U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 930-F 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory 

Summary Report-Cobalt 

Prepared as a cooperative eHort among earthscience and mineral-resource agencies of 

Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of 

Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the 

United Kingdom, and the United States of 

America 
Major geologic age units 

Million years Age before present 

Holocene 

QUATERNARY - 0.01 

Pleistocene 

u - 2 

Pliocene 5 

N 5 r----

Miocene 0 

z 

w r- 24 

Oligocene TERTIARY u - 38 

Eocene - 55 

Paleocene 

63 

Late Cretaceous 

- Cretaceous r- 96 

u Early Cretaceous 5 

N - 138 

0 Jurassic CJ) 

w - ~ r- 205 

Triassic 

240 

Permian 

~ 290 

Pennsylvanian 

Carboniferous r--330 

Mississippian u - 360 5 

Devonian N 

0 

w r---- 410 ...J 

<( Silurian D.. 

r---- 435 

Ordovician 

t- 500 

Cambrian 

~570 

u Late Proterozoic 0 t- 900 N 

0 

Middle Proterozoic a: 

w 

~ r-----1600 z 

0 <( 

a: Early Proterozoic a: 

~ al 2500 ~ 

z <( 

u <( 

w w 

:I: a: 

u D.. 

a: 

<( 
ADDENDA FOR CIRCULAR 93G-F, "International Strategic 

Minerals Inventory Summary Report-Cobalt" 

The sentence on page 9, column 1, line 16, should appear as 

follows: 

"Western Mining Corporation, owner of Kwinana, has processed concentrates 

and matte derived from its own mines and those of other companies having mines in 

Western Australia. Statistics relating to cobalt products from Kwinana canhnot be 

traced to specific mines in Western Australia." 

Western Mining Corporation does not process concentrates on a toll basis at 

Kwinana, and all feed for the refinery has come from mines in Western Australia. 

The first entry in table 15, on page 46, should be deleted. 

Kwinana should not be included here, because similar plants elsewhere have not 

been included in this table. The Kwinana nickel refinery in Australia produces a 

nickel-cobalt sulfide byproduct. 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory 

Summary Report-Cobalt 

By Richard N. Crockett, Gregory R. Chapman, 

and Michael D. Forrest 

U . S . G E 0 L 0 G I C A L S U R V E Y C I R C U LA R 930 - F 

Prepared as a cooperative eHort among earthscience and mineral-resource agencies of 

Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of 

Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the 

United Kingdom, and the United States of 

America 

1987 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Dallas L. Peck, Director 

Library of Congress Cataloging In Publication Data 

Crockett, R.N. 

International strategic minerals inventory summary report, cobalt. 

(Geological Sutvey circular ; 930-F) 

Bibliography: p. 

Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.4/2:930-F 

1. Cobalt. I. Chapman, Gregory R. II. Forrest, Michael D. III. Title. IV. 

Series: U.S. Geological Sutvey circular; 930-F. 

TN490.C6C76 1987 333.8'5 87-600496 

Free on application to the Books and Open-File Reports Section, 

U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225 
FOREWORD 

Earth-science and mineral-resource agencies from several countries started the 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory in order to gather cooperatively information 

about major sources of strategic mineral raw materials. This circular summarizes 

inventory information about major deposits of cobalt, one of the mineral commodities 

selected for the inventory. 

The report was prepared by Richard N. Crockett, Gregory R. Chapman, and 

Michael D. Forrest of the British Geological Survey of the Natural Environment 

Research Council and edited by David M. Sutphin of the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS). The cobalt inventory was compiled by the authors (Richard N. Crockett, chief 

compiler); 0. Roger Eckstrand, W. David Sinclair, and Ralph I. Thorpe, Canadian 

Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR), Geological Survey of Canada; 

Valerie A. Fell, EMR, Mineral Policy Sector (MPS); Gabriele I.C. Schneider, South 

African Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs (MEA), Geological Survey; Brian 

G. Elliott, Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics; and 

Michael P. Foose, USGS. Additional contributions to the report were made by Antony 

B.T. Werner and Jan Zwartendyk, EMR, MPS; Donald I. Bleiwas and William S. Kirk, 

U.S. Bureau of Mines; Erik C.I. Hammerbeck, MEA, Geological Survey, and Ian 

Goldberg, MEA, Minerals Bureau. 

Director 

iii 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Foreword • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii 

Abstract • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 

Part I-Overview. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 

Introduction ••••••••••••••••••••• ~. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 

Summary of uses................................................................... 2 

Recent aspects of supply and demand. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 

The geology of cobalt............................................................... 6 

Technological and statistical aspects of cobalt production • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 

Cobalt resources................................................................... 9 

Cobalt production • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 

Conclusions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 18 

Part II-Selected inventory information for cobalt deposits and districts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 19 

References cited • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 52 

Additional references on cobalt resources • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • S3 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

FIGURE 1. Diagram showing United Nations resource categories used in this report (modified 

from Schanz, 1980, p. 313)................................................. 3 

2-3. Maps showing: 

2. Location, deposit type, and estimated resources of cobalt-resource provinces in 

the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

3. Economic classification of the World Bank for countries where the world's 

cobalt-resource provinces occur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

4-5. Diagrams showing: 

4. Distribution of cobalt resources and mine production by geologic deposit type. . . 13 

5. Distribution of cobalt resources and mine and metal production by economic 

class of country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lS 

TABLES 

Page 

TABlE 1. World cobalt mine production 1977-83.......................................... S 

2. Geologic deposit types represented by deposits in ISMI cobalt inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

3. Comparison of four main processes for cobalt recovery from nickel laterites . . . . . . . . . . 9 

4. Summary of cobalt-resource provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

5. Resources from the world's major cobalt-resource provinces by geologic deposit type. . . 13 

6. Resources from the world's major cobalt-resource provinces by economic class of 

country.................................................................... 14 

7. World production of cobalt contained in ore and concentrate in 1983................ 16 

v 
8. Mine production of cobalt in 1983 by geologic deposit type......................... 16 

9. Contributions by geologic deposit type to total world production of cobalt-in-ore, 

189~1982................................................................. 17 

10. National contributions to total world production of cobalt-in-ore, 189~1982.......... 17 

11. Mine production of cobalt in 1983 by economic class of country. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

12. Cobalt metal production in 1983 by economic class of country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

13. Selected geologic and location information from ISMI records for cobalt deposits and 

districts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

14. Selected production and mineral-resource information from ISMI records for cobalt 

deposits and districts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

15. Cobalt production from primary resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 

VI 
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY 

SUMMARY REPORT 

COBALT 

By Richard N. Crockett, Gregory R. Chapman, and Michael D. Forrest1 

ABSTRACT 

Major world resources of cobalt are described in this 

summary report of information in the International Strategic 

Minerals Inventory QSMI). ISMI is a cooperative data-collection 

effort of earth-science and mineral-resource agencies in Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of 

South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of 

America. This report, designed to be of benefit to policy analysts 

and geologists, contains two parts. Part I presents an overview of 

the resources and potential supply of cobalt on the basis of 

inventory information which covers only discovered deposits. 

Part II contains tables of some of the geologic information and 

mineral-resource and production data that were collected by 

ISMI participants. 

PART I-OVERVIEW 

INTRODUCTION 

The reliability of future supplies of so-called 

strategic minerals is of concern to many nations. This 

widespread concern has led to duplication of effort in 

the gathering of information on the world's major 

sources of strategic mineral materials. With the aim of 

pooling such information, a cooperative program 

named International Strategic Minerals Inventory 

(ISMI) was started in 1981 by officials of the governments of the United States, Canada, and the Federal 

Republic of Germany. It was subsequently joined by 

the Republic of South Africa, Australia, and the United 

Kingdom. 

1 Authors are with the British Geological Sutvey (Natural 

Environment Research Council). 

The objective of ISMI reports is to make publicly available, in convenient form, nonproprietary data 

and characteristics of major deposits of strategic mineral commodities for policy considerations in regard to 

short-term, medium-term, and long-term world supply. This report provides a summary statement of the 

data compiled and an overview of the supply aspects of 

cobalt in a format designed to be of benefit to policy 

analysts and geologists. Knowledge of the geologic 

aspects of mineral resources is essential in order to 

discover and develop mineral deposits. However, technical, financial, and political decisions must be made, 

and often transportation and marketing systems must 

be constructed before ore can be mined and processed 

and the products transported to the consumer; the 

technical, financial, and political aspects of mineralresource development are not specifically addressed in 

this report. The report addresses the primary stages in 

the supply process for cobalt and includes some considerations of cobalt demand. 

