KINSHASA — September 8, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo plans to make its national geological data bank fully operational by the end of 2026, placing access to strategic mining information under state control.
Basic geological information will be available free of charge, while companies and other users will have to pay for access to more commercially sensitive datasets, according to Raoul Wazenga Vitima, director general of the National Geological Survey of Congo, known as SGNC.
Wazenga told Reuters that requests for information would be assessed against investors' needs and the protection of the DRC's strategic interests.
The SGNC has not yet published the fee structure or specified which information will be free and which datasets will require payment.
Read the September 8 Reuters report
Geological information to remain under Congolese ownership
The access model is part of a broader effort to map the DRC's mineral resources, digitise historical records and give the state a stronger understanding of the country's underground wealth.
The SGNC estimates that systematic exploration has covered only around 20% of the country, despite the DRC's major deposits of copper, cobalt, lithium, tantalum and gold.
One of the largest initiatives is a three-year programme being carried out with Spanish geodata company Xcalibur Smart Mapping. The project will survey more than 700,000 square kilometres using airborne magnetic, radiometric, gravity and electromagnetic technologies, supported by fieldwork and advanced data analysis.
Xcalibur says all information generated through the programme will remain the property of the SGNC and the Congolese government, which will decide how it is used and shared.
MINING AND MINERALS
DRC to Launch State-Controlled Geological Data Bank in 2026
8 sept. 2026
8 sept. 2026
4 min read
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KINSHASA — September 8, 2026 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo plans to make its national geological data bank fully operational by the end of 2026, placing access to strategic mining information under state control.
Basic geological information will be available free of charge, while companies and other users will have to pay for access to more commercially sensitive datasets, according to Raoul Wazenga Vitima, director general of the National Geological Survey of Congo, known as SGNC.
Wazenga told Reuters that requests for information would be assessed against investors' needs and the protection of the DRC's strategic interests.
The SGNC has not yet published the fee structure or specified which information will be free and which datasets will require payment.
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Geological information to remain under Congolese ownership
The access model is part of a broader effort to map the DRC's mineral resources, digitise historical records and give the state a stronger understanding of the country's underground wealth.
The SGNC estimates that systematic exploration has covered only around 20% of the country, despite the DRC's major deposits of copper, cobalt, lithium, tantalum and gold.
One of the largest initiatives is a three-year programme being carried out with Spanish geodata company Xcalibur Smart Mapping. The project will survey more than 700,000 square kilometres using airborne magnetic, radiometric, gravity and electromagnetic technologies, supported by fieldwork and advanced data analysis.
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Xcalibur says all information generated through the programme will remain the property of the SGNC and the Congolese government, which will decide how it is used and shared.
Read Xcalibur's official DRC mapping programme details
New database could reshape mining investment decisions
A larger official geological database could help exploration companies identify promising areas and reduce some of the cost and uncertainty involved in early-stage exploration.
At the same time, the tiered system would make access to the highest-value geological intelligence a commercial and regulatory process controlled by the Congolese state.
Better information could also strengthen the DRC's position when negotiating exploration licences and mining agreements. With clearer knowledge of the location and potential value of its mineral resources, the government would be less dependent on geological information held primarily by private operators.
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France's state geological survey, BRGM, is separately supporting the development of the National Geoscience Data Bank. Its two-year project with the SGNC runs from 2025 to 2026 and is building a digital system to manage and distribute geological information while training Congolese specialists in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Kolwezi.
Read BRGM's official National Geoscience Data Bank project page
Mining companies, geological consultancies and investors considering projects in the DRC will now be watching for the formal launch, pricing structure, eligibility rules and definition of the datasets available at each access level.
The tiered-access policy and end-2026 target were disclosed through the Reuters interview. No standalone SGNC regulation or public tariff schedule had been issued at the time of publication.
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