KoBold Metals Plans Liberia Geological Archives Visit

U.S. Exploration Firm KoBold Metals to Visit Liberia to Review Geological Archives

Published: October 21, 2026

Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh and KoBold Metals’ Alan Carroll discussed a planned visit to Liberia to review geological archives, according to the Liberian Embassy in Washington.

WASHINGTON — KoBold Metals, a U.S. mineral exploration company that uses artificial intelligence to hunt for critical minerals, plans to send a delegation to Liberia the week of Nov. 2. The team will review the Liberia Geological Survey’s historical records and explore how to preserve, digitize, and open them up, the Liberian Embassy in Washington said.

The embassy said the visit was agreed at a recent meeting between Ambassador Al-Hassan Conteh and Alan Carroll, KoBold’s deputy director of government affairs. It follows an invitation from Samuel J. Summerville, assistant minister for mineral exploration and environmental research at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

Minister Counselor Al-Jerome Anastas Chede Sr. said Carroll is expected to lead the delegation. The team plans to meet ministry officials and the Geological Survey to review the survey’s historical reports, maps, field records, and digital archives.

Old geological records are a starting point for exploration. They help companies and governments judge where minerals may lie and reduce the cost and risk of searching. The embassy said the delegation also wants to better understand Liberia’s geology within the wider West African region.

KoBold, which describes its approach as combining artificial intelligence with human expertise, has backing from Bill Gates and has expanded into Africa in recent years. It holds lithium exploration permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has moved into Namibia.

The embassy linked the visit to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s request to President Donald Trump, at a White House meeting in July 2025, for U.S. help in surveying Liberia’s mineral resources.

Conteh said he hoped the visit would lay the groundwork for practical cooperation benefiting the Geological Survey, the Ministry of Mines and Energy and Liberia’s wider development goals. Joetta Addy, first secretary for commerce, trade and development, and Charles Allen, minister counselor for political and diaspora affairs, also attended the meeting.