en.Wedoany.com Reported - Ivanhoe Mines expects copper production at its Kamoa-Kakula copper mine complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo to rise in the second half of 2026, boosting supply from one of the world's largest copper mines. The output increase is mainly driven by higher mining rates and inventory drawdown.

The Vancouver-based miner's subsidiary in Congo is a key source of copper supply growth in the mining industry, with analysts predicting a tighter global copper market in 2026. This follows the company's downward revision of its 2026 and 2027 copper output forecasts in April due to seismic impacts at the Kakula mine.

According to the statement, Kamoa-Kakula produced 64,328 metric tons of anode copper, blister copper, and saleable concentrate in the second quarter of 2025, bringing total first-half output to 135,745 tons. Ivanhoe maintained its 2026 production guidance between 290,000 and 330,000 tons. Based on the midpoint of this guidance, second-half output would increase by about 28% compared to the first half.

As production ramps up, mining rates at Kakula will increase by 30% in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, Ivanhoe plans to destock up to 10,000 tons of inventory in the second half of 2026. The company also noted that sulfuric acid prices remain exceptionally strong, with July sales contracts priced at around $840 per ton, a record level. Its on-site smelter produced 112,307 tons of sulfuric acid in the quarter.

At the Kipushi mine in Congo, Ivanhoe delivered a record 70,177 metric tons of zinc concentrate, an 8% increase from the previous quarter.