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Ivanhoe granted new copper exploration licences in Zambia

The Zambian government has granted Canadian mining company Ivanhoe Mines a 7,757-square-kilometre package of new exploration licences in the North-Western Province of the country. The company plans to use the licence package to explore for an extension of the Central African Copperbelt.

Since the signing of the memorandum of understanding, Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has been assisting Ivanhoe’s geological team in identifying the prospective licence package and providing access to existing geological data. The shared geological data also includes results from the country-wide airborne geophysical survey currently underway.

The new licence package is strategically located between Ivanhoe’s Western Forelands Exploration Project and its Angolan exploration licence package situated 130 km southwest.

Ivanhoe’s geological team will commence exploration activities for new copper mineralisation associated with Basement Domes, Katangan-age sediment-hosted copper systems and iron-oxide-copper-gold systems.

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The company continues to advance its exploration programme in the Western Forelands, with its 2025 exploration programme being its largest-ever, with $50 million dedicated to exploration activities – consisting of 102,000 metres of diamond drilling and 18,000 metres of reverse circulation drilling.

Ivanhoe Founder and Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland commented, “Our entrance into Zambia marks an exciting new chapter in Ivanhoe Mines’ commitment to expanding our exploration footprint and testing the extent of the Central African Copperbelt, which is already the world’s largest and highest-grade sedimentary Copperbelt.

“We are particularly encouraged by the proactive support and collaborative approach demonstrated by the Zambian government, underscoring the country’s commitment to fostering a stable and investor-friendly mining environment. As global demand for copper continues to grow, Ivanhoe Mines looks forward to contributing to Zambia’s economic development, supporting local communities and furthering our goal of finding the world’s next major copper deposits.”

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema also commented that “We welcome Ivanhoe Mines’ new chapter into Zambia’s mining industry -one that promises jobs, growth, and prosperity for our people. This new investment in copper exploration is not only about achieving our government’s vision of over 3 million tonnes of copper production by 2031, it’s also about unlocking opportunities, empowering communities, and ensuring that our resources benefit every Zambian. Together, we will build an economy that works for all, with transparency, fairness, and a shared vision for the future.”