Copper Intelligence has acquired a second exploration permit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding its footprint into the south of the country after an initial entry in North Kivu. The company announced the acquisition of exploration permit PR-15880, covering the Kitungu project in Kasenga territory, Haut-Katanga province.

In a statement dated April 29, 2026, the company said the permit covers 764.55 hectares in the Congolese Copperbelt, approximately 73 kilometers in a straight line from Lubumbashi. The site is accessible from the provincial capital via National Road 5.

The acquisition marks a further step in Copper Intelligence's strategy in the DRC. The company had previously entered North Kivu through the Butembo copper project, where it says exploration work is ongoing, including preparations for a drilling campaign.

Historical data

Copper Intelligence targets assets with existing preliminary geological indicators. At Butembo, the project's appeal rested partly on surface sampling results and data from artisanal shafts and exploration trenches, with copper grades of up to 18% reported in selected samples. Those results remain preliminary and do not constitute a certified resource estimate.

For the Kitungu project, the rationale for the acquisition rests in part on historical data. According to Copper Intelligence, previous operators had estimated the presence of approximately 18.2 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 1.74% copper.

Reinterpreting the historical data using its own geological models, the company cited a broader conceptual estimate of up to approximately 27 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.54% copper. In a more conservative estimate focused on higher-grade zones, it referenced approximately 24.8 million tonnes at 1.62% copper.

Those figures should be treated with caution. They are based not on new drilling by Copper Intelligence but on a reinterpretation of older data, and they constitute neither mining reserves nor certified resources under international standards.

Exploration to be confirmed

The company noted that the nine historical drill holes available cover only a limited area of the project, spanning roughly 700 meters. That information points to potential extensions of the mineralized zone, which will need to be confirmed through additional work.

Copper Intelligence said it had also conducted preliminary economic simulations to test the project's potential. Those analyses remain early-stage and will depend on the results of future drilling, a necessary step before any resource estimate compliant with international standards and any industrial development decision can be made.

According to information available from the Mining Cadastre, permit PR-15880 was previously associated with Rock Mining SARL, a company that describes itself on its website as focused on the exploration and development of mining projects in the DRC.

The transaction comes amid intensifying international competition for copper and critical minerals as industrial players seek to secure new sources of supply.

At this stage, Copper Intelligence's assets in the DRC remain in the exploration phase. Any eventual development will depend on drilling results, resource certification, technical and economic studies, and the necessary regulatory approvals.

Timothée Manoke