Following a two-year study, Glencore to scale the use of Ceibo's sulfide leaching technology that significantly improves copper recovery
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High-Tech Metals Limited (ASX: HTM) – Suspension from Quotation
Description
The securities of High-Tech Metals Limited (‘HTM’) will be suspended from quotation immediately under Listing Rule 17.2, at the request of HTM, pending the release of an announcement regarding material acquisitions.
Issued by
Nicholas Mountain
Adviser, Listings Compliance
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from High-Tech Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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High-Tech Metals
Overview
High-Tech Metals Limited (ASX:HTM) is an exploration and development mining company focusing on its Canadian cobalt asset in the Kenora Mining District. The company’s Werner Lake project has received no previous modern exploration, creating blue-sky potential as High-Tech leverages new technologies and techniques. Additionally, High-Tech Metals is a well-structured entity from a capital perspective, with a highly experienced team of experts leading the company towards its goals. Toby Hughes was appointed to lead the exploration team and improve the value of the Werner Lake project.
Cobalt is widely used in various applications due to its unique high-temperature and magnetic properties. Historically, cobalt has been used in jet turbines, electroplating and alloyed with nickel to make powerful magnets. Now, cobalt demand is skyrocketing as electric vehicles (EVs) increasingly take a big chunk of the market. EVs are projected to consume 320 kilotons of cobalt by 2030, about 84 percent of the total cobalt demand.The Werner Lake project is near the Ontario-Manitoba border and is on the Werner Lake Geological Belt, known for hosting cobalt-copper and base metal deposits. The region has undergone continual exploration and production since cobalt was discovered in 1921.
Canada has the sixth largest cobalt reserves globally and both Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador produce more than 1,000 metric tonnes of cobalt annually. In addition, Canada hosts many of the world’s top mining jurisdictions due to its mining-friendly policies, which will allow High-Tech Metals to streamline exploration and move towards production.
High-Tech’s project was explored in the 1930s and 1940s, then was taken into production in the 1990s. Results from historical exploration and production informed the project’s current JORC-compliant resource estimate of 720,000 pounds (lbs) at 0.52 percent cobalt. While encouraging, the team also believes there is a significant exploration of upside potential by leveraging modern tools and techniques.
High-Tech Metals has taken steps to expand its portfolio, securing an agreement to acquire the Norpax Deposit and an option to purchase the Reynar Lake Project, located in Ontario, Canada. The projects are directly west and adjoin the company’s Werner Lake Project The Norpax Nickel Sulphide Deposit has a historical non-JORC compliant resource of 1.01 million tonnes of 1.2 percent nickel and 0.5 percent copper. The Reynar Lake Project is highly prospective for nickel, copper and cobalt which could potentially provide HTM with additional landholding and increase its cobalt resource and explore for additional nickel sulphide mineralisation.
Company Highlights
- High-Tech Metals is an exploration and development mining company exploring its underexplored cobalt asset in Canada.
- The company is a well-structured entity from a capital perspective, with the right management team in place to realize the potential of its assets.
- The Werner Lake Cobalt Project has seen some historical exploration and production but has not been explored with modern exploration techniques and technologies, creating upside potential for additional discoveries.
- Renowned geologist Toby Hughes leads the exploration team.
- Cobalt is currently used throughout a wide range of applications, and the growth of renewable technologies will continually drive up demand for the metal.
- The Werner Lake project is located on the Ontario-Manitoba border in a prolific mining district with an existing road network to facilitate future transportation.
- The company’s asset has a current JORC-compliant resource estimate of 720,000 lbs of ore at 0.52 percent cobalt.
- An experienced management team leads the company towards fully exploring its cobalt asset.
Key Project
Werner Lake Cobalt Project
The company’s cobalt project sits on the Ontario-Manitoba border in the Kenora Mining District, a region known for cobalt, copper and other base metals. The Werner Lake project has some historical exploration and production but has not received any exploration using modern technologies and techniques. High-Tech Metals is currently preparing for its initial geophysics exploration campaign.
