Mines Minister Louis Watum launched DR Congo’s national airborne geophysical and geological mapping project at Ndolo airport in Kinshasa on 5 October. The Congolese Press Agency reported that the campaign will be carried out with the National Geological Survey of Congo (SGNC) and technical support from XCalibur, covering Kongo Central, Kwango, Kwilu and Grand Kasai.

The ministry projects that geoscientific coverage will rise from 22.27% to 46.1%. Watum cautioned that a geophysical anomaly is not necessarily a mineral deposit and may require field confirmation. The campaign begins new data collection; the announcement does not report a deposit discovery or production result.