• Xcalibur to launch $297.8 million mapping phase in DRC
• Three-year surveys to cover 700,000 square kilometers
• Program aims to modernize data, reduce exploration risks

Xcalibur Multiphysics Group is set to launch the second phase of its airborne geophysical and geological mapping program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one month after signing a second contract worth $297.8 million with the Ministry of Mines.

Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba chaired the first steering committee meeting on February 23, 2025, with company representatives in attendance. Discussions focused on technical guidelines, the implementation schedule and operational requirements, including equipment mobilization and administrative compliance. No additional details were released.

The steering committee will oversee implementation, ensure compliance with financial procedures and recruit an independent consultant to supervise quality control. Authorities also announced a public awareness campaign.

According to the ministry, Phase B aims to modernize the country’s geological mapping, strengthen governance of geoscientific data, reduce exploration risks and build local technical capacity.

The three-year program will cover the provinces of Kasai, Kwango, Kongo Central and Katanga, spanning more than 700,000 square kilometers. Survey density will increase in areas identified during Phase A, alongside detailed investigations of detected anomalies. Magnetic and radiometric surveys will be conducted across the remaining territory, while gravity surveys will focus on the Central Basin to assess oil and gas potential. Detailed geological and geochemical mapping is also planned.

Six to eight aircraft planned

The project includes a capacity-building component, full deployment of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to manage and analyze data, and construction of a laboratory for chemical, petrographic and metallogenic analysis.

Xcalibur plans to fly more than 2.7 million linear kilometers. Flight lines will be spaced 250 meters apart to generate high-resolution data across geologically diverse zones. The company intends to progressively deploy six to eight aircraft.

During the dry season, one aircraft equipped with the Tempest electromagnetic system will operate full-time to collect more than 300,000 linear kilometers of data, with lines spaced 2.5 kilometers apart.

All airborne and ground data will be integrated into XENAI, Xcalibur Smart Mapping’s artificial intelligence platform. The company says the system provides secure access to multilayered geoscientific datasets and enables advanced analysis using machine learning.

Data processing is expected to produce integrated interpretation and prospectivity reports, identify priority geological targets and provide a factual basis for national planning and investment promotion. The Geological Service and the Congolese government will retain ownership of the data and determine how it is used and shared.

Ronsard Luabeya, with Bankable