Project Highlights:
- Encouraging Mineral Resource Estimate: The Werner Lake project has a current JORC-compliant resource estimate of 720,000 lbs at 0.52 percent cobalt. This optimistic estimate demonstrates the presence of cobalt, yet the exploration team believes there is tremendous potential to expand known deposits.
- Favorable Geological Formations: The Werner Lake Geological Belt, where the company's project is located, hosts numerous cobalt-copper and base metal showings. Additionally, the region contains multiple past-producing mines, which indicates its potential.
- Exploration Expertise: Renowned exploration expert Toby Hughes leads the exploration team. High-Tech Metals hopes to expand known deposits to improve the value of its asset.
- Significant Assay Results from Summer Sampling Program: High-Tech Metals collected approximately 209 rock samples which returned high-grade nickel sulphide (greater than 1 percent Ni) rock chips, which have predominantly been explored for cobalt and copper, also returned high-grade samples including 6.22 percent copper and >1 percent cobalt.
Management Team
Charles Thomas - Non-executive Chairman
Charles Thomas is an executive director and founding partner of GTT Ventures a leading boutique corporate advisory firm based in Australia. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UWA majoring in corporate finance. Thomas has worked in the financial service industry for more than 17 years and has extensive experience in capital markets as well as the structuring of corporate transactions. Thomas has significant experience sitting on numerous ASX boards spanning the mining, resources and technology space. Thomas is currently non-executive director of Chase Mining Corporation (ASX:CML), non-executive chairman of Viking Mines Ltd (ASX.VKA) and executive chairman of Marquee Resources Limited (ASX:MQR).
Sonu Cheema - Executive Director
Sonu Cheema is a director at Cicero Group Pty Ltd and has over 12 years of experience working with public and private companies in Australia and abroad. Roles and responsibilities include financial control, preparation of statutory financial reporting, investor relations, initial public offers (IPO), reverse takeovers (RTO), management of capital raising activities, project management and audit management. Cheema currently serves as a non-executive director and company secretary for Avira Resources (ASX:AVW) and Austin Metals (ASX:AYT).
Quinton Meyers - Non-executive Director & Company Secretary
Quinton Meyers has over six years of experience working in the equities markets in the capacity of a stockbroker, company secretary and accountant for multiple ASX-listed companies gaining exposure to the resource, oil and gas and technology sectors. During this time, Meyers has worked on multiple initial public offers, reverse takeovers, equity capital markets transactions, while developing his knowledge of the ASX Listing Rules and Corporations Act.
Meyers holds a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and finance from Curtin University, a Graduate Diploma in financial planning and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australian & New Zealand.
Toby Hughes - Leader of Exploration
Toby Hughes is a professional geologist having worked in mineral exploration for more than 40 years, with experience in orogenic and epithermal systems, volcanogenic massive sulphides, and Cu-Ni-Co. He has worked for several years on and around the Werner Lake deposit, with additional experience in cobalt exploration within the Bear Magmatic Province, NT, Cobalt, ON and China. As a consultant, he has held senior positions with junior and senior mining companies across Canada, Argentina, China, Columbia, Ghana, Guyana, Mongolia, Peru, Venezuela, and the USA exploring for precious, base metal, industrial minerals and diamonds. Hughes is a graduate of The University of Dundee, Scotland (Honours B.Sc. Geology) and a registered professional geoscientist in Ontario.
ASX Cobalt Stocks: 4 Biggest Companies in 2024
Strong electric vehicle (EV) sales have been driving up demand for key battery raw materials in recent years. EVs require lithium-ion batteries to run, and each battery could contain up to 15 kilograms of cobalt.
This means that as demand for EVs increases, so too will demand for cobalt — and, as one of the top four cobalt-producing countries in the world, Australia finds itself in a position to capitalise on this demand.
About 74 percent of global cobalt output comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, Australia is proving to be a solid contender; though it is only responsible for 2 percent of the world’s cobalt production, it holds about 15.5 percent of global reserves. Moreover, while the DRC’s labour and mining practices have often been labeled unethical and unsustainable, Australian miners are focused on safer, more environmentally friendly practices.
