Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV:CCW) (OTC:CCWOF) (Frankfurt:4T9B) (the “ Company ” or “ Canada Silver Cobalt ”) announces that the Company has expanded its holdings between Sangster and Potter Townships in the Cochrane District, Ontario by staking 799.8 hectares in 38 new claims contiguous to the Sangster Claim Block for a total holding of 111 claims over 2,337 hectares in cooperation with the original property optionor (see company News Release of November 9, 2022). The newly staked claims are 100% held by Canada Silver Cobalt Works.
Highlights
The new staking brings the total St-Denis project area to 26,373 hectares (including 24,036 hectares in the St-Denis Main block and 2,337 hectares in the Sangster block) and is one of the largest land holdings in the emerging Case Lake LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite district of Northeastern Ontario. The property is strategically positioned over an ideal geological environment for pegmatite mineralization, as demonstrated by a number of observations of pegmatite in outcrop and drill core in the historic assessment work files and government mapping. The Project is supported by year-round ease of access, proximity to services and suppliers in the mining communities of Timmins and Cochrane, and location along strike to a known LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite occurrence (Case Lake LCT pegmatite swarm).
Property Highlights
The Sangster claim block is a separate portion of the greater St-Denis LCT pegmatite project east and northeast of Cochrane, Ontario. The Sangster block is located 38 km northeast of the town of Cochrane and is road accessible year-round by logging roads from the main Detour Lake Mine Road. The St-Denis Main block is road accessible via Translimit Road from Cochrane. See Figure 1 for the location of the Project.
The Sangster claim block is situated over the northwestern contact between the Case Lake evolved S-Type granite and Archean metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks (and associated gneisses) of the Porcupine Assemblage. The Sangster block is located 62 kilometers northwest of the Case Lake lithium-cesium pegmatite swarm (claims currently held by Power Metals Corp., “Power Metals”). Power Metals has identified significant lithium and cesium grades in spodumene and pollucite rich pegmatites at the West Joe Dyke and Main Dyke areas, including 1.58 % Li 2 O (lithium oxide) over 15.0 m in drill hole PWM-22-134 (see Power Metals Corp News Release September 8, 2022) and 6.74% Cs 2 O over 5.0 m, 11.0 to 16.0 m in drill hole PWM-18-126. Canada Silver Cobalt’s Sangster claim block covers a similar geological environment to that of Power Metals’ Case Lake lithium- cesium property, and the St-Denis Main block covers ground west along strike of the Case Lake property.
The Company has performed extensive research, data review, and data compilation and has been successful in gathering a number of historic assessment work reports and government records of geological data and exploration activity in the area. These new claims at the Sangster claim block were staked as a direct result of this data review, as Company geologists found references to pegmatites in outcrop in a geologic map produced by Noranda Exploration Inc. in 1995 (Ontario Assessment File Record 42H07SE0003). The pegmatites mapped by Noranda geologists were not well described and there is little information about their mineralogy, so their significance may have been over-looked as Noranda Exploration’s focus at the time was on base metals. In addition to the pegmatite occurrences, Noranda interpreted an area approximately 1km in strike length by 130m width as “pegmatite” in their compilation map. Company geologists are encouraged by these findings and this area will be a focus of Canada Silver Cobalt’s on-going work.
Canada Silver Cobalt’s next steps at the Sangster block will be to ground truth, map, and sample the pegmatite outcrops identified by Noranda in order to evaluate the area for its lithium-cesium mineralization potential. The Company is excited for the snow to melt so that our geologists can visit the property to see the characteristics of the outcrops and test that expanse for potential lithium-cesium mineralization.
Figure 1 . Location of the St-Denis Project and Sangster claim block.
Figure 2 . Location of expanded claim staking by Canada Silver Cobalt Works.
Figure 3 . Geologic environment of the Sangster claim block.
Qualified person
The technical information in this news release was approved and prepared under the supervision of Mr. Matthew Halliday, P.Geo., (PGO), President and COO of Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc., a qualified person accordance with National Instrument 43-101.
About Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc.
Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. recently discovered a major high-grade silver vein system at Castle East located 1.5 km from its 100%-owned, past-producing Castle Mine near Gowganda in the prolific and world-class silver-cobalt mining district of Northern Ontario. The Company has completed a 60,000m drill program aimed at expanding the size of the deposit with an update to the resource estimate underway.
In May 2020, based on a small initial drill program, the Company published the region’s first 43-101 resource estimate that contained a total of 7.56 million ounces of silver in Inferred resources, comprising very high-grade silver (8,582 grams per tonne un-cut or 250.2 oz/ton) in 27,400 tonnes of material from two sections (1A and 1B) of the Castle East Robinson Zone, beginning at a vertical depth of approximately 400 meters. Note that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to Canada Silver Cobalt Works Press Release May 28, 2020, for the resource estimate. Report reference: Rachidi, M. 2020, NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for Castle East, Robinson Zone, Ontario, Canada, with an effective date of May 28, 2020, and a signature date of July 13, 2020.
The Company also has: (1) 14 battery metals properties in Northern Quebec where it has recently completed a 16,000-metre drill program on the Graal property; and (2) the prospective 1,000-hectare Eby-Otto gold property close to Agnico Eagle’s high-grade Macassa Mine near Kirkland Lake, Ontario where it is exploring. (3) lithium property – 230 square kilometers of greenfield exploration ground focussed along a significant volcanic sedimentary rock – Archean granite contact near Cochrane, Ontario contiguous to Power Metals’ Case Lake Lithium properties.
Canada Silver Cobalt’s flagship silver-cobalt Castle mine and 78 sq. km Castle Property feature strong exploration upside for silver, cobalt, nickel, gold, and copper. With underground access at the fully owned Castle Mine, an exceptional high-grade silver discovery at Castle East, a pilot plant to produce cobalt-rich gravity concentrates, a processing facility (TTL Laboratories) in the town of Cobalt, and a proprietary hydrometallurgical process known as Re-2Ox (for the creation of technical-grade cobalt sulphate as well as nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) formulations), Canada Silver Cobalt is strategically positioned to become a Canadian leader in the silver-cobalt space. More information at www.canadasilvercobaltworks.com .
“Frank J. Basa”
Frank J. Basa, P. Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
For further information, contact:
Frank J. Basa, P.Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
416-625-2342
Or:
Wayne Cheveldayoff,
Corporate Communications
P: 416-710-2410
E: waynecheveldayoff@gmail.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of the risk factors encountered by Canada Silver Cobalt is available in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated July 19, 2021 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
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January 19, 2024 TheNewswire - Coquitlam, BC, Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV:CCW) (OTC:CCWOF) (Frankfurt:4T9B) (the "Company" or "Canada Silver Cobalt") is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated January 4, 2024, the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted the name change to " Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. ".
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Coquitlam, BCCanada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV:CCW) (OTC:CCWOF) (Frankfurt:4T9B) (the "Company" or "Canada Silver Cobalt is pleased to announce that shareholders at the Annual and General Meeting held on October 31, 2023 voted in favour to change the Company's name to "Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc". The new name will better reflect the direction of the Company. The name change is subject to TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") approval.
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New discoveries of precious and battery metals and progress towards surfacing value for shareholders through a spinout of a potentially large nickel-copper-cobalt property in Quebec
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The property has many yet-to-be-drilled targets and prospective electromagnetic anomalies identified by an airborne geophysical survey.
Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV:CCW) (OTC:CCWOF) (Frankfurt:4T9B) (the " Company " or " Canada Silver Cobalt ") is pleased to announce that it has commenced drilling at its Lowney-Lac Edouard property as part of the first phase of an exploration program targeting prospective areas identified previously in an airborne geophysical survey
The drilling is being conducted in the center and southern part of the 7,237-hectare property in areas where five electromagnetic anomalies were identified by a Geotech VTEM airborne geophysical survey conducted for Canada Silver Cobalt (see news releases May 24, 2022 and August 29, 2022).
