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As of 2023, coal dominated DR Congo's reserves at 1.1 billion short tons recoverable. It also held 0.180 billion barrels of oil and 0.035 trillion cubic feet of gas. Over the last decade, coal reserves grew significantly (+1023%). EIA stopped publishing oil and gas proved reserves in 2023; the figures above use the latest archived release, while coal continues to update through 2023. Beyond fossil fuels, DR Congo is the world's largest producer of Cobalt and a top-five producer of Copper, part of a critical-minerals base spanning 3 commodities tracked by USGS.
Oil reserves (2021)
0.18 B bbl
Natural gas reserves (2021)
0.04 TCF
Coal reserves (2023)
1.1 B ST
Cobalt reserves (2025)
#16.0 Mt
Copper reserves (2025)
#480.0 Mt
DR Congo's reserve base was dominated by coal, the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel by energy content. Reserve estimates had been revised upward over the past decade, reflecting new discoveries or improved recovery technology.
DR Congo produces Cobalt and Copper among USGS-tracked critical minerals.
USGS marks 2025 production figures and all reserve estimates as estimated; some earlier production years are USGS estimates as well. Each commodity below charts its own mine-production history, with the 2025 reserve shown beneath its chart.