While cobalt prices haven't recovered from their fall in early 2023, EV demand is expected to be strong in the long term.
When it comes to getting exposure to the Australian market, large players may be a good place to start. Read on for a look at the biggest cobalt stocks on the ASX sorted by market cap. All market cap and share price data was obtained on November 29, 2024, using TradingView's stock screener.
1. Ardea Resources (ASX:ARL)
Market cap: AU$69.89 million
Share price: AU$0.34
Ardea Resources' primary focus is developing its wholly owned Kalgoorlie nickel project, which the company says “hosts the largest nickel-cobalt resource in the developed world.” Located in Western Australia, the project includes the Goongarrie Hub deposit.
A 2023 prefeasibility study shows that the Goongarrie Hub has an ore reserve of 194.1 million tonnes at 0.05 percent cobalt and 0.7 percent nickel, resulting in 99,000 tonnes of contained cobalt and 1.36 million tonnes of contained nickel. The study indicates that this resource would support an open-pit mining operation with a 40 year mine life and annual output of 2,000 tonnes of cobalt and 30,000 tonnes of nickel.
In late March, the company shared that a detailed hydrogeology drilling program had commenced to quantify long-term water supply.
Ardea is now working on a definitive feasibility study (DFS), with funding from its strategic partners Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. (TSE:5713) and Mitsubishi (TSE:8058). The DFS is slated for completion in the second half of 2025.
2. Cobalt Blue Holdings (ASX:COB)
Market cap: AU$34.37 million
Share price: AU$0.069
Cobalt Blue Holdings focuses solely on cobalt and is enthusiastic about the metal’s ethical and environmental potential within the renewable energy market. The company owns the New South Wales-based Broken Hill project, a cobalt asset that it says adheres to Australian labour and sustainability standards, and is planning the Kwinana cobalt-nickel refinery.
In November 2023, Cobalt Blue released the results of its cobalt-nickel refinery study. During Stage 1, the proposed refinery would process third-party feedstock and have a capacity of 3,000 tonnes of cobalt sulphate per year, along with 1,000 tonnes of nickel sulphate annually. Stage 2 would have the option to include potential feedstock from Broken Hill. The study projects stable margins throughout potential cobalt price fluctuations.
A few days later, the company announced that its potential partner for the refinery is Iwatani (TSE:8088), a battery minerals trader. According to Cobalt Blue, if everything goes through as planned, the refinery will be constructed on Iwatani's property in Western Australia's Kwinana industrial area.
Cobalt Blue provided another update on the refinery in early October, reporting that construction is set to commence in the first half of 2025, with completion expected within 12 months.
3. Jervois Global (ASX:JRV)
Market cap: AU$29.73 million
Share price: AU$0.011
Jervois Global is focused on producing battery minerals, with a specific emphasis on cobalt. Jervois boasts operations worldwide and hopes to become the only cobalt miner in the US at its Idaho Cobalt Operation (ICO).
In mid-2023, the company won US$15 million from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to fund drilling at ICO as well as a bankable feasibility study for construction of a US cobalt refinery. Resource drilling began at the Sunshine deposit at the ICO project shortly after, while work on a bankable feasibility study for the cobalt refinery was launched last October. The company hopes to complete the study in Q4 2024.
DoD-funded resource-extension drilling at the RAM deposit kicked off in March of this year. The following month, Jervois completed its maiden JORC-compliant resource estimate for the Sunshine deposit as part of its deliverables under the DoD funding agreement.
The deposit hosts inferred resources of 520,000 tonnes at 0.5 percent cobalt, 0.68 percent copper and 0.49 grams per tonne gold at a cut-off-grade of 0.25 percent cobalt, for 5.75 million pounds of contained cobalt.The company hopes to complete a bankable feasibility study in Q4 2024.
In June, Jervois inked a memorandum of understanding with current customer Global Tungsten & Powders to evaluate the latter potentially making a minority equity investment in Jervois’ proposed US cobalt refinery. The company announced in October that it is on track to complete the bankable feasibility study for the refinery in Q4 2024.
