and low-grade run-of-mine ore. The combined copper ore vein extraction is expected to reach 60,000 tons per quarter, with an average stripping ratio of 6:1.
Jubilee CEO Leon Coetzer stated that resuming deliveries of run-of-mine ore to the Sable Refinery is a significant milestone in the ongoing expansion of the Zambian copper strategy, demonstrating the rapid progress of the Molefe Mine under the updated mining plan. He believes the Molefe Mine is developing into a cornerstone asset for the company's integrated mine-to-metal platform, with operations expected to achieve substantial production increases in the coming months. The integration of Pit 2 and Pit 3, along with the ongoing pre-stripping plan, enables the Molefe Mine to support sustained growth and enhance the flexibility of feed supply to the Sable Refinery. He noted that the Molefe Mine represents Jubilee's first scalable copper growth model in Zambia, with the company's strategy being to explore while mining, simultaneously expanding production and the resource base. By increasing on-site ore sorting, future processing capabilities, and regional resource expansion, the company is building a blueprint that can be replicated across multiple copper opportunities in the region.
The next phase of development at the Molefe Mine focuses on advancing on-site ore processing capabilities. This strategy is expected to be implemented in two stages: first, on-site ore sorting to better differentiate between high-grade and low-grade materials, followed by on-site processing of low-grade materials, aiming to maximize copper recovery and improve project economics. Concurrently, Jubilee is expanding the scope of resource definition activities across the greater Molefe area, targeting additional exploration assets acquired within the region. Ongoing drilling and exploration activities are intended to support future mine expansion and establish a larger resource base to underpin the copper platform. An independent third party is expected to compile a JORC-compliant resource report following the completion of the Phase 2 drilling program, currently targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to the timely receipt of assay results.
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