The Lowney-Lac Edouard property is south of the past-producing nickel-copper Lac Edouard Mine and right next to a property where Rio Tinto, in a 2023 drilling program in the Savane area of a Midland Exploration Inc. property, discovered high-grade nickel with copper. Midland reported in an April 27, 2023 news release that Hole MDLD0001, drilled by Rio Tinto, intersected an interval grading 1.07% Ni and 0.13% Cu over 0.78 metres, from 101.87 to 102.65 metres. Midland also reported that grab samples taken by prospectors in the Savane area in 1995 yielded historical values of 1.80% Ni and 0.20% Cu. Another grab sample from a sub-cropping boulder also yielded grades of 1.98% Ni and 0.46% Cu about 250 metres north of the Savane showing (Source: SIGEOM NTS sheet 31P07; GM55352). This may not be representative of the mineralisation of Lowney-Lac Edouard.
The area, which has good road access and infrastructure, is near La Tuque in Central Quebec and is located north of the port of Trois Rivieres and approximately 100 km northwest of Quebec City. (See maps below.)
"We are excited to be following up on what we found in the VTEM geophysical survey. We had to limit our exploration activity this past summer due to forest fires in Quebec but now is the time to catch up and we are looking forward to seeing this property develop further," said Frank J. Basa, Chief Executive Officer.
The first phase is expected to involve 1,500 metres of drilling and the second phase, planned for 2024, dependent on drill results from the first phase, could include the testing of additional targets. The Company has engaged Laurentia Exploration, Multi Drilling Services and GoldMinds Geoservices for this campaign. Drilling in this first phase is limited to targets near existing logging roads where permits allow and the Company is awaiting permits needed for drilling in other areas of the property.
The Lowney-Lac Edouard property is one of 14 critical metals properties in Quebec acquired in late 2020 by Canada Silver Cobalt targeting nickel, copper, and cobalt mineralization in preparation for the significantly increased demand for the metals expected for the ongoing electrification programs planned by governments. (See news releases February 16 and April 20, 2021 and August 29, 2022 for descriptions of the Lowney-Lac Edouard property).
One of the 14 Quebec properties – the Graal property, where the Company drilled extensively and successfully in 2021 and 2022 – has been shown to have potentially a large area of near-surface, high-grade nickel-copper mineralization with cobalt byproduct and showings of platinum and palladium in a 6 km strike length as well as in other areas of the property. The Graal property is characterized by a large Bouguer gravity anomaly as is the case with Lowney-Lac Edouard. The Company plans to spin out the Graal Property into a new Company called Coniagas Battery Metals Inc. (See news release September 26, 2023.)
Note that the Figure 2 map below is updated to November 20, 2023 and the Figure 3 map is from March 2022.
Figure 1: Location of the Lowney-Lac Edouard and recently acquired Lac Guay properties
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 2: Lowney-Lac Edouard property mineral claims
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 3: Location of the Lowney-Lac Edouard property with adjacent properties
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 4: Planned drill locations at Lowney-Lac Edouard South
Click Image To View Full Size
Qualified person
The technical information in this news release has been provided by Laurentia technical team and the content was reviewed and approved by Claude Duplessis, P.Eng., GoldMinds Geoservices Inc., a m ember of Québec Order of Engineers and an independent qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43- 101 standards.
About Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc.
Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. recently discovered a major high-grade silver vein system at Castle East located 1.5 km from its 100%-owned, past-producing Castle Mine near Gowganda in the prolific and world-class silver-cobalt mining district of Northern Ontario. The Company has completed a 60,000m drill program aimed at expanding the size of the deposit with an update to the resource estimate underway.
