DRC Mining: Cobalt News, Copper Developments and Market Analysis

Glencore is one of the largest mining operators in the DRC, with major cobalt and copper assets including the Katanga and Mutanda operations in Lualaba province. Ivanhoe Mines operates the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, which has rapidly become one of the highest-grade and highest-volume copper mines in the world. China Molybdenum (CMOC) operates the Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine, one of the DRC's largest. Chinese companies have also expanded significantly across the Copperbelt in recent years.

The DRC is often described as one of the most mineral-rich countries on earth. Estimates of the total value of its untapped mineral resources run into the tens of trillions of dollars, including cobalt, copper, coltan, gold, diamonds and cassiterite. However, converting geological wealth into economic development has been hindered by governance failures, infrastructure deficits, armed conflict in eastern provinces and decades of institutional instability. The DRC ranks among the world's poorest countries by income despite its extraordinary mineral endowment.

The DRC is most closely associated with cobalt. The country holds roughly 50-55% of the world's confirmed cobalt reserves and produces approximately 70% of global cobalt mine supply. Cobalt is a critical material in lithium-ion battery cathodes, making DRC cobalt central to the global EV battery supply chain. The DRC is also a major copper producer, and the Copperbelt region it shares with Zambia is one of the world's most significant copper mining districts.

Ownership of DRC mining assets is spread across a combination of Chinese state-backed and private companies, Western majors and mid-tiers, and the Congolese state through Gecamines. Chinese companies including China Molybdenum (CMOC), Zijin Mining and various smaller operators have significantly expanded their DRC footprint over the past decade. Glencore and Ivanhoe Mines represent the largest Western-affiliated operations. Gecamines holds equity stakes in various joint ventures across the Copperbelt.

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the DRC involves hundreds of thousands of miners working independently or in informal groups to extract cobalt, gold, coltan and other minerals by hand or with basic tools. ASM provides livelihoods for large sections of the population in mining provinces but has been associated with dangerous working conditions, child labour in cobalt pits, and traceability challenges for supply chains. Companies sourcing DRC cobalt face scrutiny over whether artisanal material enters their supply chains, driving demand for certification schemes such as the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) and Fair Cobalt Alliance.