The term "strategic minerals" is imprecise. It 

generally refers to mineral ore and derivative products 

that come largely or entirely from foreign sources, that 

are difficult to replace, and that are important to a 

nation's economy, in particular to its defense industry. 

Usually, the term implies a nation's perception of 

vulnerability to supply disruptions, and of a need to 

safeguard its industries from the repercussions of a 

loss of supplies. 

Because a mineral that is strategic to one country 

may not be strategic to another, no one list of strategic 

minerals can be prepared. The ISMI Working Group 

decided to commence with chromium, manganese, 

nickel, and phosphate. All of these studies, plus the 
study of platinum-group metals, have now been published. Additional studies on cobalt (this report), vanadium, graphite, titanium, tungsten, tin, lithium, and 

zirconium have been subsequently undertaken. 

The data in the ISMI cobalt inventory were 

collected in the early months of 1985. The report was 

submitted for review and publication in June 1986. The 

information used was the best available in various 

agencies of the participating countries that contributed 

to the preparation of this report. Those agencies were 

the Bureau of Mines and the Geological Survey of the 

U.S. Department of the Interior; the Geological Survey and the Mineral Policy Sector of the Canadian 

Department of Energy, Mines and Resources; the 

Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural 

Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany; the 

Geological Survey and the Minerals Bureau of the 

Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs of South 

Africa; the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and 

Geophysics of the Australian Department of Resources 

and Energy; and the British Geological Survey, a 

component institute of the Natural Environment 

Research Council. 

No geologic definition of a deposit (or district) is 

used for compiling records for this report. Deposits (or 

districts) are selected for the inventory on the basis of 

their present or expected future contribution to world 

supply. Records of all deposits compiled by ISMI 

participants meet this general "major deposit" criterion and are included in the inventory. 2 For some areas, 

such as the Sudbury district (Canada) or the Bushveld 

Complex (South Africa), inventory records have been 

compiled on a deposit-by-deposit basis, although production and resources of cobalt cannot be distinguished by individual deposits. In several cases production and resources can only be evaluated on a district 

or even national basis, and this problem receives some 

attention in this report. Because the assignment of a 

specific number of records to the cobalt resources of a 

district or even of a nation was not done with the same 

detail by all compilers, comparisons among numbers of 

cobalt records in different geographic areas or among 

numbers of cobalt records and those records of other 

commodities reported on in this series are not meaningful. 

The ISMI record collection and this report on 

cobalt have adopted the international classification 

system for mineral resources recommended by the 

2No information is provided on deposits that were once 

significant but whose resources are now considered to be depleted. 

2 

United Nations Group of Experts on Definitions and 

Terminology for Mineral Resources (United Nations 

Economic and Social Council, 1979; Schanz, 1980). 

The terms, definitions, and resource categories of this 

system were established in 1979 to facilitate international exchange of mineral-resource data; the Group of 

Experts sought a system that would be compatible with 

the several systems already in use in several countries. 

Figure 1 shows the U.N. resource classification in this 

report. The term "reserves," which many would consider to be equivalent to r1E or R1E, has been 

interpreted inconsistently and thus has been deliberately avoided in the U.N. classification. Category R3, 

undiscovered deposits, is not dealt with in this report. 

The reporting of resource data that relate to 

cobalt presents special hazards. The problem is dealt 

with more fully at a later stage, but essentially it arises 

from the byproduct status of much of the world output 

of cobalt. Only a minority of companies or countries 

report ores of cobalt on a conventional grade and 

tonnage basis. Some of the larger producers, for 

example those of New Caledonia or the Sudbury district (Canada), have made little effort to evaluate 

resources of individual mines that may contribute to 

collective corporate or national cobalt output. In the 

absence of reliable figures for in-place resources, 

estimates of mining recovery with respect to cobalt are 

also likely to be unrealistic. 

The World Bank economic classification of countries (World Bank, 1985, p. 174-175), which is based 

primarily upon GNP per capita, has been used in 

modified form in this report to illustrate distribution of 

resources and production according to economic 

groupings of countries. This classification was chosen 

because it relies primarily on objective economic criteria, although the groupings were altered to include 

the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) country grouping. This change was made to 

account for the close relationship of the Soviet Union 

and Cuba. 

SUMMARY OF USES 

Cobalt is a silvery white metal, atomic number 

27, atomic weight 58.93, having a specific gravity of 8.9, 

and a melting point of 1,495 °C. The average concentration of cobalt in rocks constituting the terrestrial 

crust is estimated as being about 23 parts per million, 

perhaps one quarter of the concentration for nickel 

(Taylor, 1964). It occupies a position in the periodic 

table of the elements that confers chemical properties 

that are akin to those of nickel. In metallic form, 
R* 

IN SITU RESOURCESQuantities of economic interest 

for the next few decades 

Rl R3 

KNOWN DEPOSITS- EXTENSIONS OF KNOWN DEPOSITS UNDISCOVERED DEPOSITS-

~ 

Reliable estimates AND NEWLY DISCOVERED DEPOSITS- Tentative estimates 

Preliminary estimates 

Economically 

AlE 

Marginally 

A1M 

Subeconomic 

R1S 

Economically 

R~2S Subeconomic 

exploitable economic exploitable 

*The capital "R" denotes resources in situ; a lower case "r" expresses the corresponding recoverable resources 

for each category and subcategory. Thus, rlE is the recoverable equivalent of RlE. This report deals only 

with Rl and R2, not with R3. 

Figure 1.-United Nations resource categories used in this report (modified from Schanz, 1980, p. 313). 

usually as the component of an alloy, cobalt lends 

qualities of heat and corrosion resistance coupled with 

high strength. Where used on hard-facing surfaces, 

such alloys are also exceptionally resistant to abrasion. 

The ferromagnetic properties of cobalt metal are also 

utilized in various special alloys made for the manufacture of permanent magnets. In addition to its use as 

a metal, usually alloyed, about 25 percent of total 

cobalt consumption is in the form of nonmetallic 

compounds. 

Reliable estimates of cobalt end use on a worldwide basis are not available, but for 1985 the U.S. 

Bureau of Mines (Kirk, 1987, p. 297) reports the 

following information regarding U.S. cobalt consumption: superalloys, mainly for industrial and aircraft gas 

turbine engines, 47 percent of reported consumption; 

magnetic materials for various electrical applications, 

11 percent; catalysts, 9 percent; driers, 8 percent; metal 

cutting and mining tool bits, 8 percent; and other uses, 

17 percent. 

Cobalt in steel.-Cobalt is added to steel for 

various hot-work applications, particularly where good 

heat resistance or the ability to work at high speeds is 

required. Some stainless and "maraging" steel specifications demand the addition of cobalt. The latter are a 

class of ultrahigh-strength, low-carbon steel alloys that 

contain 18 to 25 percent nickel. 

Nonferrous alloys.-Cobalt is widely used in various alloys that are characterized by their resistance to 

abrasion and corrosion, their hardness, and their ability 

to take a high polish. Such qualities make these alloys 

of value in the construction of chemical plants and for 

3 

other purposes where freedom from oxidation and 

distortion at high temperatures is required. 

The nomenclature of nonferrous alloys of cobalt 

is confused. The term "stellite" was originally applied 

to alloys consisting essentially of chromium, tungsten, 

and cobalt and, sometimes, molybdenum, iron, and 

nickel as well. In 1975, the Stellite Division of the 

Cabot Corporation, the leading producer of such 

alloys, proposed that the general term "highperformance alloys" should be applied to all iron-, 

nickel-, and cobalt-based alloys capable of withstanding extreme conditions of heat, wear, and corrosion. 

Cabot prol>osed that subdivisions should be recognized that include superalloys, corrosion-resistant 

alloys, and wear-resistant alloys. Cobalt is used in 

superalloys because it imparts strength at high temperatures and is resistant to corrosion. Superalloys are 

designed for service above 800 °C where extreme 

mechanical stresses are encountered and resistance to 

oxidation is required. Corrosion-resistant alloys contain large percentages of chromium or molybdenum. 

Wear-resistant alloys contain tungsten, chromium, and 

more than 1 percent of carbide particles dispersed in 

the matrix. There is considerable overlap in the properties and applications of the three categories of highperformance alloys. However, the term "superalloy" is 

frequently used to embrace them all and, therefore, has 

to be used with caution. 

