Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 31, Mercuria Energy Trading SA has signed a three-year supply agreement with Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), under which it will provide up to $100 million in prepayments for copper sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The financing aims to support ERG’s efforts to advance its copper projects in the country, according to a statement released on Thursday.

Metalkol facility in Kolwezi, DRC.

ERG, registered in Luxembourg, said the funding will contribute to the expansion and development of its mining operations in the central African nation. The company is a major producer of copper and cobalt, key minerals for global energy and manufacturing industries.

Mercuria, one of the world’s largest independent energy traders, has been steadily increasing its presence in the metals sector, with a particular emphasis on central Africa’s copper-rich regions. The company’s newly established metals division has achieved about $300 million in trading profits so far this year, Bloomberg News reported earlier in October.

Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals and minerals, said: “The facility will strengthen ERG’s asset development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — a region of growing strategic relevance to Mercuria.”

Earlier this month, another Mercuria unit reached an agreement with Gecamines, the DRC’s state-owned mining company, to market its share of output from various copper and cobalt joint ventures. The collaboration underscores Mercuria’s broader strategy to deepen engagement with African producers.

The DRC is the world’s second-largest supplier of copper and the largest producer of cobalt, both of which are essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, and electronic manufacturing. The growing global demand for these materials has drawn significant international investment into the country’s mining sector.

Mercuria also announced a metals trading partnership with Zambia late last year, further consolidating its role in Africa’s copper supply chain. Zambia is the continent’s second-largest copper producer after the DRC.

Shukhrat Ibragimov, ERG’s chairman and chief executive officer, said: “This marks an important step in deepening our collaboration with global partners as we work to realize the full potential of our core operations in the DRC.”

ERG operates across 15 countries and is 40% owned by the government of Kazakhstan. The company plays a key role in supplying materials essential for the global transition toward cleaner energy and advanced industrial production.

The partnership between Mercuria and ERG highlights an expanding trend of energy trading houses moving into the mining and metals sector to secure access to key raw materials. For both companies, the agreement represents a long-term commitment to supporting copper production in the DRC and ensuring stable supply chains for critical minerals essential to global industries.