[SMM News] DRC Moves to Tighten State Control Over Geological Data, Builds National Databank Covering Lithium

The Democratic Republic of Congo is accelerating geological mapping, airborne surveys and digitisation of historical records to build a national geological databank covering its critical minerals, including lithium, according to Raoul Wazenga Vitima, director general of the National Geological Survey of Congo (SGNC).

A $180 million contract with geodata firm Xcalibur began in January and is surveying more than 700,000 sq km using airborne geophysics and data analytics to identify exploration targets across the country's largely unexplored territory. The programme is one of several ongoing mapping initiatives funded by the government, mining revenues and international partners, with results feeding into the national databank, which is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026.

SGNC estimates systematic exploration currently covers barely 20% of the country, meaning large areas holding potential lithium deposits remain unmapped. Congo hosts lithium deposits alongside other critical minerals, though exploration activity to date has been concentrated mainly in the country's copper-cobalt belt, leaving lithium-prospective ground comparatively underexplored.

Unlike jurisdictions such as Australia, Congo plans to retain state control over access to the databank. Vitima said the system will operate on a tiered basis, with basic geological information available free of charge and access to more sensitive datasets fee-based, with revenues intended to fund continued exploration and mapping. He did not specify the fee structure or which data categories would be charged.

Vitima said the database is not intended to favour any single trading partner and that access rules would apply equally to all companies regardless of origin. He said Congo also has geological survey partnerships with France's BRGM, South Africa's Council for Geoscience, KoBold Metals, Atlas Park, Japan's Solafune and Belgium's AfricaMuseum, and that Saudi Arabia is separately using Xcalibur for its own national geological mapping, with Congo sharing exploration experience with the kingdom.