KoBold Metals seeks U.S. backing for DR Congo lithium survey approval

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KoBold Congo lithium survey approval

Highlights

KoBold Metals seeks U.S. State Department support after UN Security Council approval delays threaten to postpone its lithium aerial survey in the Democratic Republic of Congo by a year.
KoBold alleges China is using UN arms embargo mechanisms to obstruct the import of tensor gravity gradiometer equipment, slowing Western mineral exploration initiatives.
KoBold, valued at $4 billion and backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, considers the Democratic Republic of Congo central to its expansion and holds 14 exploration licences including for lithium.

UN clearance dispute delays survey plan

As reported by Financial Times, KoBold Metals has asked the U.S. state department for help as it waits for U.N. Security Council approval to use aerial mapping equipment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company alleges China is using the U.N. arms embargo process to obstruct a civilian exploration project tied to its lithium programme.

KoBold plans to deploy a plane equipped with a tensor gravity gradiometer to identify mineral deposits more precisely. Because the technology also has military applications, including submarine navigation and stealth detection, an exemption from the Security Council is required before a contractor can bring the equipment into the country.

In correspondence seen by the Financial Times, KoBold tells the state department that failure or delay in securing the exemption would prevent the survey from going ahead this season. The company says missing the dry-season flying window would push the project back by another year.

A U.S. state department spokesperson says Washington is committed to expanding U.S. private sector investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo and urges the Security Council’s sanctions committee to support responsible development of the mining sector. KoBold declines to comment, while China’s foreign ministry does not respond to requests for comment.

Critical minerals race sharpens pressure

The dispute highlights the strategic importance of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the global contest for critical minerals. The country is rich in copper and other metals, and although some western groups such as Glencore operate there, much of the output is extracted by Chinese companies.

KoBold, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, raised $291 million this year at a $4 billion valuation and uses artificial intelligence to identify untapped mineral deposits. The company says the Democratic Republic of Congo is central to its growth plans and it holds 14 exploration licences there covering metals including lithium.

Western companies are seeking to reduce reliance on Beijing for key minerals by securing new supply in Africa. Kinshasa agreed last year to give U.S. buyers preferential treatment for minerals sold by its state-owned mining companies, adding to the country’s significance for U.S. commercial and strategic interests.

Our earlier coverage of the UN-backed plan to move fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz explained that the mechanism is still waiting on a U.S.-Iran agreement, with UN officials warning that time is running out before key planting windows close. We noted that a prolonged disruption could keep urea and sulphur shipments constrained, pushing up food and agricultural commodity prices and raising acute food-security risks in parts of Asia and Africa.

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