DAKAR, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Ivanhoe Mines ( IVPAF ) produced

71,226 metric tons of copper and a record 57,200 tons of zinc in

the third quarter from its flagship Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi

mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the company said on

Tuesday.

The Vancouver-based miner said robust copper output kept it

on track to meet full-year production guidance of 370,000 to

420,000 tons, as mining shifts to higher-grade zones in Kakula's

western section.

Zinc production at Kipushi surged 37% quarter-on-quarter,

driven by a programme to remove processing bottlenecks and boost

throughput, positioning the mine among the world's top

producers, the company said.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AT KAKULA

Ivanhoe faced significant production setbacks earlier this

year due to seismic activity at the Kakula Mine that disrupted

underground operations and lowered copper grades.

The company has since ramped up efforts to address the

challenges, including securing $500 million from Qatar's

sovereign wealth fund to expand operations and position

Kamoa-Kakula as a top-tier global copper producer.

Reuters reported in September that the company was in

constant dialogue with sovereign wealth funds for potential

investments to boost production of copper and other critical

minerals.

Ivanhoe confirmed the start-up of Africa's largest copper

smelter in early November, supported by a newly installed

60-megawatt uninterruptible power supply and 60 MW of diesel

backup.

The smelter will process all concentrate from Kamoa-Kakula's

three concentrators and produce up to 700,000 tons of sulphuric

acid annually, a key reagent in the copperbelt.

At Kipushi, Ivanhoe maintained its 2025 zinc production

guidance of 180,000 to 240,000 tons.