In May 2020, based on a small initial drill program, the Company published the region's first 43-101 resource estimate that contained a total of 7.56 million ounces of silver in Inferred resources, comprising very high-grade silver (8,582 grams per tonne un-cut or 250.2 oz/ton) in 27,400 tonnes of material from two sections (1A and 1B) of the Castle East Robinson Zone, beginning at a vertical depth of approximately 400 meters. Note that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to Canada Silver Cobalt Works Press Release May 28, 2020, for the resource estimate. Report reference: Rachidi, M. 2020, NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource Estimate for Castle East, Robinson Zone, Ontario, Canada, with an effective date of May 28, 2020, and a signature date of July 13, 2020.
The Company also has: (1) 14 battery metals properties in Northern Quebec where it has recently completed a nearly 16,000-metre drill program on the Graal property; (2) the prospective 1,000-hectare Eby-Otto gold property close to Agnico Eagle's high-grade Macassa Mine near Kirkland Lake, Ontario; and (3) the St. Denis-Sangster lithium project – 260 square kilometers of greenfield exploration ground with numerous pegmatites focussed along a significant volcanic sedimentary rock – Archean granite contact near Cochrane, Ontario contiguous to Power Metals' Case Lake Lithium properties.
Canada Silver Cobalt's flagship silver-cobalt Castle mine and 78 sq. km Castle Property feature strong exploration upside for silver, cobalt, nickel, gold, and copper. With underground access at the fully owned Castle Mine, an exceptional high-grade silver discovery at Castle East, a pilot plant to produce cobalt-rich gravity concentrates, a processing facility (TTL Laboratories) in the town of Cobalt, and a proprietary hydrometallurgical process known as Re-2Ox (for the creation of technical-grade cobalt sulphate as well as nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) formulations), Canada Silver Cobalt is strategically positioned to become a Canadian leader in the silver-cobalt space. More information at www.canadasilvercobaltworks.com .
"Frank J. Basa"
Frank J. Basa, P. Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
For further information, contact:
Frank J. Basa, P.Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
416-625-2342
Or:
Wayne Cheveldayoff,
Corporate Communications
P: 416-710-2410
E: waynecheveldayoff@gmail.com
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise, any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein or in other communications to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law.
Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
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Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. (TSXV:CCW) (OTC:CCWOF) (Frankfurt:4T9B) (the " Company " or " Canada Silver Cobalt ") announces that it is proposing to amend the terms of an aggregate 23,380,092 outstanding common share purchase warrants ("Warrants") by amending the exercise price to $0.06 per share
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Following a two-year study, Glencore to scale the use of Ceibo's sulfide leaching technology that significantly improves copper recovery
Ceibo , a clean copper extraction technology company, and Glencore ‘s (GB:GLEN) Lomas Bayas Mining Company have entered into a partnership to deploy Ceibo's proprietary leaching technologies that enable a more effective extraction of copper from low-grade sulfides at one of Chile's leading mines. Lomas Bayas has validated Ceibo's technology and is moving toward scaling up to assess this as an alternative to extend the life of their mining operations. This partnership follows two years of testing by Glencore, an important contributor to Chile's position as the world's largest copper producer.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, Ceibo's technology will scale up with on-site testing through the Lomas Lab, a Glencore world-scale test site, and the company's research and development branch. This agreement opens a significant commercial avenue for Ceibo, demonstrating its unique approach with a major mining company and affirming the value that Ceibo's advanced leaching technologies bring to copper assets globally.
Lomas Bayas is known for its focus on innovative and efficient new solutions. Through this partnership, they will be able to further capitalize on their copper reserves by increasing and optimizing extraction. It also positions Lomas Bayas at the vanguard of sustainable mining by increasing the volume of copper while simultaneously minimizing the impact. Lomas Bayas strives to maximize technologies that allow the production of copper cathodes from sulfide species containing chalcopyrite, with the goal of extending the life cycle of their mine.
Ceibo's leaching processes extract copper in all sulfides using existing leaching plants. This process more quickly and effectively catalyzes the oxidation in the ore through electrochemical reactions, resulting in higher recovery rates in shorter operational cycles. In recent industrial testing on over 20 chalcopyrite-rich ores, the technology has recovered over 75% of copper, a significant increase compared to traditional leaching. Ceibo's technologies can be used in many ways, including increasing the output of existing operations, extending the life of a mine, and enabling new brownfield and greenfield projects.