Metallic cobalt and cemented carbides (

11hard 

metal").-The main use of cobalt as pure metal, as 

opposed to being one component of an alloy, is as a 

binding material in the manufacture of specialist hard-
metal tools. Cemented carbides were first developed in 

the early decades of this century when ways were being 

sought to make use of the extreme hardness of tungsten carbide which, in the pure state, is too brittle and 

porous for direct use. n: however, tungsten carbide 

particles are set in a matrix of cobalt, a material is 

obtained that is capable of machining cast iron and 

nonferrous metals. Hard metals capable of machining 

steels were later developed by the use of other metal 

carbides, notably those of titanium, tantalum, vanadium, and niobium. Although other binder metals are 

used for special applications, cobalt best fills the 

requirement that the binder material must become a 

liquid at a significantly lower temperature than the 

carbide and also that it must wet the carbide particles 

completely. In consequence, tungsten carbide and 

cobalt -based hard metals still satisfy the bulk of the 

demand of the machine tool industry. Cobalt is also 

used as a binder for diamond or diamond dust in 

cutting tools. 

Magnets.-Among the relatively few metallic elements displaying ferromagnetic properties, cobalt possesses unique qualities that make it especially suitable 

for permanent magnets. Its highly anisotropic crystal 

structure imparts a high coercivity; that is, its magnetism is relatively difficult to neutralize. Cobalt also has 

a high Curie temperature that ensures that it retains its 

induced magnetism at temperatures that would cause 

rapid demagnetization in other materials. Cobalt has a 

lower electrical resistivity than that of iron and is 

therefore able to raise the saturation magnetization of 

the latter when mixed with it. Iron-based magnets are 

generally "soft"; that is, they are easily demagnetized 

(with a low coercivity) and are therefore primarily 

used as electromagnets. Iron-cobalt alloys, however, 

offer few distinct advantages and are not in wide 

demand. Most cobalt-based magnets are therefore 

"hard" in nature, contain relatively little or no iron, and 

are used in "hard" or permanent applications. The 

most important hard magnetic materials are Alnico 

alloys, hard ferrites, and rare earth-cobalt magnets. 

The Alnico alloys were developed before World War II 

and typically have compositions in the range of 5 to 35 

percent cobalt, 14 to 30 percent nickel, 6 to 12 percent 

aluminum, and the remainder iron. Alnico alloys, 

although still widely used, do have some disadvantages. 

Those that are made by casting tend to be excessively 

brittle. Greater physical strength can be obtained with 

sintered. Alnicos produced by powder metallurgy, but 

these are. magnetically weaker. The move toward ferrites and alloys with rare-earth metals has, therefore, 

been a response to these disadvantages of Alnico. The 

4 

most important high-performance magnets utilizing 

rare earths are based on alloys of cobalt and samarium 

which combine weight advantage with high coercivity. 

Catalysis.-Various compounds of cobalt are 

used as catalysts. The most common class of chemical 

reaction in which such catalysts are used is hydrogenation, but processes involving hydration, desulfurization, 

oxidation, and reduction can also be catalyzed. ·Such 

chemical reactions are important stages in a number of 

commercial processes including petroleum refining, 

synthetic fuel production, and certain stages in the 

manufacture of plastics and lubricants. 

Paints and related products.-Cobalt oxides and 

salts are used in paints, ceramics, and allied products 

as decolorizers, dyes, dryers, pigments, and oxidizers. 

Cobalt also promotes the adherence of enamel to steel. 

There are other uses of cobalt in which amounts 

consumed are very small but which are, nonetheless, of 

some importance in the manufacture of certain glasses 

and ceramics. For example, the addition of cobalt 

compounds will neutralize the yellowish color given by 

iron and, if used in greater quantities, impart a blue 

coloration. Cobalt in small quantities is essential to the 

healthy development of animal tissue since in vivo it is 

incorporated into vitamin B12• In pastures where there 

is a soil deficiency of cobalt, yields from grazing 

animals may be dramatically improved by the administration of cobalt compounds either directly or in the 

form of an oxide pellet which is carried in the animal's 

rumen through its lifetime. 

RECENT ASPECTS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND 

From the viewpoint of many industrialized countries, notably Japan and countries in North America 

and in western Europe, the supply of cobalt is strategic 

in the sense that a high proportion of cobalt supplies, 

which are essential to the prosperity of those countries, 

must be imported. The United States, for example, 

must rely on foreign suppliers for about 95 percent of 

its cobalt requirement. Two factors in recent years have 

caused additional attention to be focused upon cobalt 

as a strategic mineral prone to supply difficulties. The 

first of these factors is that high-grade cobalt deposits 

are located in only a very few countries, at least one of 

which, Zaire, has shown a recent history of political 

instability. The second factor is that most cobalt is 

produced as a byproduct of either nickel or copper 

production, thus increasing the threat of restricted 

cobalt supply if there is a downturn in the market for 

either of the other two commodities. 
Attention can be drawn to several aspects of the 

recent history of cobalt supply and demand: 

• In the middle and latter parts of the 1970's, African 

supplies of cobalt were subject to a number of 

uncertainties linked to the regional political situation. Following the collapse of Portuguese rule in 

Angola in 1975, civil war in that country disrupted 

the vital railroad link to the port of Lobito over 

which much of Zairean output of copper and cobalt, 

as well as a significant proportion of that of Zambia, 

had previously passed. Two alternative land routes 

(to Dares Salaam in Tanzania and to Capetown in 

South Africa) and an airlift were able to carry most 

of the output for export. Therefore, supply interruptions from this cause did not prove to be as serious as 

feared. However, the outbreak of civil war in the 

Shaba Province of Zaire itself in May 1978, followed 

by Belgian and French military intervention, focused 

world attention upon the dependence of industrialized market economy countries upon African cobalt. 

In the conflict, damage to processing plants and 

equipment in the areas affected by fighting was not 

as great as had been expected, and mining activity 

was again at a significant level by early 1979. 

• Despite fears at the time of the Shaba rebellion that 

shortages in world supplies of cobalt would develop, 

the industry as a whole proved remarkably resilient, 

and the tonnage of cobalt-in-ore produced in the 

years immediately following this event showed no 

downturn. In contrast, producer prices for refined 

metal jumped threefold between 1977 and 1978. 

• Table 1 summarizes cobalt production for recent 

years and confirms the existence of a rising trend 

uninterrupted by the African troubles of 1978. At 

the end of 1980, however, a steep fall in production 

commenced and continued through 1983. Preliminary data indicated that this decline had been 

reversed by 1984, but world production levels have 

yet to reach the record levels of 1980. The fall in 

cobalt production recorded in the early 1980's (irrespective of whether this is recorded as mine output 

of cobalt-in-ore or as refined metal) probably disguises an even steeper decline in consumer demand. 

Most cobalt is produced as a byproduct of copper or 

TABLE 1.-World cobalt mine production, 1977-83 

[Source: British Geological Sutvey (1985); figures are in thousand metric 

tons of contained cobalt) 

Year ........... 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 

Mine production .......... 27.1 29.3 31.8 33.7 28.3 21.1 19.6 

5 

nickel production, and variations in the levels of 

cobalt production are as much a response to the 

vagaries of demand for these metals as to the market 

for cobalt itself. Additional costs incurred by the 

conversion of cobalt concentrates to metal are not 

high relative to total costs, and even in times of poor 

market demand it is likely to be convenient to 

refiners to stock metal rather than bulky concentrates. 

• Political events in the late 1970's were, however, the 

direct cause of a period of price instability contrasting with an era of static cobalt prices persisting since 

at least 1919, the earliest year for which data are 

available (Kirk, 1985). For over half a century until 

the early 1970's, cobalt prices had rarely exceeded 

$2.50 per pound and, after adjustment for inflation, 

had actually declined during the period. This decline 

was a function, evidently, of increasing efficiency of 

mining and metallurgical practice. Although prices 

tended to rise after 1972, they had only reached 

$6.85 per pound by February 1978 immediately 

before the outbreak of the troubles in Zaire. In the 

aftermath of those events, consumer apprehensions 

of impending shortage were reflected by a surge in 

orders. Although the shortage failed to materialize, 

such apprehensions were reflected in the cobalt 

producer price which rose to $25.00 per pound by 

February 1979. Thereafter, producer prices 

remained at this level through 1980. By the beginning of 1981, a fall in consumption and increasing 

substitution stimulated a progressive decline in the 

producer price. The last universally recognized producer price of $12.50 per pound was set in February 

1982, although by this time the producer price 

system had effectively collapsed. 