4. Kuniko (ASX:KNI)
Market cap: AU$18.22 million
Share price: AU$0.225
Norway-focused Kuniko is targeting three metals key for the EV industry: cobalt, nickel and copper. The majority of its assets are in Norway, including its Skuterud cobalt project, Undal-Nyberget copper project and Ringerike battery metals project. Ringerike hosts the past-producing Ertelien nickel-copper-cobalt target.
In its quarterly report for September 2023, Kuniko highlighted significant developments, including an investment of AU$7.8 million by Stellantis (NYSE:STLA), which acquired a 19.99 percent interest in Kuniko and secured a 35 percent offtake for future production of nickel and cobalt sulphate from Kuniko's Norwegian projects for nine years.
In April, the company released a maiden resource estimate for Ertelien showing 23.3 million tonnes of inferred resources containing 49,700 tonnes of nickel, 37,300 tonnes of copper and 3,300 tonnes of cobalt, including high-grade sulphide resources of 4.59 million tonnes at 0.03 percent cobalt and disseminated sulphide resources of 18.68 million tonnes of 0.01 percent cobalt.
Kuniko undertook a second phase expansion drill program over the summer at Ertelien. “Our aim is to demonstrate progress towards developing a Voisey Bay style resource as a potential new source of critical battery metals for European industries,” Kuniko CEO Antony Beckmand stated. The assay results were published in September, and will be incorporated into an updated resource estimate to be published in Q4 2024.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, currently hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Glencore's Lomas Bayas Partners with Ceibo to Accelerate Access to Clean Copper
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
News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia
Cobalt Price Recovery Uncertain as Battery Chemistry Shifts Erode Demand
Cobalt market watchers are warning that a near-term resurgence in prices and demand may not occur.
Cobalt prices have spent most of 2024 on the decline, falling to lows not seen since 2016. Values for the electric vehicle (EV) battery metal have fallen 74 percent from highs set in 2022 (US$81,969.70 per metric ton).
Prices are now sitting at the US$23,383.80 per metric ton level, an eight year low.
The primary factor weighing on cobalt prices is softening demand from the battery sector.
Cobalt usage has declined as the industry shifts away from previously popular nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries and toward lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, which don’t require any cobalt.
The issue has been further compounded by robust mining output from producers.
While some cobalt market segments may fare better than others, overall the sector's contraction is seen continuing.
“Cobalt hydroxide, a key raw material for cobalt sulfate and a byproduct of copper production, may experience temporary support from higher miner offers during Q4 term contract negotiations, though consistent oversupply driven by elevated copper prices in 2024 is likely to limit price gains,” reads a report from S&P Global Commodity Insights.
LFP batteries dominate as cobalt-rich chemistries decline
According to S&P Global, during the third quarter, the market share for NMC batteries stood at 24.6 percent, while competing chemistry LFP dominated with a 75.2 percent share of the market.
Unlike platinum and palladium, where substitution is relatively common as prices fluctuate, the firm believes the focus on cobalt-free battery chemistries will likely prevail. That's because they “are preferred for their safety, longer lifespan, and lower costs, and have gained traction, especially in China, in recent years.”
Rising plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) production and sales are also causing shifts in demand, as PHEVs require smaller batteries than fully battery electric vehicles.
Now industry participants are starting to realize the sobering reality that cobalt may be phased out completely.
This possibility has been affirmed in correspondence between Bloomberg and China's CMOC (OTC Pink:CMCLF,SHA:603993), the world’s largest cobalt-mining company.
“We predict that EV batteries will never return to the era that relies on cobalt,” said Zhou Xing, a spokesperson for CMOC. “Cobalt is far less important than imagined.”
Other segments supporting cobalt demand
Despite its shrinking market share in the auto sector, cobalt demand from the consumer electronics segment remains steady, largely driven by lithium-cobalt-oxide batteries that are approximately 55 percent cobalt.
Citing data from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and China Customs, S&P Global notes that in July and August, China's mobile phone production rose 9.3 percent year-on-year, while exports grew 4.8 percent.
Cobalt demand will also be propped up by its use in superalloys, a niche that is expected to quadruple its cobalt demand by 2050, reaching 55,000 metric tons due to increased military, aerospace and satellite applications.