"We are excited to expand our partnership with Ceibo to scale an innovative technology that can transform the copper industry. Ceibo's ability to produce copper from sulfide-rich ores brings a huge value for assets like Lomas Bayas to sustain production while transitioning from oxides to sulfides," said Pablo Carvallo, General Manager of Lomas Bayas. "This increase will help us maximize our production to service growing worldwide demand."
"The copper industry is facing increased demand alongside environmental standards," said Cristobal Undurraga, co-founder and CEO of Ceibo. "We are thrilled to have such an innovative partner in Glencore's Lomas Bayas, who is at the forefront of adopting new technologies. Together, we are proving that our advanced leaching technologies are allowing the extraction of even more copper from the existing operation while significantly improving sustainability – all while we meet the urgent global need for copper in the clean energy transition."
With demand for copper surging worldwide, this partnership provides a mining industry template for how to immediately increase copper production by significantly extending the life and capacity of mine operations. Ceibo's technologies greatly reduce the implementation time and resource consumption of traditional production methods such as concentrators and smelting, which require many years to build and secure permit approvals and are burdened by an extreme reliance on water and energy.
About Ceibo
Ceibo is accelerating access to copper with its clean, innovative technologies that bridge the supply-demand gap to further the energy transition. Founded in 2021, with dual headquarters in the US and Chile, Ceibo brings together a diverse team of scientists, metallurgists, engineers, and operators with a common passion for using technology to advance net zero goals. For more information, please visit www.ceibo.tech . Media enquiries: ceibo@consortpartners.com
About Glencore in Chile
Glencore is engaged in the production and marketing of raw materials such as copper, sulfuric acid, and molybdenum. In Chile, it operates in the Antofagasta region, including Compañía Minera Lomas Bayas and the Altonorte Metallurgical Complex, and holds a 44% stake in Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi.
About Glencore
Glencore is one of the world's largest diversified natural resource companies, with more than 150,000 employees and contractors in over 35 countries. The company produces, processes, recycles, and markets more than 60 commodities that support decarbonization and meet current energy needs.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241120482815/en/
Media Contact
Consort Partners for Ceibo
ceibo@consortpartners.com
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He went on to note that during the third quarter, all of the cobalt grades Benchmark follows sank to their lowest levels since the company began tracking prices for the battery metal in 2017.
Cobalt metal price chart, Q3 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
“Prices for cobalt metal approached US$10 per pound, and cobalt hydroxide, a feedstock for cobalt metal and battery chemicals, approached US$6 per pound due to weak buyer interest and bearish market outlook,” he said.
“Cobalt sulfate prices had initially held a floor of RMB 27,500 per MT (US$3,857.23)," continued Aubry.
"However, as the quarter came to an end, cheap recycled cobalt sulfate in China undercut prices from the virgin market and has led to a further decrease in prices.”
The cobalt price pressure seen during the third quarter was largely due to a combination of oversupply and weakening demand, particularly from the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector.
The market is grappling with the effects of cobalt's diminishing role in battery chemistries as manufacturers increasingly turn to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, which contain no cobalt, or opt for nickel-based alternatives with lower cobalt content. This shift has been fueled by efforts to mitigate the environmental and ethical issues associated with cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the largest cobalt-producing nation.
Additionally, as cobalt production capacity expands in countries like Australia and Angola, oversupply pressures are expected to persist, keeping prices relatively low in the near term.
Industry experts predict that unless there is a significant surge in demand from emerging technologies or battery innovations, cobalt prices will remain suppressed, reflecting a structural change in market dynamics.
“The supply of cobalt has proven to exceed what the market has been able to absorb, and weak buyer interest and full stocks have led to prices being incapable of recovering,” noted Aubry. “Overall, a bearish market is expected through 2025 as participants speculate on what is the lowest price cobalt can fall to.”
For Project Blue’s Jack Bedder, the most prevalent trend weighing on the cobalt market in Q3 was oversupply.
