Mining in DRC

Mining in the DRC has depended largely on cobalt, diamonds, gold and copper
mined in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) operations – employing around
12.5 million people. The future of mining in the DRC depends on US$24 trillion worth of untapped minerals, which is the equivalent to the GDP of Europe and the United States combined.

According to Africa Mining IQ, the largest current initiative concerning mining in the DRC is the Inga Mega Project, which is a ZAR78 billion power station expansion project undertaken 225 km south-west of Kinshasa. Africa Mining IQ keeps records of mining in the DRC with relation to values, progress, contact persons and companies involved – which in this case, is the government of the DRC.

	The Tenke Fungurume II project is listed by Africa Mining IQ as the largest copper mine in the DRC operation – valued at ZAR7.6 billion. Although the project has bi-minerals listed as cobalt, mining in the DRC is largely dependent on this type of copper extraction.
Africa Mining IQ describes how the minerals are located in two parallel concessions covering an area of 1500km2, along with a progress report detailing every phase initiated since June 2005.

The Africa Mining IQ database helps industry professionals keep up to date with future possibilities with regards to mining in the DRC. For example, the database shows two prospects in the grassroots phase detailing diamond mining in the DRC – the North Eastern DRC Project, and the Tshikapa Kimberlite Project. This type of information is vital for future investment opportunities and project tracking.