KoBold Metals granted seven Congo lithium exploration permits

Aug 27 (Reuters) - KoBold Metals, the mining company backed by U.S. billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, had received seven permits to search for lithium and other minerals in Democratic Republic of Congo, it said on Wednesday.

The Central African country signed a deal with KoBold in July, allowing the U.S. miner to initiate a large-scale mineral exploration programme.

The agreement also positioned KoBold to acquire Manono, considered one of the world's largest deposits of lithium, which is used in electric vehicle batteries.

"We confirmed where the areas were and the nature of the leases ... It's all lithium," the company said. "A lot of it is around Manono but not conflicting with existing Manono permits."

The Manono lithium deposit is at the centre of a dispute between the Congolese government and Australia-based AVZ Minerals 3A2.H over authorities' failure to grant a mining permit.