However, support from consumer electronics and superalloys likely won't be enough to absorb current oversupply.
“The cobalt market is currently expected to be in surplus through 2028, with the surplus peaking at 27,000 metric tons in 2024 and gradually decreasing to 3,000 metric tons by 2028," said Alice Yu, principal analyst at S&P Global.
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.
Top 10 Cobalt Producers by Country (Updated 2024)
Battery metal cobalt has been in focus in recent years for its role in lithium-ion batteries, bringing attention to the top cobalt producing countries.
One of the metal’s main catalysts is the electric vehicle roll out. The lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and energy storage require lithium, graphite and cobalt, among other raw materials, and demand for these important commodities is expected to keep rising as the shift toward clean technologies continues at a global scale.
Additionally, the metal is predominantly produced as a by-product of copper and nickel, two other metals that are important for the green transition.
However, supply growth in many of the battery metals has out scaled near-term demand, leading to a price pullback over the last two years. The cobalt market has trended downwards in 2024, with prices falling 10 percent from July to September.
As Roman Aubry, cobalt pricing analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, pointed out, Q3 cobalt values across all grades tracked by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence hit record lows unseen since 2017. The retraction was driven by prolonged weak demand and mounting surplus supply.
Investors interested in the sector should learn the top cobalt producers by country. According to the US Geological Survey, world production has increased significantly over the past two years. In 2023 total cobalt output topped 230,000 metric tons (MT), a large increase from 2022’s 190,000 MT, and a big jump from 2021's 165,000 MT.
Read on for a closer look at cobalt supply and which countries lead in production.
1. Democratic Republic of Congo
Mine production: 170,000 metric tons
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is by far the world’s largest producer of cobalt, with 170,000 metric tons of production in 2023, accounting for roughly 73 percent of global production. The country has been the top producer of the metal for some time, and is likely to remain crucial to the cobalt market for the foreseeable future.
However, cobalt mining in the DRC is associated with rampant human rights abuses and child labor, due in part to the large presence of unregulated artisanal mining. Attempts have been made to regulate the DRC's artisanal mining sector. But with hundreds of thousands of people relying on artisanal mining for income, eliminating it completely isn't possible.
Efforts to date include the creation of a new state company, Entreprise Générale du Cobalt, to buy and market all artisanal cobalt mined in the DRC; it was set up in 2019 and struggled to make progress. However, in February 2024, it signed an agreement with state miner Gecamines for exclusive mining rights to five mining areas.
Aside from that, the Responsible Minerals Initiative, in cooperation with the Global Battery Alliance, has drafted a framework for a regulated artisanal mining sector. The DRC's mines minister formally approved the ASM Cobalt Standard in 2022, and plans for assessing its effectiveness at pilot sites are being developed.
Outside the DRC's artisanal mining sphere, cobalt is largely produced as a by-product of copper mines, including the Tenke Fungurume mine, owned by the CMOC Group (OTC Pink:CMCLF,HKEX:3993); Metalkol RTR, owned by Eurasian Resources Group and the KOV; and the Mutanda and Mashamba East mines, owned by Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF). While the CMOC Group has ramped up cobalt production at Tenke Fungurume, Glencore has dialed back its production.
2. Indonesia
Mine production: 17,000 metric tons
Indonesia has ramped up production to become the second largest producer of the EV metal, with 17,000 metric tons of cobalt in 2023 compared to only 2,700 MT of cobalt in 2021. This rapid change was the result of an increase in investment in Indonesia's battery metals supply chain, predominantly from Chinese companies, which moved in after Indonesia banned nickel ore exports in 2019. The country's higher cobalt production has come from four new high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) facilities that process ore to produce both nickel and cobalt in mixed hydroxide precipitate, which can then be exported.
The first two HPAL operations came online in 2021 as part of the existing Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. The facilities were developed by QMB New Materials, a joint venture between Tsingshan Holding Group, GEM (SZSE:002340), CATL (SZSE:300750) and Hanwa (TSE:8078). As of late 2023, two others are also operating in the country — one run by Huayue, owned by Tsingshan and CMOC Group, and one run by Halmahera Persada Lygend, owned by Lygend Resources (HKEX:2245) and Trimegah Bangun Persada (IDX:NCKL).
