Virtus Minerals to Restart Chemaf Mines in DR Congo Under US Partnership

Virtus Minerals will restart Chemaf’s cobalt and copper mines in DR Congo after regulatory approval, the first under the US–DR Congo minerals partnership. The focus is on assessments, restart planning, and workforce continuity, with output and capital plans still undecided. Approval came from DR Congo’s ministries and Gecamines amid executive changes over deal delays.

United States-based firm Virtus Minerals announced on Wednesday that it is moving forward with plans to restart operations at Congolese cobalt and copper producer Chemaf’s mines, following the receipt of regulatory approval. This transaction marks the first acquisition of operating mines under the US–DR Congo minerals partnership, coming after a series of recent offtake agreements.
Virtus Minerals stated that its immediate focus will be on verifying existing inventory, conducting comprehensive technical and operational assessments, and planning the restart of Chemaf’s operations across its asset base. The company noted that timelines for these activities will depend on the completion of these assessments.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world’s largest cobalt producer and also holds substantial reserves of copper and lithium, resources critical to the electric vehicle market and the global energy transition. The United States has been actively seeking to build its critical minerals stockpile and reduce China’s dominance over global supply chains. Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, highlighted that Kinshasa had approved the sale of Chemaf to Virtus under the bilateral minerals agreement.
Chemaf confirmed that the DR Congo government had approved the transaction, and Virtus Minerals reported it had received clearances from the country’s Ministry of Mines, the Ministry of the Portfolio, and state-owned miner Gecamines. Reuters has reported that certain Gecamines executives were removed from their positions due, in part, to concerns that they were obstructing the Chemaf deal, which requires the state miner’s approval as the leaseholder.
Virtus Minerals emphasized that its priority is to stabilize Chemaf’s business while positioning the company for long-term growth beyond its flagship Mutoshi and Etoile projects by leveraging Chemaf’s broader permit portfolio. The US firm also highlighted that maintaining workforce continuity will be central to the transition process. However, it noted that it is too early to provide details on output targets, staffing levels, or capital expenditures.