Ivanhoe Confirms High-grade Zinc and Copper Mineralization at Kipushi

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (TSX:IVN) announced the first set of assay results from the underground diamond drilling program at its Kipushi copper-zinc-germanium-lead and precious metals mine. They confirm “initial visual estimates of high-grade zinc and copper mineralization” in the Big Zinc and Serie Recurrente zones.

Significant results received thus far include:

• Three holes drilled to validate historical models of the down-plunge continuity of Big Zinc mineralization returned zinc grades of 40.9% over 348.5 metres, 44.8% over 339.4 metres, and 33.3% over 305.8 metres. The down-plunge geometry of the holes does not allow for estimation of true widths.
• Internal zones of exceptionally rich mineralization in the first two holes, KPU001 and KPU002, returned zinc grades of 60.4% over 35.1 metres, 56.3% over 18.0 metres, and 56.6% over 71 metres. These internal zones also returned germanium grades of 87.2, 120.4 and 111.9 grams per tonne (g/t), respectively.
• An internal copper-silver-germanium rich zone in the third hole KPU003 graded 6.1% copper, 44.5% zinc, 144 g/t silver and 66.9 g/t germanium over 31 metres from 197 metres. Historical resource estimates at Kipushi excluded silver and germanium.
• The third hole, KPU003, also discovered a zone grading 58.6% zinc and 293.8 g/t germanium over 22.3 metres, approximately 180 metres below the historical measured and indicated resources. This exceptional grade intersection may represent an extension to the Big Zinc or the start of a new zinc- and germanium-rich zone, and will be followed up by ongoing drilling.
• In addition, two holes from Ivanhoe’s exploratory drilling program targeting the Série Récurrente (‘Recurring Series’) zone at the north end of the Kipushi deposit returned very high copper and silver grades. Hole KPU008 intersected 11.4 metres (estimated true width of 11.2 metres) grading 17% copper and 89.6 g/t silver.

Robert Friedland, executive chairman of Ivanhoe, commented:

Zinc grades of between 56% and 60% typically are found in high-quality zinc concentrates, rather than primary mineralization. These initial assay results highlight the remarkable metal endowment of the mineralization extending below the Kipushi deposit as previously mined by Gécamines.

Click here to read the full Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (TSX:IVN) press release.