“Refined cobalt metal producers in China kept on increasing production volumes for an increased metal premium dampening prices even further,” Bedder told the Investing News Network (INN).
“(London Metal Exchange) off-warrant stockpiled cobalt metal has been rising, and trade data indicated an increase in China’s cobalt metal exports to the European market," the expert added.
Bedder, who is the co-founder and director of the critical metals consultancy, also pointed to higher output in the DRC and Indonesia as a headwind to cobalt price growth.
“Oversupply of cobalt intermediate continues, underpinned by increased production from the DRC’s cobalt hydroxide and Indonesian Ni-Co MHP (nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate),” he said.
While Bedder explained that declining prices have caused companies to reschedule production plans and reduce their production guidance, there is still promise on the development side.
In mid-August, Electra Battery Materials (TSXV:ELBM,NASDAQ:ELBM) received a US$20 million grant from the US Department of Defense to support its cobalt refinery project in Ontario, which it says is set to be North America's first producer of battery-grade cobalt sulfate. Located in Temiskaming Shores, the C$250 million facility aims to strengthen the EV supply chain and reduce US reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals.
The funding aligns with the US' strategy of securing essential minerals for defense and technology sectors.
Less than a month later, the company garnered another funding infusion.
“Electra received ample financial backing from the US government to develop its cobalt sulfate refinery in Canada,” said Bedder. “The company has received a total of US$40 million in Q3 2024.”
Electra’s Department of Defense funding wasn’t the only news on the development side.
In late June, Nth Cycle commissioned a 21,000 square foot facility designed to refine metal scrap, e-waste and refinery waste into high-purity critical metals like nickel and cobalt.
“Nth Cycle commenced commercial production of Ni-Co MHP from its refinery in Fairfield, Ohio,” Bedder explained to INN. “The refinery will recover metal from electronic waste and scrap processing up to 3,100 MT per year of scrap materials to produce up to 900 MT per year MHP.”
In addition to building domestic cobalt mining and refining capacity, the US and Canada are working to reduce purchases of Chinese EVs. Both countries have implemented steep tariffs on EVs originating in China.
At the end of August, the Canadian government levied a 100 percent tariff on Chinese EVs. The heightened tariff followed a similar announcement out of the US in May. America also added smaller tariffs on strategic goods necessary for EV production, such as solar cells, semiconductors and lithium batteries.
While the spirit of the new EV taxes aims to spur on domestic production and EV sales, both Aubry and Bedder said they don’t see the tariffs supporting cobalt price growth.
“It is unlikely to have any effect in the short term, as Chinese EVs still remain much cheaper than their western counterparts, even with the tariffs in place, so there is limited incentive for North American producers to build domestic capacity as they are not cost competitive,” said Aubry.
Expressing a similar sentiment, Project Blue’s Bedder said he sees the taxation as a potential catalyst for North American production in the long term. “I don’t see (tariffs) impacting the cobalt market in the short term. Chinese EVs in the US do not currently sell well,” he commented to INN. “However, in the long term, tariffs and the ban on Chinese-connected vehicles may give some support to cobalt demand, as China will likely be targeting LFP EVs.”
As North America looks to bolster ex-China supply, the Asian nation continues to build its cobalt presence.
“In August, GEM (SZSE:002340) commenced commercial production of a 10,000 MT per year refinery in Hubei province, China. The refinery will be using recycled material to produce standard-grade cobalt metal 99.8 percent,” Bedder said.
He also noted that Tengyuan Cobalt (SZSE:301219) has announced plans to build a new nickel-cobalt refinery in Ganzhou province, China. Commercial production is planned for the fourth quarter of 2025.
“Last year, the company produced 15,400 MT of cobalt metal after completing expansions in December 2022,” he said.
Some of that increased output could be earmarked for China’s strategic cobalt reserve. In late May, reports surfaced that the country’s State Reserve Bureau planned on purchasing 15,000 MT from domestic producers.
