Midnight Sun Discovers Copper in Zambia–DRC Belt
Canadian exploration company Midnight Sun Mining has announced an initial copper resource in the heart of the Zambia–Democratic Republic of Congo Copperbelt, a region increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition as global demand for copper reaches record levels.
In a statement released on 20 January, the company reported that its Kazhiba deposit, part of the wider Solwezi project in north-western Zambia, hosts an indicated resource of 2.33 million tonnes grading 1.41 per cent copper, containing approximately 72.4 million pounds of copper.
Although modest in size, the deposit lies within one of the world’s most productive copper regions, second only to Chile. The area is home to major operations, including First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi mine, Barrick Mining’s Lumwana mine, and Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula complex across the border in the DRC.
Midnight Sun President and Chief Executive Officer Al Fabbro said the company’s land position had become strategically important amid growing competition between global powers for access to critical minerals.
“We secured absolutely critical ground at the heart of what is emerging as one of the world’s premier copper districts,” Fabbro said, noting that the area is now central to a geopolitical contest between the United States and China over future copper supply.
The rivalry is playing out through competing infrastructure projects, most notably the Lobito Corridor, a Western-backed initiative aimed at upgrading rail links from the Copperbelt to Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito. The project, valued at more than US$2 billion, is designed to provide a shorter export route for copper and other critical minerals.
At the same time, China is financing the modernisation of the Tanzania–Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) line, strengthening an eastward route to the port of Dar es Salaam and Asian markets. The two corridors represent contrasting strategic approaches to securing mineral supply chains.
Analysts say rising engagement by Western governments reflects efforts to reduce dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains, while China continues to expand its already substantial footprint in Africa’s mining sector, particularly in copper.
Beyond Kazhiba, Midnight Sun is focusing on the Dumbwa target, a 20-kilometre-long copper anomaly within the Solwezi project area. The company has deployed six drill rigs and aims to complete assays over the first 12 kilometres of the target by the end of the year.
The firm has also strengthened its technical team, appointing Kevin Bonel, formerly involved in the development of Barrick’s Lumwana resource, as Chief Operating Officer.
Midnight Sun views the Kazhiba deposit as a potential near-term cash generator, given its proximity to existing processing facilities, while continuing to advance exploration at Dumbwa with the longer-term ambition of developing a major copper discovery.
As global copper prices remain elevated amid the energy transition, the Zambia–DRC Copperbelt is once again at the centre of international attention, with explorers and major miners alike positioning themselves for the next phase of growth.
