Cobalt

  • Russian government greenlights Arctic CAM facility

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    The Russian government approved a cathode active materials (CAM) facility in the Arctic. This facility will produce cathode materials, a mixture of lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt, essential for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. The decision to base production at the Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company, a subsidiary of the one of the world’s...
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  • Glencore Reports Decline in Copper, Cobalt, Zinc, Nickel, and Coal Production in First Half of 2024

    BY Lars Jensen
    Swiss-based mining group Glencore announced a decrease in its copper production by 5% to 462,600 tons in the first half of 2024. On a like-for-like basis, this figure was 2% lower after adjusting for the sale of 15,000 tons of Cobar volumes in June 2023. The company’s own-sourced cobalt output dropped by 27% to 15,900...
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  • Magna Terra Minerals Acquires Humber Copper-Cobalt Project in Newfoundland

    BY Lars Jensen
    Magna Terra Mineral has announced the acquisition of the Humber Copper-Cobalt Project, located in western Newfoundland, via staking. The Humber Project focuses on critical minerals and metals, comprising 1,325 claims across 10 mineral licenses, covering an area of 33,125 hectares. The project area is characterized by rocks from the sedimentary Humber Arm Allochthon, which contain...
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  • Lifezone Metals Produces First Nickel, Copper, and Cobalt Samples from Kabanga Nickel Project

    BY Lars Jensen
    Lifezone Metals has announced a significant milestone in the development of the Kabanga Nickel Project in north-west Tanzania. The company successfully produced nickel, copper, and cobalt cathode samples via semi-continuous pilot scale refinery test work at its Simulus Laboratory in Perth, Australia. These metals were derived from flotation concentrate processed from borehole core samples taken...
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  • Deep Sea Mining: Essential for Energy Transition or a Risky Endeavor?

    BY Lars Jensen
    Deep sea mining, particularly in the Clarion-Clipperton zone, has become a contentious issue. This area, located 4000 to 5000 meters below sea level between Hawaii and Mexico, is rich in polymetallic nodules containing manganese, iron, copper, and cobalt—key materials for renewable energy technologies. However, this zone is also a unique and largely unexplored ecosystem with...
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  • Idaho’s Only Cobalt Mine Sits Idle Amid Low Prices and Chinese Competition

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    In the northern Idaho woods, the only U.S. cobalt mine remains inactive as its owner, Jervois Global, struggles with low cobalt prices caused by an influx of cheaper supplies from Chinese producers. The mine, set into a nearly 8,000-foot mountain, was idled in June 2023 just weeks before its planned opening, leading to over 250...
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  • Critical Minerals Investment Hampered by EV Demand Uncertainty

    BY John Davis
    Industry experts at the World Materials Forum in Paris last week expressed concerns about investing in critical minerals and energy transition projects, citing uncertainties surrounding consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and government commitments to zero-carbon goals. While the long-term need for materials like lithium, cobalt, and copper remains clear to support a transition away...
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  • CMOC Reports Up to 716% Increase in Net Profit for 1H 2024

    BY Lars Jensen
    China Molybdenum has reported a preliminary net profit of RMB 5,189-5,735 million ($726-804 million) for the first half of 2024, marking a significant increase of 638%-716% year-on-year. The company’s recurring net profit for the same period is expected to be RMB 5,375-5,941 million ($753-832 million), up an astonishing 2,343%-2,600% compared to the previous year. This...
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  • Marula Mining Acquires Majority Stake in South African Cobalt Project

    BY John Davis
    Marula Mining has announced the acquisition of a 51% stake in Mansena Kruisrivier Cobalt, a South African mining entity, through its wholly owned subsidiary Muchai Mining South Africa. This move secures Marula’s involvement in the Kruisrivier Cobalt Project, located in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The Kruisrivier Cobalt Project spans over 2,340.90 hectares on the Kruisrivier...
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  • Eramet and BASF Cancel $2.6 Billion Nickel-Cobalt Refining Project in Indonesia

    BY John Davis
    French mining company Eramet and German chemical giant BASF have announced the cancellation of their planned $2.6 billion joint investment in a nickel-cobalt refining complex in Weda Bay, Indonesia. The decision was made after a thorough evaluation and discussions about the project’s execution strategy. Eramet stated that it would continue to explore potential investments in...
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  • Ardea Resources Secures $1.1M Federal Grant for Goongarrie Hub Nickel-Cobalt Project

    BY John Davis
    Ardea Resources has enhanced the nickel-cobalt inventory at its Goongarrie Hub project near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, using a high-tech mineral processing technique. This achievement has earned the company a $1.1 million grant from the Federal Government. Less than two months ago, a Japanese consortium led by Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Corporation committed to funding...
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  • China’s Dominance in Critical Minerals Poses Challenge for the West

    BY Lara Browne
    Despite efforts by Western countries to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals essential for defense and green technologies, Chinese companies are becoming increasingly dominant. Their expansion and increased supply are causing global prices to drop, making it difficult for challengers to compete. “China is not just standing still waiting for us to catch up,”...
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  • Fortune Minerals Receives US$6.38 Million Grant from U.S. Department of Defense

