The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spending $180 million to map its vast and largely unexplored territory as Kinshasa seeks greater control over the geological information that could determine where billions of dollars in future mining investment flows.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is launching a $180 million initiative to modernize its geological mapping and build a national database of mineral resources, seeking to gain greater control over data that could shape future mining investment.
The project brings together Congolese authorities with partners from the US, France and South Africa, including KoBold Metals, France’s BRGM and the Council for Geoscience.
The nationwide programme, which began in January through a contract with Spain-based geodata company Xcalibur, will use airborne surveys, digitised historical records and advanced analytics to map more than 700,000 square kilometres of the country.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to build a national geological databank that is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026, according to Raoul Wazenga Vitima, director general of the National Geological Survey of Congo (SGNC).
