Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

• Country profile
• Permits
• Exploration programme
• Exploration results

Permits

TransAfrika’s four permits and three option areas cover 199 000ha and extend over extensive alluvial workings primarily in the South Kivu Province. The permits were issued in terms of the new mining code, and are therefore not subject to the review of mining contracts. The gold is hosted in geological conditions similar to the Tswangiza deposit of Banro Corporation to the north. The company has the exclusive right to prospect for gold, platinum, tungsten, tantalum, colton and rare earth elements. Gold has been exploited in the area over the last 100 years. Exploitation was conducted mostly by artisanal miners who focused on alluvial deposits.

Regional exploration targets include:

• EP6062: Two clusters of artisanal workings, one in the west near the escarpment and a second cluster in the Luiko River catchment area.
• EP6285: The Mukera area was the site of extensive alluvial gold mining in the 1940s and 1950s. Artisanal miners are still active in the area. No records exist of modern exploration in the area.
• EP6299: This permit lies to the west of EP6285, on the plateau. Alluvial workings are found in the eastern part at the edge of the escarpment and on the northern boundary in tributaries to the Luiko River.
• EP6059, EP6061 and EP6297: The north-eastern exploration permits cover an area of 124 000ha. At the southern end of these permit areas, alluvial gold deposits were discovered in a tributary to the Mutabala River in the 1940s. Like the deposits at Mukera, no work was done on the in situ hard rock gold mineralisation on the hillsides.
  • EP6059: This permit covers the headwaters of the Elilia River with the eastern side on the Itombwe Syncline. Alluvial and eluvial workings have been found in the south-west of this permit area.
  • EP6061 and EP6297: Exploration in the 1940s and 1950s identified small alluvial deposits in the south of the permit area. The in situ hard rock mineralisation was not evaluated.
• EP11534: Active artisinal workings identified across the permit area.