While Benchmark’s Aubry sees the move as largely supportive of China’s cobalt sector, he told INN that doesn’t see the purchase adding tailwinds to prices for the critical battery material.
“Although this purchase was significantly bigger than previous years, the increased tonnage of the purchase is largely believed to have been a measure taken by the Chinese State Reserve Bureau to offset the significant ramp up in Chinese cobalt metal production capacity,” he said. “As a result, it did not have the strengthening effect that many hoped it would, as Chinese metal production still exceeds what the market is able to absorb.”
As the end of 2024 approaches, INN asked both experts what cobalt investors should watch heading into 2025.
Benchmark’s Aubry advised monitoring cobalt contracting.
“The price floor for cobalt hydroxide is currently set due to long-term contracts that are set to expire early in 2025, and as a result we may see further price erosion moving into next year,” he said.
While he cautioned that the supply/demand story is still very weak moving forward, he noted that cobalt’s future is heavily correlated to copper. “If prices come off further, we may see margins squeezed due to an increasing oversupply next year,” he said. “If the copper market stays strong, producers in the DRC will be incentivized to continue mining copper and cobalt, even if the price of cobalt hydroxide declines below US$6 per pound.”
Moving into to 2025, Bedder is tracking cobalt stockpiling from China's State Reserve Bureau.
High quantities of Chinese cobalt flowing into European markets, coinciding with existing London Metal Exchange warehouse inventories, is another development he is monitoring.
Elsewhere, Bedder noted the ongoing dispute between Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) and the DRC government.
“Much like the situation with CMOC Group (OTC Pink:CMCLF,SZSE:603993) in 2022, the DRC government has alleged that Glencore’s subsidiary, Kamoto Copper, owes the state 800 million euros (US$894 million) related to royalty payments,” said Bedder. “As we approach Q4 and 2025, we are eager to see how this might impact cobalt prices, particularly if significant evidence supports the claim. Notably, this also comes after Glencore’s recent decision to halt cobalt hydroxide stockpiling in the DRC.”
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
HIGHLIGHTS
Sonu Cheema, Executive Director, commented:
"It is a pleasure to update the market on quarterly activities of High-Tech’s, specifically the Werner Lake cobalt, nickel, and PGE Project. Over the last 18 months High-Tech has generated significant data from the successful sampling and drilling programs. Through the compilation of the available historical data and the data derived from our successful exploration, I believe we will unlock the true value of Werner Lake.”
Desktop Review – Werner Lake
HTM commenced a desktop review of Werner Lake in the previous quarter aimed at delineating future exploration programs based on all available historical data and newly acquired data. The data derived from the successful Drilling Program, which focused on high priority drill targets, adds to the extensive data available on Werner Lake (refer ASX announcement – Drilling Results at Werner Lake – released 27 November 2023).
High-Tech’s Exploration at Werner Lake
From the outset of the 2023 campaign, focus was on testing new targets away from the Werner Lake deposit. Two areas were selected for a comprehensive evaluation and assessment of the potential to locate economic cobalt, nickel, and PGE targets. These are shown below, essentially, the ‘East’ and ‘West’ blocks or grids.
The objective was to test cobalt, copper and nickel targets on a portion of the Werner Lake Property. The drill program was planned and carried out by the in-country geological consultants, Apex Geoservice (APEX). The program was completed on time and under budget.
Targets were based on a comprehensive appraisal and evaluation of historical geological and production data covering exploration and production on and around the Property, and on the somewhat limited geological and production data from the Gordon Lake Cu-Ni mine.
Table 1 – Total of 798 metres of NQ core was drilled over six holes.
Figure 1 – Werner Lake final DDH locations and access.
The results from the ground-based magnetometer survey, lithogeochemical sampling, and prospecting provided additional focus with the primary targets all located on the east block, east of Gordon Lake and the Gordon Lake mine (refer ASX announcement – WERNER LAKE SAMPLING DISCOVER HIGH GRADE Ni SULPHIDE & Cu-Co – released 30 August 2023).
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