• The period of turmoil in cobalt prices from the late 

1970's on also saw a decoupling of the previously 

close relationship between producer-posted prices 

and the levels of prices achieved by cobalt on the free 

market. In the uncertain few months following the 

African troubles, spot-price transactions approaching $50.00 per pound were recorded, far in excess of 

producer prices, themselves at an all-time high. By 

early 1981, spot prices were falling below those 

posted by the producers, encouraging a decline in 

the latter. A temporary convergence was recorded in 

early 1982 when the last producer price of $12.50 

per pound was set. The peak in spot prices proved 

very short lived, and in December 1982, metal was 

trading at $4.75 per pound, making the official 

producer price largely irrelevant. A resumption of 

more orderly conditions became evident in early 
1984 with increasing demand and an upward movement of spot prices. By March 1984, a credible 

producer price was set at $11.70 per pound by Zaire 

and supported by other major producers. For much 

of 1985, this price held with a negligible divergence 

of spot prices. However, by the beginning of 1986, a 

rapid expansion in Zambian production and sales 

from the French strategic stockpile had again 

thwarted defense of the $11.70-per-pound level set 

by Zaire~ 

• Since 1980, the proportion of cobalt originating 

from African sources, where it is mostly a byproduct 

of the copper industry, has declined from about 

one-half of total world output to nearer one-third. 

Cobalt from non-African sources is mostly produced along with nickel. However, there is no evidence that the nickel industry has benefited substantially from this shift. The period of exceptionally 

high demand and realistic posted prices for cobalt at 

the beginning of the decade was too fleeting to offer 

any salvation to the industry already affected by an 

equally profound collapse in demand for nickel. 

• The steep climb in cobalt prices recorded at the 

beginning of the decade also had a marked effect on 

the pattern of consumption. For many applications, 

particularly in the field of audio engineering and 

telecommunications, Alnico magnets were replaced 

by alloys with less cobalt, by ferrite, or by 

manganese-aluminum-carbon alloys. In Japan, for 

example, substitution for Alnico magnets was 

responsible for a decline in cobalt consumption of 57 

percent between 1978 and 1981. Substitution has 

now slowed; indeed for most uses, for example in 

DC motors and in moving coil meters, certain 

Alnico alloys are considered to be essential. 

• Prospects for increased strength in the cobalt market in the late 1980's and into the next decade are 

considered to be linked to a growing demand for 

superalloys by the aviation industry, which is faced 

with the need to replace civilian fleets of obsolete 

wide-bodied aircraft. 

THE GEOLOGY OF COBALT 

Cobalt is an important component of a number 

of distinct mineral species. Naturally occurring cobalt 

minerals include various sulfides and arsenides and 

certain oxides and hydrates. Sulfides include linnaeite 

(Co3S4 ) and others, such as carrolite (CuS·Co2S3 ) 

which have closely related crystal structures. Arsenides 

form part of a continuous crystal series that embraces 

such forms as skutterudite ((Co3Ni)As3 _x; where x = 0 

6 

to 0.5) and smaltite ((Co Ni)A~-x; wherex=0.5 to 1). 

A third series of minerals, in which cobalt is combined 

with both sulfur and arsenic, includes as its most 

important member cobaltite ((Co2Fe)AsS). Oxides 

and hydrates containing a high proportion of cobalt 

generally occur in zones where other cobalt minerals 

have been subjected to weathering or other secondary 

alteration processes. Erythrite, or cobalt bloom, is a 

hydrated cobalt arsenate with a formula corresponding 

to Co3As20 8 ·8H20, but asbolite (cobalt wad), a mixture of cobalt and manganese oxides, and heterogenite, hydrated copper oxides, are amorphous colloidal 

materials with indeterminate chemical formulae. 

Cobalt may also partially substitute for metal ions in 

certain minerals, such as for magnesium in olivine or 

notably for nickel and iron in sulfides like pentlandite 

((Fe,Ni)9S8 ) and pyrrhotite (Fe1_xS; wherex=O to 0.2 

and constitutes a balance mainly made up of nickel). 

Pentlandite and pyrrhotite are thus important sources 

of cobalt where such substitution has taken place. 

In general terms, ore deposits containing cobalt 

minerals of sufficient concentration to be of economic 

interest occur in four distinct environments in terrestrial rocks (table 2) and also in certain deep-sea 

deposits. 

Magmatic deposits .-Cobalt mineralization is 

associated with sulfide segregation in a number of 

igneous environments. In such cases, cobalt is likely to 

be associated with nickel and iron and will be present in 

minerals like pentlandite and pyrrhotite. Sulfide segregations may be associated with ultramafic lava flows 

(such as the Yilgarn block, Western Australia, and the 

Thompson Nickel Belt, Canada) or with hypabyssal 

sills associated with flood basalts (Noril'sk, Soviet 

Union). Of particular importance as a source or potential source of cobalt are sulfide segregations associated 

with large plutonic complexes of mafic or ultramafic 

rock. The Sudbury district of Ontario, Canada, and the 

Duluth Complex (Kawishiwi province) southeast of 

TABLE 2.-Geologic deposit types represented by deposits in the ISM/ 

cobalt inventory 

Geologic deposit type1 

Magmatic ......... . 

Hydrothermal ..... . 

Laterite .......... . Sediment-hosted .. . 

Subclassifications 

Ultramafic, gabbroic (mafic), volcanic 

peridotite. 

Volcanic exhalative, vein/replacement, skarn. 

Silicate laterite, oxide laterite. 

Carbonate-hosted, sandstone/shalehosted. 

1 Other geologic deposit types such as ooean-floor nodules and oobalt-rich crusts are 

known but thus far have not been economically exploited and are not included in the 

ISMI oobalt invent01y. 
Ely, Minn., in the United States, are examples of this 

kind· of magmatic deposit. The Sudbury district may 

not, however, be typical in that an exogenetic origin has 

been proposed resulting from an ancient meteorite 

impact (Dietz, 1964). The Bushveld Igneous Complex 

in South Africa with its pronounced layered structure 

is also the source of a small output of cobalt, although 

in this case the cobalt is produced along with platinumgroup metals rather than as a byproduct of nickel 

production. Magmatic deposit subclasses in the inventory are ultramafic, gabbroic (mafic), and volcanic 

peridotite (komatiite). 

Hydrothennal deposits.-Cobalt is one among 

several metallic elements that may be transported in 

hot aqueous solutions as complex ions and eventually 

be deposited in fissures and veins. Sulfides and arsenides, like cobaltite, skutterudite, and smaltite, are 

characteristic minerals of hydrothermal deposits, representative examples of which occur at Timiskaming 

district, Ontario, and Bou Azzer, Morocco. Hydrothermal deposits in the inventory can be classified as 

volcanic exhalative, vein replacement, or skarn deposits. Although true hydrothermal deposits are relatively 

insignificant in terms of world resources, the classification of certain deposits presents some difficulty since 

some may have originally been formed as magmatic 

segregations (for example, ancient "greenstone belts" 

of Finland and Botswana) or as sediment-hosted types 

(Blackbird mine, Idaho) and subsequently much modified by hydrothermal activity. Because of their complex 

history, the classification of such deposits is somewhat 

arbitrary. 

Laterite deposits.-Cobalt is one among a number of metals that may be concentrated in the zone 

where primary sulfide and silicate ore minerals are 

subjected to chemical and physical changes associated 

with atmospheric weathering that produces silicate or 

oxide laterite. The secondary minerals resulting 

include various complex carbonates, oxides, and 

hydroxides within which the concentration of cobalt 

may be markedly enhanced with respect to the primary 

mineralization from which they derive. Of special 

importance are highly aluminous and ferruginous 

laterites that arise from the particularly intense alteration of bedrock under hot and humid tropical weathering conditions. Where laterites have developed over a 

substratum of mafic or ultramafic igneous rocks, 

nickel, sometimes accompanied by cobalt, is frequently 

concentrated in the weathering zone. Because of the 

surface-related nature of the processes that give rise to 

nickel laterites, such deposits are particularly well 

developed in association with large bodies of igneous 

7 

rock in regions that fall within contemporary tropical 

latitudes, for example, Cuba, the Philippines, and New 

Caledonia. Old deposits that may have been formed at 

a time when tropical conditions were prevalent at other 

latitudes are more likely to have been removed by 

subsequent denudation. Fossil laterites do, however, 

survive and are of economic importance in Greece, 

Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, and the United States. 

Laterite deposits are an important source of nickel 

and, as with magmatic deposits, any cobalt recovered is 

subsidiary to nickel production. 

Sediment-hosted deposits.-Cobalt occurrences 

of this type, although providing a substantial proportion of world production, are virtually confined to 

adjacent regions of Zaire and Zambia in central Africa. 

There they are associated with particular copper-rich 

strata of sedimentary origin and are affected to some 

extent by later metamorphism. The controversy 

regarding the syngenetic or epigenetic origin of these 

ores has continued over many years and is not yet fully 

resolved. Distinctive cobalt-bearing minerals that occur 

in this environment include linnaeite and carrolite and 

secondary minerals like heterogenite and erythrite. 

