ASSESSMENT OF COBALT MINING ACTIVITY IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO AND ZAMBIA

Cobalt, designated a critical mineral by the European Union and the United States, is a crucial component of the lithium-ion batteries found in cell phones, electric vehicles, and personal computing devices. Much remains unknown about the global cobalt supply chain, a large part of which originates in central Africa. Over half of the world’s cobalt supply is produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where cobalt is mined in both large-scale and artisanal or small-scale operations. This study focuses on Africa’s mineral-rich Copperbelt region, an area mined for both copper and cobalt, that extends south across the DRC boundary into neighboring Zambia. Existing geoscientific data, compiled through geologic mapping, will be evaluated together with field data and remote sensing analysis, to build a comprehensive understanding of cobalt deposit locations and extent, mining technique (large- or artisanal/small-scale), and supply pathways.

This poster will focus on the geologic mapping and remote sensing techniques used to assemble a geographic database on the Congolese and Zambian cobalt mining ecosystems. Presented information will include an inventory of mining and geologic features, locations, as well as other mine site and regional information.