In mid-2024, partners Eramet (EPA:ERA) and chemical producer BASF (OTCQX:BFFAF,FWB:BASF) decided against executing the planned US$2.6 billion Sonic Bay nickel-cobalt hydrometallurgical complex due to nickel market dynamics, including low prices and oversupply. Sonic Bay would have processed ore from the Weda Bay nickel mine to produce 7,500 MT of cobalt and 67,000 MT of nickel per year.
According to a market report released in May 2023 from the Cobalt Institute, Indonesia has the potential to increase its cobalt output 10 fold by 2030. In the same vein, data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence indicates that Indonesia's 2030 cobalt output will make up 20 percent of global production compared to 1 percent in 2021 and 5 percent in 2022.
While the market has been searching for an alternative to the DRC for its cobalt, both Indonesia's nickel industry and this rapid build out come with their own environmental concerns.
3. Russia
Mine production: 8,800 metric tons
After rising in 2022, Russia’s cobalt production declined in 2023, falling from 9,200 metric tons to 8,800 metric tons. While the country's cobalt reserves stand at 250,000 MT, Russia is still well behind the DRC in terms of production. Large Russian miner Norilsk Nickel produces cobalt and is among the world’s top five producers of the mineral.
With concerns about DRC cobalt running high, some automakers have been calling for increased electric vehicle battery production in Europe. There was hope that this push could boost Russia's future cobalt production — however, that may now be out of the question while the country wages war against Ukraine.
In April 2022, the US hit Russian cobalt with a 45 percent duty that was set to expire on January 1, 2024. The sanctions on Russian and Belarusian cobalt were extended in June 2024, and in September the US imposed a 25 percent tariff on Chinese cobalt.
4. Australia
Mine production: 4,600 metric tons
As the DRC becomes increasingly challenging for miners and as investors try to divert their interests away from Africa, Australia is another country that’s receiving more attention — the island nation's cobalt reserves are the second largest in the world at 1,700,000 MT.
Despite holding a large amount in reserves, Australian cobalt production contracted year-over-year from 2022 to 2023. After output spiked to 5,900 metric tons in 2022, cobalt production declined to 4,600 metric tons in 2023.
As is the case for many other countries on this list, cobalt is produced in Australia as a by-product of copper and nickel mining. The country’s nickel mines are located in the western part of the country, mostly around the Kalgoorlie and Leonora regions.
Additionally, the Australian government has been sending geologists to search for cobalt in mine waste, an effort that bore fruit when Queensland geologist Anita Parbhakar-Fox tested a copper mine waste sample that graded 7,000 parts per million cobalt.
The CEO of Australian company Cobalt Blue Holdings (ASX:COB,OTC Pink:CBBHF) described the discovery as a game changer to the Financial Times, estimating there could be up to 300,000 MT of cobalt in Australian mine waste.
Another important cobalt project in the country under Cobalt Blue is the Broken Hill project, which will allow for cobalt production on-site, rather than extracted as a by-product of nickel.
Broken Hill is planned to begin production in 2026, and is anticipated to have an output of around 4,000 metric tons of cobalt annually over a 20 year mine lifespan.
5. Madagascar
Mine production: 4,000 metric tons
Madagascar’s cobalt-mining industry produced 4,000 metric tons in 2023, up significantly from the 3,500 MT in 2022rebounded through 2021, putting out 3,500 MT in 2022, and 4,000 MT in 2023.
Much of the country’s cobalt production comes from the Ambatovy nickel-cobalt mine, owned through a joint venture by Japanese company Sumitomo (TSE:8053) and a Korean state-owned entity. The mine has faced production and profitability issues.
In August 2024, the companies submitted a debt restructuring plan to a London court. According to media reports, Sumitomo, the project's major shareholder, has accumulated 410 billion yen in losses stemming from the project, including a 265.5 billion yen total impairment loss.