    BY Lars Jensen
    Fortune Minerals Limited has been awarded a US$6.38 million (~C$8.74 million) grant from the United States Department of Defense under the Defense Production Act Title III program. This funding aims to expand domestic cobalt production for battery and high-strength alloy supply chains, enabling Fortune to advance the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper project in Canada toward construction. The...
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  • Nickel 28 Capital Reports Q1 2024 Operational Results for Ramu Nickel-Cobalt Project

    BY John Davis
    Nickel 28 Capital has released the operational results for the first quarter of 2024 for the Ramu Nickel-Cobalt operation in Papua New Guinea. Nickel 28 holds an 8.56% joint-venture interest in Ramu, which is operated by the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC). For Q1 2024, Ramu produced 8,282 tonnes of contained nickel in mixed hydroxide...
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  • Ardea Resources Partners with Sumitomo and Mitsubishi for Major Nickel-Cobalt Project in Western Australia

    BY John Davis
    Ardea Resources has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) and Mitsubishi to develop the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP) – Goongarrie Hub deposit in Western Australia. Recognized as one of the largest nickel-cobalt deposits in the region, the Goongarrie Hub boasts 854 million tonnes of lateritic ore with average grades...
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  • Glencore Reports Mixed Q1 Production Results; Copper and Cobalt Decline While Nickel and Precious Metals Rise

    BY Lara Browne
    Swiss mining behemoth Glencore has released its production figures for the first quarter of the year, revealing a mixed bag of results across its diverse commodities portfolio. The company reported that its copper production fell by 2% to 239,700 tons during the January-March period, primarily due to decreased output in Africa and the divestment of...
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  • CMOC Reports Substantial Production Increases in Copper and Cobalt

    BY Lara Browne
    CMOC has announced significant increases in its copper and cobalt production for the first quarter of the year. The Chinese mining company, operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reported copper production of 147,500 metric tons and cobalt production of 25,200 tons in the first three months. The company’s Tenke Fungurume Mining site recently expanded...
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  • Luoyang Molybdenum Leads Global Copper Production Surge Amid Industry Fluctuations

    BY John Davis
    The global mining industry has reported modest overall growth, with a 1% increase in production among the world’s top ten mining enterprises in 2023. However, specific companies are setting the pace for 2024, notably Luoyang Molybdenum, which is projected to lead with an impressive 150,500 tons of new copper production. Challenges persist in the industry,...
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  • India to Auction Rare Earth Minerals to Meet Growing Domestic Demand

    BY Lars Jensen
    India is set to hold a significant auction in June, offering 20-30 blocks of strategically important minerals as the country’s demand for essential resources continues to surge. Kantha Rao, the Secretary of the Ministry of Coal and Mines, highlighted this initiative in discussions with the *Financial Times*, noting the auction’s crucial role in meeting India’s...
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  • Eurasian Resources Group Partners with Mechema and Marubeni to Enhance Cobalt Supply for the Japanese Market

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a diversified natural resources group based in Luxembourg, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan-based Mechema Chemicals International Corp and Japan’s Marubeni Corporation. This strategic partnership aims to explore opportunities in the cobalt supply chain, crucial for the burgeoning electric vehicle market in Japan and globally. The collaboration will focus...
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  • DiscovEx Resources Announces Acquisition of Gold-Cobalt Projects in Finland

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    DiscovEx Resources has announced plans to acquire Latitude 66, an unlisted Australian public company. Latitude 66 is notable for holding substantial gold and cobalt assets in Finland through its wholly owned subsidiary, Latitude 66 Cobalt Oy. This strategic acquisition positions DiscovEx in Finland’s robust mining sector, home to Europe’s largest gold operation and a significant...
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  • Electra Battery Materials Partners with Eurasian Resources for Cobalt Supply

    BY John Davis
    Electra Battery Materials has entered into a significant agreement to bolster the North American battery supply chain by securing a deal with Eurasian Resources Group. This partnership marks a strategic move to process cobalt hydroxide at Electra’s battery-grade cobalt sulfate refinery located north of Toronto, Canada. The collaboration aims at reducing North America’s dependency on...
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  • Cobalt Blue Advances on Australian Cobalt Sulphate Refinery Project

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Cobalt Blue Holdings is making significant progress in developing Australia’s first Cobalt Sulphate Refinery, marking key milestones in its journey towards enhancing the country’s position in the global battery supply chain. The company has successfully processed large-scale feedstock samples from third parties and initiated detailed engineering design for the refinery, with permitting processes set to...
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  • India Seeks International Partnerships for Critical Mineral Processing Tech

    BY Lars Jensen
    India is actively seeking collaborations with leading critical mineral producers worldwide, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan, to import processing technology into the country. This initiative aligns with India’s strategy to auction critical mineral mines and emphasizes the government’s ambition to establish domestic processing facilities for these valuable resources....
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