Ivanhoe Mines Reports Kipushi Mine Produced a Record 25,677 Tonnes of Zinc in May, Equivalent to 308,000 Tonnes of Zinc Annualized
Rhea-AI Summary
Ivanhoe Mines (OTCQX: IVPAF) reported the Kipushi Mine produced a record 25,677 tonnes of zinc in concentrate in May 2026, 12% above the prior record. The concentrators milled 72,003 tonnes of ore at 36.2% zinc grade and 93% recovery.
Year-to-date zinc output is about 110,000 tonnes, tracking near the midpoint of 2026 guidance of 240,000–290,000 tonnes. May’s record equates to an annualized rate of 308,000 tonnes, supporting expectations that Kipushi will rank among the world’s top four zinc mines in 2026. Construction of a second tailings storage facility is over 90% complete, with first deposits expected from October 2026 and designs targeting compliance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management.
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Positive
- Record May zinc production of 25,677 tonnes in concentrate, up 12% from January 2026
- Year-to-date zinc output ~110,000 tonnes, aligning with midpoint of 2026 guidance (240,000–290,000 tonnes)
- Annualized May rate of 308,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate
- High ore grades with 36.2% zinc plant feed and 93% recovery in May
- Stockpiled ore: 12,000 tonnes high-grade ROM at ~37% zinc and 254,000 tonnes lower grade at ~22% zinc
- Second tailings storage facility >90% complete, first tailings deposit expected from October 2026, designed for GISTM compliance
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – IVPAF
On the day this news was published, IVPAF gained 1.24%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Production record achieved as zinc prices near four-year highs
Kipushi Mine set to become world's fourth largest zinc producer in 2026
Kipushi, Democratic Republic of Congo--(Newsfile Corp. - June 4, 2026) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer Marna Cloete announced today that the Kipushi Mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) achieved a monthly production record of 25,677 tonnes of zinc in concentrate in May.
During the month, the concentrators milled a record 72,003 tonnes of ore at an average recovery of
Year-to-date zinc production totals approximately 110,000 tonnes of zinc. Annualized, this is equivalent to approximately the mid-point of the 2026 production guidance range of 240,000 to 290,000 tonnes of zinc.
During May, 85,811 tonnes of ore were mined and hoisted to the surface. At the end of May, approximately 12,000 tonnes of ore were stored in surface, high-grade run-of-mine (ROM) stockpiles, at a grade of approximately
Aerial view over the Kipushi Mine. The concentrator production record achieved in May is equivalent to an annualized rate of 308,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/300131_ivanhoe2en.jpg
Figure 1. World's top 10 zinc mines by contained zinc production in 2025 ('000 tonnes), with head grade (% zinc). Kipushi is on track to meet 2026 production guidance, placing it among the top 4 zinc mining operations.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/300131_ivanhoe1en.jpg
Source: S&P Capital IQ, 2025. Production for Kipushi is 2026 guidance range as disclosed on January 14, 2026
Notes: 2025 paid zinc production and head grade per Capital IQ estimates. Lanping Jinding excluded.
*2024 actual zinc head grade due to unavailability of 2025 estimates
Figure 2. Three-year zinc price chart ($ per pound of payable zinc), overlaid with Kipushi's 2024 and 2025 actual cash costs (C1) and the 2026 cash costs (C1) guidance range.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/300131_38a5f0fcb434db23_004full.jpg
Source: Bloomberg
Aerial view of the Kipushi Mine's tailings storage facilities. A new facility is under construction (bottom) adjacent to the existing storage facility (top). The first deposit of tailings is expected in October 2026. Kipushi has the smallest tailings storage facility of any major base metal mine, globally.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/300131_ivanhoe4en.jpg
Construction of Kipushi's tailings storage facility expansion is nearing completion.
Construction of the Kipushi Mine's second tailings storage facility (TSF) is over
About Ivanhoe Mines
Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal operations in Southern Africa; the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC, the ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC; and the tier-one Platreef platinum-palladium-nickel-rhodium-gold-copper mine in South Africa.
Ivanhoe Mines is exploring for copper in its highly prospective, 54
Information contact
Follow Robert Friedland (@robert_ivanhoe) and Ivanhoe Mines (@IvanhoeMines_) on X.
Investors
Tommy Horton +44 7866 913 207 (London)
Eric Zurmuehle +1 203 451 5834 (New York)
Media
Tanya Todd +1 604 331 9834 (Vancouver)
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/300131