Ocean-floor deposits.-Large submarine 

resources of cobalt are associated with concentrations 

of metal-rich nodules present in vast fields on the deep 

ocean floor in several regions. Typical analyses of such 

nodules are as follows: manganese, 24 percent; nickel, 

1 percent; copper, 1 percent; and cobalt, 0.35 percent 

(Sibley, 1980). Although these deposits are rich in 

metallic mineralization, thus far ocean-floor deposits 

have not been mined, and there are no firm plans for 

mining these deposits in the near future. For this 

reason, the ISMI cobalt inventory does not include 

ocean-floor deposits of the nodule type or of cobalt 

resources that may exist in environments such as crusts 

developed on the flanks of seamounts. 

TECHNOLOGICAL AND STATISTICAL ASPECTS 

OF COBALT PRODUCTION 

Cobalt, by virtue of its byproduct status, originates from several different kinds of ore. Thus there is 

no standard metallurgical flowsheet for the conversion 

of cobalt -bearing ore to refined cobalt products. Rarely 

is there a simple correlation between the locations 

where cobalt-bearing ore is mined and where refining 

is undertaken. Indeed, much of the world refining 

capacity is situated in countries remote from the 

sources of ore. Cobalt may be traded and shipped as 

unprocessed ore or in a number of partially processed 

forms such as metallurgical concentrates, mixed-metal 
mattes or sulfides, and oxide sinter. A satisfactory 

definition of cobalt production is therefore difficult to 

achieve with respect to the countries from which the 

ore originates. For cobalt mine-production figures to 

be useful, they must be heavily qualified. Such figures 

may refer to the cobalt content of the ore mined or to 

the cobalt actually recovered-generally quite distinct 

entities. In some cases, cobalt production figures for 

individual mines cannot easily be determined. At 

Sudbury, Ontario, for example, mine production of 

cobalt is totally subsumed within the infrastructure of 

nickel production. Much cobalt originating from 

Sudbury eventually emerges from refineries in Norway, 

but it would be impossible to partition this output 

between individual mines in Sudbury Basin. Further 

complexity is added by refiners processing a mixture of 

feedstocks. Therefore refinery output recorded for 

individual countries may embrace mine production 

from several. Hale (1983, p. 9) supports the view that 

mine-production figures for cobalt should refer to ore 

destined to be processed by a route appropriate to 

cobalt recovery. He points out that rather than assaying 

for cobalt content of ore shipped to the processor, 

many mines simply use refinery statements of cobalt 

recovery from their feedstock as a basis for reporting 

mine production. It is doubtful, however, whether 

either approach would be of much use in considering 

cobalt-ore production from Sudbury where the evaluation and selection of ore for mining takes little account 

of cobalt content. 

Ores that contain cobalt are mined by conventional methods, both underground and open pit, 

depending upon geologic circumstances. Beneficiation 

of sulfide and arsenide ores to provide concentrates is 

also performed by conventional methods. Concentrates 

and certain ores that are not amenable to beneficiation, principally those derived from laterites, are then 

subjected to various metallurgical procedures, the 

choice of which is determined by the mineralogy of the 

original ore. 

Concentrates derived from magmatic-stratiform 

and hydrothermal ores are likely to consist mainly of 

copper and iron sulfides containing some cobalt and 

lesser quantities of distinct cobalt sulfides and arsenides. In general, such concentrates are treated by 

hydrometallurgical processes which enable cobalt 

hydroxide to be precipitated from pregnant aqueous 

solution. It is also possible to smelt the concentrate 

directly to an impure alloy of cobalt with copper, iron, 

and silicon from which cobalt can be leached or 

precipitated as hydroxide or carbonate. Concentrates 

8 

of Zairean origin formerly treated by this method are 

now treated by the purely hydrometallurgical route. 

The beneficiation of magmatic nickel ores yields 

a concentrate consisting of a high proportion of· a 

mixed sulfide of nickel and iron and lesser quantities of 

iron sulfides. In each of these there may be traces of 

cobalt. The concentrate can be subjected to pyrometallurgical techniques designed to promote the oxidation 

of iron and its separation, in the form of an iron-silicate 

slag, from the molten sulfides of the other metals. The 

remaining sulfides are allowed to cool to a matte, the 

composition of which might be 48 percent nickel, 27 

percent copper, 22 percent sulfur, and much smaller 

percentages of cobalt, residual iron, and ·precious 

metals. Nickel and copper mattes are separated from 

each other by flotation, the cobalt being carried with 

the nickel. The next stage is to convert the nickel matte 

to oxide by roasting, followed by reduction of the oxide 

to pure metal with coke as the reductant. Separation of 

the cobalt and nickel is then effected by electrolysis. 

Impure nickel, having been previously cast into anodes, 

is dissolved and redeposited on a pure nickel cathode. 

The electrolyte, in which cobalt accumulates, is periodically changed and the cobalt and other metallic 

impurities are precipitated with suitable reagents. 

The mineralogical nature of laterite ores precludes an intermediate stage of processing to a concentrate as is the case with sulfide or arsenide ores. In 

some cases, however, preconcentration is possible by 

passing the ore through rotating trammels which break 

and pass weathered rock, rich in nickel and cobalt, and 

discharge broken unweathered rock at the end. In most 

localities, beneficiation is confined to crushing and 

drying. Since laterite ores may contain 16 to 27 percent 

moisture (Mishra and others, 1985), the cost of drying 

can be an expensive proportion of the overall cost of 

nickel and cobalt recovery. 

The recovery of nickel and cobalt from laterites 

poses a variety of problems relating to the complex 

mineralogy of these ores. Both pyrometallurgical and 

hydrometallurgical processes are used. Since nickel 

recovery is the primary objective of such techniques, 

performance in terms of cobalt recovery is variable. 

Table 3 summarizes the four main recovery processes 

and their performance in relation to cobalt production. 

All four processes for the treatment of laterite ores 

have major drawbacks. Hydrometallurgical flowsheets 

have to be designed for specific feed compositions, and 

pyrometallurgical processes are heavy consumers of 

energy. In any case for laterite ores that are generally 

directed to ferronickel production, the pyrometallurgi-
TABLE 3.-Comparison of four main processes for cobalt recovery 

from nickel laterites 

[After Mishra and others, 1985) 

Process Ore type 

Pyrometallurgical 

Smelting to matte----------- Blended limonite 

and garnierite. 

Reduction to ferronickel-- ------do.-------------

Hydrometallurgical 

Reduction roast ammonia 

Cobalt 

recovery1 

(percent) 

20-25 

leach------------------------- Limonite 40-50 

Sulfuric acid leach----------- ------do.-------------- 85-90 

1 Impure cobalt compounds obtained by any of the processing routes have to be further 

refined to obtain material of desirable quality. This may be done again electrolytically or, 

alternatively, by fire-refining techniques. The end product. if in metallic form. will be 

cathodes. granules, or sbot of better than 99.8 percent cobalt. Some refineries may not 

produce metal at an. but instead convert precipitated cobalt hydroxide directly to pure 

oxide or other compounds. 

2 No cobalt is recovered as a separate product. 

cal treatment is not usually appropriate for the recovery of byproduct cobalt. 

Also relevant to the production of cobalt is the 

modern improvement in nickel-refining technology 

embodied in the Sherritt Gordon process which has the 

advantage of being able to operate on feedstocks of 

lateritic or magmatic nickel ore, converter mattes, or 

any combination of these. The feedstock is subjected to 

a continuous leaching operation in which compressed 

air and ammonia are applied. Nickel, cobalt, and 

copper can be separated in a series of essentially 

hydrometallurgical steps. 

The introduction of Sherritt Gordon technology 

for nickel production at Kwinana in Western Australia 

reinforces further the difficulty of associating refinery 

output of cobalt with specific mining operations. Western Mining Corporation, owner of Kwinana, processes 

material there derived from its mines in Australia, 

some of the matte from the company smelter at 

Kalgoorlie, and concentrates processed on a toll basis 

for other companies. Western Australian statistics relating to pure-cobalt products would not necessarily 

relate to local sources of ore. Tracing such production 

back to specific mines in Western Australia or elsewhere would be impossible. 

COBALT RESOURCES 

In Part II of this report, tables 13 and 14 identify 

103 discrete mines and deposits from which varying 

amounts of cobalt may be recovered. In the previous 

9 

section, it was explained that the byproduct status of 

most cobalt recovered and the nature of the recovery 

and of individual refining procedures determined the 

impossibility of relating much of world production of 

refined cobalt to specific mines. For related reasons, it 

is also difficult to quantify cobalt resources for individual mines. In most cases, the development planning 

during the lifetime of a mine will depend upon the 

location of ores with optimum quantities of copper or 

nickel. Revenues generated from cobalt have historically tended to be treated as a bonus added to the 

return on capital invested in mines whose primary 

product was one of the major metals. 

