Mining in DRC - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

DRC Prioritizes Cobalt Governance and Value Addition in Talks with IMF

May 10, 2025May 10, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is intensifying efforts to assert greater control over its cobalt sector—one of the world’s most strategic mineral resources—following a high-level meeting held on May 8, 2025, between the Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba Kapinga Mulume, and a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Calixte Ahokpossi. The meeting was part of the IMF’s first review of the DRC’s Economic Program, backed by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). Key representatives from ARECOMS and the Technical and Coordination Unit of Mining Projects (CTCPM) also… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Copper Gold New Mining Projects Nickel

Ivanhoe Reaches Flatreef’s Rich Multimetal Orebody After 30-Year Quest

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 Constance

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer Marna Cloete announced that mining crews have driven underground development into the high-grade platinum, palladium, rhodium, nickel, gold, and copper orebody for the first time, as the mine rapidly advances to commercial production later this year. The significant milestone comes over 30 years since Ivanplats, the company’s subsidiary, acquired the first exploration licence and 15 years since the discovery of the 26-metre thick, flat-lying Flatreef orebody was announced. Today’s milestone also comes nine years… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Corporate News Energy

Soventix Joins Solar-Storage Project to Power DRC’s Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 Constance

German solar energy company Soventix GmbH will play a key role in the development of a large-scale solar and battery storage project to power the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The company announced its participation on April 30, 2025. Soventix will be responsible for planning, project management, and supplying key components. The project is being led by CrossBoundary Energy, a developer specializing in renewable energy solutions for commercial and industrial clients, which will operate the facility. Earlier in April, Kamoa Copper—the owner of the Kamoa-Kakula… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Electricity Mining in DRC

Zambia Approves Cross-Border Power Line to DRC Amid Growing Mining Demand

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 Constance

Zambia’s Energy Regulation Board has approved the Kalumbila-Kolwezi Interconnection Project (KKIP), paving the way for a new 330 kV high-voltage transmission line linking Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The approval, granted on May 6, 2025, marks a major milestone in the development of the 190-kilometre project. Led by Enterprise Power DRC (Enpower), a private electricity trading firm, the KKIP has been in development for several years. While Zambia’s greenlight is a key step forward, the project is still awaiting approval from the DRC’s electricity regulator. Comprehensive feasibility… Read More Here

Mining in DRC

Tantalite Prices Surge Amid DRC Supply Disruptions and Ongoing Conflict

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 Constance

Tantalite prices have surged by 25% since January 2025, reaching their highest levels since April 2023. According to sources, the ore is now trading between $100 and $105 per pound on the European spot market. The upward trend began in February, when data provider Argus raised its price estimates to $80–$88 per pound, up 8% from the previous range of $75 to $81. This rally is primarily driven by declining supply from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s leading producer of tantalum. In 2023, the DRC accounted for… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Corporate News Lithium New Mining Projects

KoBold Seeks Lithium Stake in DRC’s Manono Amid Legal Dispute and Geopolitical Shifts

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 Constance

KoBold Metals, a U.S.-based mining company backed by prominent investors including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, is intensifying efforts to secure rights to the Manono lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—a site widely regarded as a potential world-class lithium mine. A January 2024 estimate suggests Manono holds 669 million tonnes of resources with an average grade of 1.61% lithium. On May 6, 2025, KoBold and Australia’s AVZ Minerals issued a joint statement titled Developing Manono for Peace and Prosperity, signed by their CEOs, Kurt House and Nigel… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Contracts & tenders Transport and Logistics

DRC Launches Tender to Revive Key Northeastern Railway Corridor

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 Constance

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has launched an international tender to restore and modernize the Bumba–Aketi–Buta–Mungbere railway, an 870-kilometre line in the northeastern part of the country. The tender was officially announced on May 2, 2025, by the Ministry of Transport in Kinshasa. This narrow-gauge railway (0.60 meters), with rails ranging from 18 to 33 kg/m, was once a backbone of the regional economy, transporting agricultural and mineral products. However, it has been in disrepair since the late 1990s, following decades of neglect and the collapse of… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Partnership

DRC Partners with Former US Navy SEAL Erik Prince to Secure Mining Revenues

May 6, 2025May 6, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has signed an agreement with Erik Prince, a former US Navy SEAL and founder of the private military company Blackwater, to help secure its mining revenues. The agreement, reached several months ago before the January 2025 rebel offensive by M23 forces, aims to improve transparency in the extractive industries and ensure that production and revenues are distributed in line with the Congolese Mining Code. The initiative targets smuggling and corruption, which continue to cause substantial revenue losses. Initial operations were reportedly planned for the… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Exploration Oil & Gas

DRC Finalises Division of Cuvette Centrale with 52 New Oil Exploration Blocks

May 6, 2025May 6, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially opened 52 new oil exploration blocks in the Cuvette Centrale sedimentary basin, according to a recent announcement by Minister of Hydrocarbons, Aimé Sakombi Molendo. This marks the completion of the basin’s division into exploration zones. The process was carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Environment to ensure that boundaries of protected areas were respected. The newly designated blocks add to the three exploration areas previously awarded to state-owned COMICO, located in Mbandaka, Lokoro, and Busira. The Cuvette Centrale region is… Read More Here

Diamond Mining in DRC

Belgium-DRC: Former colonial power Belgium retains diamond mining interests in the DRC

May 5, 2025May 5, 2025 admin

Former colonial power Belgium retains mining interests in the DRC, particularly in diamonds and critical metals. Brussels is now demonstrating its willingness to strengthen its ties with Kinshasa, amid growing geopolitical rivalries over Congolese minerals. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (pictured, right) indicated this week that the kingdom is willing to strengthen its relations with the DRC in the mining sector. While we await a response from Kinshasa and details of this additional commitment from Brussels, we take a look back at the existing ties between the former colonial power… Read More Here