Most recently, in October, a pipeline moving ore from the mine to a processing and refining plant had to be shut down due to damage. While production began slowly ramping up at the end of the month, Ambatovy's future remains uncertain.
6. Philippines
Mine production: 3,800 metric tons
The Philippines is the sixth largest cobalt producer in the world. The country’s cobalt production has remained steady over the last two years, coming in at 3,800 metric tons. The Asian country is also a top nickel producer.
The fate of mining in the Philippines was up in the air for a while as former President Rodrigo Duterte and former Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu called for a shutdown of all mines in the country based on environmental concerns. However, Duterte seemed to have a change of heart in early 2021, lifting a ban on new mine permits in an effort to boost revenues.
His successor, President Bongbong Marcos, has ordered the country's Department of Environment and Natural Resources to enforce stricter guidelines and safety protocols on both small- and large-scale mines. He hopes to bring illegal mining operations into compliance so they can operate legally and with safer conditions for employees.
7. Cuba
Mine production: 3,200 metric tons
Cuban cobalt production fell in 2023 to 3,200 metric tons, down from 3,700 MT in the year prior.
The country’s Moa region is home to the Moa joint venture nickel-cobalt operation held by Canadian firm Sherritt International (TSX:S,OTC Pink:SHERF) and the General Nickel Company of Cuba.
Moa uses an open-pit mining system to produce lateritic ore, which is processed into mixed sulfides containing nickel and cobalt using HPAL. The country’s state-owned nickel miner is the sole operator of the Che Guevara processing plant at Moa.
8. New Caledonia
Mine production: 3,000 metric tons
New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean east of Australia, is known for its mineral industry, primarily focused on nickel and cobalt mining. According to a 2019 USGS Mineral Yearbook report, nickel mining contributes roughly 7 percent of the country’s annual GDP.
Although cobalt production in New Caledonia has increased year-over-year, climbing from 2,000 MT in 2022 to 3,000 metric tons in 2023, the island nation’s primary cobalt producing mine has been embroiled in controversy.
The Goro nickel and cobalt mine, which was brought into operation by Vale (NYSE:VALE), has been impacted by weak nickel prices and electoral reform unrest. In 2020, Vale opted to sell the project as part of a broader company restructuring. The following year, Goro was acquired by Prony Resources New Caledonia consortium, a joint venture owned by New Caledonian entities and international commodities trader Trafigura.
Earlier in 2024, the mine was again making headlines when Trafigura Group declined to provide additional funding for Prony Resources Nouvelle-Calédonie, as part of a French government rescue plan for New Caledonia's struggling mining sector.
9. Papua New Guinea
Mine production: 2,900 metric tons
Papua New Guinea has made the list of top cobalt producers by country for the sixth year in a row. In 2023, the small country off the coast of Australia produced 2,900 MT of cobalt as a by-product of nickel production, staying nearly flat with the previous year's output of 3,000 MT.
The country’s main cobalt producer is the Ramu nickel mine near Madang, a joint venture between private company MCC Ramu NiCo, Nickel 28 Capital (TSXV:NKL,OTC Pink:CONXF) and the Papua New Guinea government.
A mid-October report from Benchmark noted that by 2030, Chinese companies are expected to control 85 percent of cobalt output from Papua New Guinea, enhancing China’s global share of mined cobalt supply to 46 percent.
10. Turkey
Mine production: 2,800 metric tons
Taking the tenth spot on the list is Turkey, which has seen its annual cobalt output rise from 2,100 MT in 2022 to 2,800 metric tons in 2023. The nation also boasts large reserves totaling 91,000 MT.
A 2021 report from the British Geological Survey, underscored the importance of Turkey's cobalt potential amid the energy transition, noting “the greatest cobalt resource potential lies in laterite deposits in the Balkans and Turkey and in magmatic and black shale-hosted deposits in Fennoscandia.”
It went on to point out that in the Balkans and Turkey, 27 nickel laterite deposits are known to contain cobalt in significant quantities, with several deposits holding over 10,000 MT of cobalt metal. Currently, only nickel is extracted from these deposits, but advancements in processing technologies like high-pressure acid leaching may allow for cobalt recovery in the future.
