DR Congo - Minerals Sector


	Democratic Republic of the Congo 2007 Assessment of the minerals sector in the provinces of Kinshasa, Orientale, North and South Kivu and Katanga. Click on thumbnails for high resolution pictures. Map source: CIA


	1. Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, Katanga






	Copyright 2001 - 2015 by Wolfgang Hampel No part of the site may be reproduced without prior permission


	Congo-Brazzaville seen from the CEEC building in Congo-Kinshasa. The CEEC is Congo’s regulatory mining authority.

	Katanga: Metorex’ Ruashi mine, a major open pit Cu-Co operation

	Ruashi Mine: typical Cu-Co ore with malachite and heterogenite (black crusts on top left of sample.


	Lubumbashi’s KFC . . .

	Metorex’ ore dressing plant, Ruashi Mine


	2. Bukavu, South Kivu and Goma, North Kivu


	Bukavu: view on Lake Kivu


	A beautiful adventive crater of Nyiragongo on the shores of Lake Kivu


	Another beautiful adventive crater of Nyiragongo near Goma


	A tiny island in Lake Kivu near Goma.


	Another major recent lava flow somewhere between Goma and Lake Edward.


	Outskirts of the city of Goma, the black lava flow is a result of the 2002 eruption of the Nyiragongo volcano

	Aerial view of Goma seen from the north west; front: black lava of the 2002 erupotion; center:adventive craters; rear: city of Goma and Lake Kivu; the mountains belong to Rwanda

		One of the many adventive craters between Goma and Lake Edward.

		Shores of Lake Kivu

		A meandring tributary of Lake Edward.


	3. Province Orientale, region between Nizi and Bunia


	Artisanal gold mining site in a river south of Nizi, Provice Orientale.

		Construction of a new dam in a river just north of Nizi. With these dams the local population redirects the drainages in order to get access to the underlying gold bearing fluviatile sediments.

		View of a major alluvial gold mining site north of Nizi.

			Close up view of fluviatile sediments: clayey layers in black intercalated with sandy layers; the coarse layers contain most of the gold; field of view 1.50 by 2.50m.

		Crushing of gold ore, often done by women and kids.

		The result of several hours of hard and dangerous work: a few gold flakes in black sand.


	Some mm-sized gold flakes inj black sand from a river south of Nizi, Provice Orientale.

		An accomplished dam ready for dewatering and mining..

		Constant dewatering of the pit is necessary, not too seldom the walls collapse and bury the gold miners.

		Close up view of slightly consolidated alluvial gold ore.


	Panning and sluicing of gold ore.


	Gold buyers come regularly to the mining sites.


	4. Province Orientale, region between Mongbwalu and Kisangani


	Alluvial gold mining near Mongbwalu.

		Rain forest near Kisangani.


	Entrance to an old and still very rich underground gold mine operated by locals, near Mongbwalu.