The resources of the mine properties that are 

listed in Part II are often reported as a tonnage of a 

polymetallic ore with no indication of cobalt grade. 

Therefore, aggregation of cobalt resources on the basis 

of individual mine data is not possible. For the purpose 

of comparing the distribution of cobalt resources with 

the various geologic deposit types listed in table 2, a 

different procedure has to be adopted. The only regularly published estimates of cobalt resources are 

produced by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (for example, 

1985) and relate only to individual countries. It is not 

possible to disaggregate these national data to the level 

of 100 different mines. Instead, in table 4 an attempt is 

made at partial disaggregation by estimating cobalt 

resources within 40 provinces, each assigned to one of 

four major geologic deposit types. For example, the 

Sudbury area of Canada is treated as one resource 

province characterized by magmatic ore, although it 

actually comprises 22 distinct mines that contribute to 

the cobalt output of the region in unknown proportions 

relative to each other. Figures 2 and 3 show the location 

of these somewhat arbitrarily defined resource provinces. 

The U.S. Bureau of Mines reports resource data 

using the term rese1Ve base which includes demonstrated resources that are currently economic, marginally economic, and some that are sub economic (U.S. 

Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey, 1980, p. 

2). It is not the precise equivalent of the combined R1 

and R2 categories in the U.N. classification used in 

ISMI (fig. 1 ). Given the uncertainties in the estimation 

of cobalt resources, however, reserve base figures 

reported by the U.S. Bureau of Mines are used directly 

as R1 and R2 in table 4 and elsewhere in the text. 

The cobalt-resource data in table 4 are grouped 

by geologic deposit type in table 5 and figure 4 in order 

to illustrate the relative abundance of recognized cobalt 

resources in terms of their geology. Cobalt resources 

within each of the four primary deposit types have 
TABLE 4.-Summary of cobalt-resource provinces 

[Resource provinces are shown on figure 2; figures are in metric tons of contained cobalt and may not add to totals shown due to rounding; N.a., not applicable) 

U.S. Bureau of Mines Suggested ~rtition of 

Country (1985) estimate of Name of resource province Geologic deposit type Rl and R2 resources national Rl and among resource R21

resources provinces 

Australia------------

Canada---------------

China-----------------

Cuba------------------

Finland---------------

New caledonia-----

Philippines-----------

Soviet Union--------

United States-------

Yugoslavi~----------

Zaire------------------

Zambia---------------

Other market econ- omy countries 2 --

91,000 

260,000 

Not reported 

1,800,000 

34,000 

860,000 

400,000 

230,000 

860,000 

Not reported 

2,100,000 

540,000 

1,200,000 

West Australian Shield 

Queensland 

Sudbury ~ntario) 

Thunder ay (Ontario) 

The Pas (Mamtoba) 

New Quebec (Quebec~ 

Timiskaming (Ontario 

Cassiar (British 

Columbia) 

Jinchuan 

Cuban 

Fennoscandian 

New Caledonian 

Surigao 

Khuvo-Aksinsk f{ura) Noril'sk (Siberia 

Pechenga (Kola) 

Central Ural 

South Ural 

Blackbird (Idaho) 

Fredericktown ~Missouri) 

Riddle (Oregon 

Gas~et Mountain 

( lifornia) 

Kawishiwi (Minnesota) 

Serbia/Macedonia 

Shaba 

Copperbelt 

N.a. 

