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Mining continues to be suspended at Kakula in wake of seismic activity

Underground activities have been on suspension at the Kakula underground mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, owned by Canadian diversified mining company Ivanhoe Mines, since a seismic activity occurred on 25 May.  

Seismic activity at the mine has continued to occur intermittently since then. Senior management and a team of geotechnical experts continue to conduct a thorough investigation of the mine to understand the cause and effect of the seismic activity.

Employees have been safely brought above ground and mobile equipment removed from the mine workings, and zero lost time injuries have been reported. Preliminary indications are that seismic activity could potentially continue for weeks, which would inhibit access to the mine and prolong the suspension of operations.

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As a result of the impact on underground pumping and electrical infrastructure, there has been an increase in water inflow levels into the mine. Detailed dewatering plans, including the acquisition of additional pumping equipment to increase pumping capacity and allow for dewatering from surface, are currently being prepared.

Ivanhoe Mines’ president and chief executive officer, Marna Cloete comments: “I would like to extend my profound thanks to our dedicated workforce, who have shown exceptional resilience and commitment while working under challenging conditions during the recent seismic activity. The safety of our employees is our highest priority. While underground mining operations are temporarily suspended, we are focusing our efforts on maintaining pumping and water management infrastructure, including accelerating procurement for dewatering equipment from surface. We are working around the clock with the world’s foremost geotechnical experts to establish the cause of the issues we faced and how we will resolve them.”