In September 2024, the planned expansion of the Meta nickel-cobalt mine in Gördes sparked local resistance. Community members raised concerns that the project was destroying forests, draining water and harming agriculture. The mine is one of only a few nickel mines in Europe, making it important to the EU's ability to meet European demand for electric vehicle battery materials.
FAQs for cobalt production
What is the most common source of cobalt?
As cobalt is only found in a chemically combined form, it must be separated from mined ore. Most commonly, cobalt is produced as a by-product at copper or nickel mines. According to Benchmark Minerals, currently three-quarters of cobalt is produced from copper-primary mines and 25 percent is produced from nickel-primary mines. The agency forecasts that by 2030, cobalt production from copper-primary mines will fall to 57 percent, while that from nickel-primary mines will rise to 41 percent.
How rare is cobalt on Earth?
Cobalt is the 32nd most common element on Earth, according to the Cobalt Institute, meaning it isn't particularly rare. However, only a handful of countries have cobalt reserves over 300,000 MT, with the DRC coming in first place at 4 million MT, Australia in second at 1.5 million MT and Indonesia coming in third place with 600,000 MT. In fact, the DRC has higher cobalt reserves than the rest of the world combined.
How many years of cobalt are left?
How long it will take to deplete cobalt reserves and resources depends on the approach and speed with which electrification and a fully renewable society is approached, according to a 2019 study. Another factor is whether or not lithium-ion battery formulas that require cobalt will continue to be the norm in the future. If widespread cobalt substitution does take place, that will ease demand pressures on the metal.
Why is cobalt so valuable?
Cobalt has risen in recent years due to supply chain difficulties and the metal's necessity in many lithium-ion battery cathodes, with prices peaking in March and April 2022 at over US$80,000 per MT. However, prices have fallen since then, and sat around the US$33,000 mark as of November 2023. The EV story has led to increased cobalt supply, meaning that there will be short-term price pressures due to oversupply as demand continues to rise in the coming years.
What is the problem with cobalt mining?
Most cobalt production takes place in the DRC, which is known for artisanal mining. Artisanal miners are adults and children who are not employed by mining companies, but mine independently using their own tools or just their hands.
A 2023 ABC news report on the country's artisanal mining industry estimates that 200,000 artisanal miners are working on cobalt deposits; unfortunately, a lack of oversight and safety measures means injuries and death are more frequent than in regulated mining. While organizations are working to keep the supply chain transparent, it is hard to fully avoid cobalt that is sourced through child labor and human rights abuses.
Other countries are not exempt from concerns related to mining cobalt — Indonesia's burgeoning cobalt production comes with the vast environmental concerns that plague the nation's nickel industry.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Cobalt Market Update: Q3 2024 in Review
A contraction continued in the cobalt market during the year's third quarter, with metal values falling from US$27,151.50 per metric ton (MT) on July 1 to US$24,299 by the end of September.
The 10 percent decline is part of a larger 16.56 percent year-to-date contraction.
“This quarter saw minimal pricing movements as the market experienced a prolonged period of low prices,” said Roman Aubry, cobalt pricing analyst at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
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.”
Cobalt demand in the doldrums
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.”
Swelling cobalt supply prevents price growth
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.”
US and Canada boost EV tariffs
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.”
China adds to cobalt-refining capacity
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.”
What factors will move the cobalt market in 2024?
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.
Quarterly Activities Report and Appendix 5B for the Period Ending 30 September 2024
High-Tech Metals Limited (ASX: HTM) (High-Tech, HTM or the Company), a critical battery minerals exploration Company, is pleased to provide the following report on its activities for the Quarter ending 30 September 2024 (“Quarter”). The Company’s primary activities during the quarter were the desktop review of Werner Lake Project, Canada, (“Werner Lake”).
HIGHLIGHTS
- HTM nears completion of a desktop review of Werner Lake Project compiling all available historical data and newly acquired data.
- Desktop review to prepare for future exploration of the Werner Lake Project to unlock value.
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).
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from High-Tech Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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