Magmatic 79,000 

Laterite 12,000 

~~~0~~~~------- } 180,000 

Magmatic Negligible 

------do.---------- 2,000 

Hydrothermal Negligtble 

------do.---------- 82,000 

Magmatic 2,000 

Laterite 1,800,000 

Hydrothermal/ 34,000 

magmatic 

Laterite 860,000 

------do.---------- 400,000 

~droth~rmal 100,000 

agmattc No information; 

------do.---------- partitioned thus: 

Laterite 65,000 magmatic, 

------do.---------- 65,000 laterite. 

Sediment-hosted 310,000 

Hydrothermal 220,000 

:~~:~~~---------- } 260,000 

Magmatic 84,000 

Laterite 19,000 

Sediment-hosted 2,100,000 

------do.---------- 540,000 

Various 

Partition of R1 and R2 resources for other market economy countries 

Burma---------------------------------------- Bawdwin Hydrothermal 

Morocco-------------------------------------- Bou Azzer ------do.----------

Peru-------------------------------------------- Marcona ------do.---------- Botswan~------------------------------------- Selebi-Pikwe Magmatic 

South Africa--------------------------------- Bushveld ------do.----------

Zimbabwe------------------------------------ Zimbabwean ------do.----------

Uganda --------------------------------------- Kilembe Sediment-hosted 

Brazil------------------------------------------ Tocantins Laterite 

Burundi --------------------------------------- Buhind a ------do.----------

Dominican Republic----------------------- Dominican ------do.----------

Greece ---------------------------------------- Grecian ------do.----------

Guatemala----------------------------------- EXMIBAL ------do.----------

lndi a------------------------------------------- Sukhinda ------do.----------

Indonesia------------------------------------- Gag Island ------do.----------

1 Rl and R2 are data reported as reserve base by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. (See telll:, p. 9.) 

15,000 

120,000 

120,000 

26,000 

>352,500 

17,000 

8,000 

19,000 

150,000 

35,000 

120,000 

25,000 

32,000 

140,000 

8 A term used by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to combine statistics for several countries without listing them individually. This category should not be confused with economic 

categories of the World Bank. 

markedly different global distributions. Despite the 

considerable concentration of resources in sedimenthosted deposits, the only major deposits of this type 

are confined to a single region straddling the frontier 

between Zaire and Zambia. It is possible that the 

absence of other copper-cobalt resource provinces 

akin to that of central Africa may reflect a lack of 

adequate exploration in similar areas of Proterozoic 

10 

rocks subjected to low grades of metamorphism. Nonetheless, it appears highly improbable that provinces of 

comparable size and geology remain to be discovered. 

Cobalt resources falling within the magmatic 

deposit type show a wider distribution on a worldwide 

scale than is the case with the sediment-hosted deposits. In this case, however, prospects for substantial 

additions to the world resource inventory are con-
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._,.. '. 

1".. .-· <- ' . •.J. 4'< .... ''""'<..dl' ' i i _. ... . 1 Copperbelt-(51 ~~-~- , 1 :>.c··~ '\,, • \ '"··<1, / B U R U N D I ) ~-; '. , .. _, ~ · ?'f. f\ Qu~nsland 

P'ttlu ·;~ f } Buhinda -----r)"_,..--: ~~~~a~!e~:;:, • .--_/,;--.. (_J ~ i'-. .,· Marcp)la~--.--, _.,J 1 r , ' \_! AU S T R All A"\ ; J '·? t \ I -' V \ \ 

J.' 4... (.)/ \ ) 

;; : ' B 0 T S W A N A L-.-/ l,. ~v.t !. N E W (' v Selebi-Pikwe S 0 U T H A F R I C A r "\.._..._....JC A l E D~l A 

; ! ..J-9 R A Z I l Bushveld (51 Western Australian ·\i New Caled , ~an(7l MERCATOR PROJECTION ~( l Tocantins Shield (31 V /t 

20° ·-

40° ,_ 

70° 70° ·/ "' 

1000 500 0 500 1000 KILOMETERS , - ' '"' 

oo 0° LATITUDE f ( , 

Base from Bundesanstalt fur Geowrssenschaften und Rohsto e 

Boundary a~d narpes re ese~tati , not ~ecessarily authorit,ative. ; 

EXPLANATION 

Geologic deposit type 

[Cobalt tonnage estimates from U.S. Bureau of Mines (19851. Figures are in metric tons] 

Magmatic Hydrothermal Laterite Sediment-hosted 

Symbol R1E Symbol R1E Symbol R1E Symbol R1E 

• > 105 * >105 • > 106 ~ > 106 

• < 105 * <105 • 1o•-1o• y 1o•-1o• 

• < 105 T < 105 

Figure 2.-Location, deposit type, and estimated resources of cobalt-resource provinces in the world. Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of records (mines and deposits) for 

each province. Location names are from the tables in Part II. 
... 

N 

160' 120' 80' 40' 0' ~~ ':.."! ~ ~-- ~"",. , ,. 'l:f'-'~J'· ' ..J 

,;,f'l~:... ; ~< -. ·~:::· ~~ ~$ ".;' f,: fi!..:!\. 0117'1~•.,'•\ • ',~ ,.._, l '-~""v~. ' :t ~·~ •:•J.-. ~~ f'.; ,•.J;..-.·.·~)_ •-(, ~ .. ....-~ .. ~ ' • ", _,_,"'·.}r.~P '\ 3;[' ~-:··~ _..... ~::: ·~:, ,,.,l".V:.."'f.\ l ~f> ,.~ ·:r -: :~~ ~ ~;-~~· ~ ~: i~:~ , t ;~l -::::~ \/ ;--~;:::~:: r, ~\ .::~=:~:::~ , t,~ t...~ ~ ·~·:•:•:•~;:~~ • .-.'--r-• ..,~~~A. . (.•.-•:•:···:::~ ;::t 'eo.~~"·•:·~~ "t ~~J ... ~:-:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·::::·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·::-·>~-:"'~.. i';,~~~ ~ ~ t ~1~=·=~~ ~~ / ·~:~titft~~~ti!W.~t~~~~:~i:J~:~~~: 0:~,~,) \ , k)v 

. ,;r::::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~::jt.:::::: C::~' ;'-.~~ ~ :. j~:;' \ / ·' ·'•:·:;::~i#Ss•al!,a:·:·:::::::::::::':·:·:·:·:·::::~:/ :. 'il . •T,mlskamiJig (4) , lt>.:J ~ii·:·.··:·:·:·:·:·:·;:O:·:;tl ·:· + <····:·t •. ~v# ' :::·=·=·=~=~::::::::::.;=::: ·~:::~ .. _ ;::::=·:.::::. ,.... ~ ·,C A N AD A iM;<l:·:·:·:·:·:·: ' ·'•:·· .•:•:•:•=i< Y U G 0 S L 

r,. ••••••••••••·•·••• •••••••••••• • •• •••••••••• .'l - Blackb1rd ~;:;:;:;·:·:·:·:·:·.~»:·:·:·:·:·;·$·.·:·:·:·:·:,:,·-~ Serbla Macedcfi11a.-tz.\ ~ 

. ~ _t..~:::::::::::::::~~j:::· .:::·:*;Xea l ~ R1ddle -J:·:· .. ·.······:~:::::· .~ Sudbury (22) 

Gasquet /~:~~;.;t(:~}'{~~}.;· Thunder Bay 

Mounta1n X~:::;:·:·:·.·.·.· • ·:·:·:·::;;, 

Kawishiwi :~·:·;·::;::::::~:~;::;;~~ C U B A 1/ ///1 <-,~ \ ' 'i' ~:<;:uba n (3) //// 

Fredericktown ( '·· r-;> ""'S~ D 0 M I N I C A N 

-~ _-( '.--.. ·~· -J· ·- R,E P ~ B L I C " •···: Dom1n1can 

't~,t\~r~;·~~~~ ~- · i~f-:-· ~lTJlllTlffilll 

60' 

40' 

20' 

0' ,_ G u A T E M NL A )J' I: ... ·' :llllliJlillillW 

20' ,_ ,.~,··~~f~ l j ~~ p 

40° 

{/ >~ i/ ~··-

l 

MERCATOR PROJECTION JJ! lO' o•zw 0' LA ITU~O~ t;! i 

1000 500 0 500 1000 KILOMETERS ~ 

Base from Bundesanstalt fur Geow1ssenschaften und Rohs:i;'ft'e· 

Boundary and names representation. not ~ecessanlv a~t hon t1ve . 

lfRAZIL 

Tocantins 

"" 

BURUNDI 

Buhinda 

IR 

BOTSWANA 

Selebi-Pikwe 

EXPLANATION 

40° 

OUTH AFRICA 

Bushveld (5) 

"' 

Low-income economies mm Upper middle-income economies 

- Lower middle-i ncome economies lmmml Industrial market economies 

80' 120' 160' 

-~ 

![1 . P H I L I_ P P I N E S ht, / Sungao (2) 

:.~ -~~ I N D 0 N E S I A 

i/ li!Jr-:

1,,'}. ./. Gag Island 0 llllll! ~~ ., ~.t.lillf;-:·: .:Jr I I iJlJ-:.:0'-. \.'"..'.~ 

?..-.. ;;. ·"- Querensland 

~--:::::;~:~:::f.?- / ... ~' /'.:.·.····-·······-··-~, T ~-Y.?.-!.-~ ~},J.I;;.-. 1 ".:~·:~· ·::.;::::~·~·:.:·:::·:_.:::1 t.'•' ,: • .-• ~-· · •' .·.·, N E W \: ''· ' ·~······ .... ,'" ',.,.,:_:::;:;:;cAL ED O'\N I A 

Western Australian ·,. New Caledop?an(7) 

s hle - I d (3) '-' . lliiliilil' .:::::::: ""' . ' 

........ 

V777l COMECON 

Figure 3.-Economic classification modified from the World Bank (1985, p. 174-175) for countries where the world's cobalt-resource provinces occur. The Council for Mutual 

Economic Assistance (COMECON) coordinates the economics of Soviet-bloc countries. Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of records (mines and deposits) for each 

province. Location names are from the tables in Part II. 
TABLB S.-Resources from the world's major cobalt-resource provinces 

by geologic deposit type 

[Resource fisures are in million metric tons of contained c:obaU metal; fisures 

may not add to totals ahown due to roundins] 

Geologic deposit Number of Number of Resources Pertype records provinces Rl + R2 cent 

Magmatic ..... . Hydrothermal .. Laterite ....... . Sedimenthosted ...... . 

Total .... 

48 12 0.80 

12 8 .70 

27 16 3.92 

16 

103 

4 

40 

2.96 

8.38 

9.6 

8.3 

46.8 

35.3 

100 

strained for geologic reasons peculiar to this deposit 

type. About 30 percent of the world's identified 

resources of cobalt within the U.S. Bureau of Mines 

estimates that are classified as magmatic are in scattered deposits within weakly to strongly metamorphosed Precambrian shield areas such as those of 

Canada, Western Australia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. 

Future discoveries of metamorphosed mafic or ultramafic igneous rocks in such shield areas are very 

likely, but their contribution to the world inventory of 

magmatic-type cobalt resources may be limited. 

Other magmatic-type resources, including those 

in large intrusions, may also be discovered. The larger 

intrusions, such as the layered Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa and other types like Sudbury in 

Canada, are rare and apparently were formed as a 

RESOURCES 

Sediment-hosted 

35.3 Laterite 

46.8 

result of singular crustal conditions perhaps only applicable to Precambrian times. 

Further discovery and development in the foreseeable future of complexes comparable in size to the 

Sudbury or Bushveld complexes is unlikely, but the 

prospects for future extensions to known deposits are 

favorable. This is particularly true in the Bushveld 

Igneous Complex of South Africa which, despite a long 

history of production of several metals, has never been 

systematically evaluated. The estimate of 352,500 metric tons for South African Rl + R2 resources in table 4 

must certainly be regarded as a gross understatement 

of the real position. 

Hydrothermal deposits such as those of the 

United States, Finland, Morocco, and Burma have 

historically provided a significant contribution to world 

output of cobalt, but none of these deposits are important in terms of future cobalt production. New discoveries of hydrothermal deposits in Canada, the Soviet 

Union, and other countries suggest that the identified 

economic resources in such deposits are comparable in 

size to those of magmatic deposits. However, the 

prospects for future discovery of deposits of this type 

are difficult to assess since hydrothermal deposits 

occur in a wide variety of geologic environments. 

During the past 20 years or so, the discovery ·rate 

of new cobalt resources has been particularly high due 

MINE PRODUCTION 

Sediment-hosted 

39.6 

Magmatic 

22.9 

Laterite 

32.7 

Figure 4.-Distribution of cobalt resources and mine production by geologic deposit type. Other geologic deposit types such as ocean-floor 

nodules and cobalt-rich crusts are known but thus far have not been economically exploited and are not included in the ISMI cobalt 

inventory. 

13 
TABlE 6. -Resources from the world's major cobalt-resource provinces 

by economic class of country 

[Resource figures are in million metric tons of contained cobalt metal; figures 

may not add to totals shown due to rounding] 

Economic Number of Number of Resources Perclass1 records provinces cent 

Low-income ... 14 6 2.31 27.5 

Lower middleincome ...... 17 9 1.43 17.0 

Upper middleincome ...... 10 4 .51 6.0 

Industrial 

market. ..... 54 15 2.11 25.2 

COMECON ... 8 6 2.03 24.2 

Total ... 103 40 8.38 100 

1 Modified from World Bank (1985, p. 174-175) classification, which is based 

principally on GNP per capita and other distinguishing economic characterilfics. 

Countries in which cobalt-resource provinces occur sre, by class: low-income economies-Burma, Burundi, China, India, Uganda, Zaire; lower middle-income economiesBotswana, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, 

Zambia, Zintlabwe; upper middle-income economies- Brazil, Greece, South Africa, 

Yugoslavia; industrial market economies-Australia, Canada, Finland, New Caledonia, 

the United States; and COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)-Olba, 

the Soviet Union. A sixth economic class, high-income oil exporters, is not listed because 

those countries do not have identified major cOOalt resources. 

to resources in laterite deposits. Cuba and New Caledonia have long been significant cobalt producers, but 

new discoveries in several tropical and subtropical 

regions have greatly extended the inventory of laterite 

resources. Table 5 indicates that laterites currently 

account for nearly half of the world's cobalt resources. 

This proportion may increase because reported 

resource data for laterite deposits usually account for 

only a limited area of a deposit and not for additional 

prospective terrain around the discovery. 

Data contained in table 4 can also be analyzed 

with respect to the political and economic affiliation of 

the countries concerned. (See table 6 and fig. 5.) In 

general, the World Bank (1985) economic classification for countries is followed, except with regard to the 

Soviet Union and Cuba, which are more conveniently 

combined into Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA, or COMECON) nations because of 

their strong economic link. 

The approximately one-quarter share of 

resources from industrial· market economies includes 

those of New Caledonia, a territory of France. New 

Caledonia falls within this category by virtue of its 

relatively low population and its correspondingly high 

per capita GNP which is based upon wealth in minerals 

rather than on an intrinsically high level of industrial 

development. Otherwise, the largest resources of 

cobalt directly under the control of industrial market 

economy nations are located in Australia, Canada, and 

the United States, although of these only Australia and 

Canada presently contribute raw material toward production of metal. 

The classification of Brazil and South Mrica as 

upper middle-income countries rather than as industrial market economy countries results from the dilution of their GNP by relatively high population. Without the potential Brazilian and South African 

contribution, the Western industrial market economy 

countries appear to occupy a roughly equal position in 

comparison to resources within the COMECON 

sphere. With the addition of the largely unevaluated 

resources of the South African Bushveld Igneous 

Complex and Brazilian laterites, Western industrial 

market economy countries might be expected to 

occupy a predominant position in terms of cobalt 

resources. 

Approximately 40 percent of world cobalt 

resources are located in countries that profess no 

alignment either to COMECON or to Western industrial groups such as the Organization for Economic 

Cooperation and Development (OECD). Within this 

nonaligned category, the central Mrican resources of 

Zaire and Zambia are most prominent, although the 

potential of future discoveries of laterite deposits in 

countries like Indonesia and the Philippines is considerable. Zaire and Zambia have a more pivotal role as 

suppliers of cobalt to the West than the crude resource 

figures would suggest. Prolonged interruption of such 

supplies might be expected to result in a shift of 

investment toward unexploited resources in Western 

countries or perhaps toward unexploited laterite 

resources in other tropical countries. 

COBALT PRODUCTION 

Statistics published by the British Geological 

Survey (1985, p. 55) report 11 countries where ore is 

raised from which cobalt metal is ultimately extracted. 

These data show considerable difference from the list 

of countries that produce refined cobalt metal. The 

two lists are set out in table 7 for comparative purposes. 

14 

For analysis of production with respect to geologic deposit types and the economic classification of 

producing countries, it is appropriate to use the mine 

production of cobalt data summarized in the first part 

of table 7. 

For 1983, it is estimated that mine production of 

cobalt amounted to nearly 19,600 metric tons. To 

break down this figure into cobalt originating from 

different geologic deposit types, it is assumed that in 

certain countries, like Australia and the Soviet Union, 

cobalt originates from the different deposit types in 

roughly equal proportions. Given these assumptions, 
RESOURCES 

MINE PRODUCTION METAL PRODUCTION 

Figure 5.-Distribution of cobalt resources and mine and metal production by economic class of country. Economic classes of countries 

are modified from World Bank (1985, p. 174-175) classification, which is based principally on GNP per capita and other 

distinguishing economic characteristics. Countries in which cobalt-resource provinces occur are, by class: low-income economiesBurma, Burundi, China, India, Uganda, Zaire; lower middle-income economies-Botswana, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, 

Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Zambia, Zimbabwe; upper middle-income economies-Brazil, Greece, South Africa, 

Yugoslavia; industrial market economies-Australia, Canada, Finland, New Caledonia, the United States; and COMECON-Cuba, 

the Soviet Union. A sixth economic class, high-income oil exporters, is not listed because those countries do not have identified major 

cobalt resources. (See table 12 for list of metal-producing countries.) 

15 
TABLE 7.-World production of cobalt contained in ore and concen- trate in 1983 

(Modified after British Geological Survey, 1985, p. 55; figures are in metric 

tons. N.r. = None reported; figures may not add to totals shown due to 

rounding) 

Country Mine Cobalt 

production 1 metal2 

Australia ........................ . Belgium ......................... . Botswana ....................... . 

2,804 N.r. 

N.r. c·> 223 N.r. 

Canada ......................... . 1,584 849 

Cuba ........................... . Czechoslovakia .................. . Finland ......................... . France .......................... . Germany, Federal Republic of .... . 

1,600 N.r. 

N.r. 

930 1,5~J N.r. 

N.r. 61~J Japan ........................... . New Caledonia .................. . N.r. 1,371 

1,630 N.r. 

Norway ......................... . Philippines ...................... . Soviet Union .................... . 

N.r. 903 

578 N.r. 

6:2,400 64,500 

United States .................... . N.r. 93 

Zaire ........................... . Zambia ......................... . 

75,349 5,349 72,407 2,407 

Zimbabwe ....................... . 74 N.r. 

World total ............... . 19,600 17,200 

1 There is frequently disparity between cobalt content of ore raised and cobalt actually 

recovered. Figures in this column relate where possible to cobalt recovered. Exceptions 

are Australia and New Caledonia, the figures for which relate to cobalt-in-ore raised. 8 In addition to production listed above, several countries, including France, the 

Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States are known to 

produce substantial amounts of cobalt compounds that are not necessarily in pure form. 8 Production not reported. Much metal reported under Zaire is believed to be 

processed further in Belgium. 4 Believed to recover cobalt from material of Cuban origin. 6 Metal produced until 1982 from material of Moroccan origin. 8 British Geological Sutvey estimate. 7 Figures for cobalt-in-ore raised for these countriessubstantiallyexceed cobalt recovered. 

the data given in table 8 and figure 4 can serve as a 

guide to the distribution of resources and production in 

1983. 

Production from hydrothermal ores is currently 

unimportant on a world scale and is virtually confined 

to Finland. The other three major geologic deposit 

types all make a major contribution to world output. 

Magmatic and lateritic ores are widely distributed, 

whereas sediment-hosted ores are concentrated in central Africa. Because of economic and political instabilities in central Africa, however, it is appropriate to 

examine the significance of sediment-hosted ores in 

relation to world cobalt demand on an historical basis. 

Table 9 examines the relative contribution of major 

producers within each of the four main geological 

categories over a period of 85 years. The data in table 

9 do not give a complete picture, as minor production 

from several countries in earlier decades is difficult to 

assign to specific geologic deposit types. There are also 

ambiguities that arise from the steep growth of world 

TABLE 8.-Mine production of cobalt in 1983 by geologic deposit type 

[Production figures are in metric tons of contained cobalt metal; figures may 

not add to totals shown due to rounding] 

16 

Geologic deposit type Production Percent 

Magmatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,480 

Hydrothermal . .. .. .. .. .. . .. . . .. .. 930 

Laterite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,410 

Sediment-hosted... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,760 

Total ..................... . 19,600 

22.9 

4.7 

32.7 

39.6 

100 

output of cobalt since 1898. It is necessary to examine 

table 9 in conjunction with table 10 which deals with 

individual countries, in order to better understand the 

contributions from different types of ore decade-bydecade. 

Table 9 illustrates the steady contribution provided by magmatic ores throughout the period under 

review, and table 10 suggests that for most of this 

period Canada was the principal source. Nonetheless, 

as overall world production has expanded, production 

of cobalt from magmatic sources has relatively declined. 

In contrast, since exploitation of central African ores 

commenced in the 1920's, the contribution of sedimenthosted ores has consistently out-performed the magmatic contribution for several decades. However, the 

latest available figures (table 9) suggest something of a 

renaissance for magmatic ores, and this may be connected with political and economic troubles in Africa 

since 1978. 

The very high proportion of cobalt derived from 

lateritic sources in the earliest years of the 20th century 

is merely an artifact of low overall world production. It 

was not until about 1960, when Cuban production 

began and was followed by a great increase in output 

from New Caledonia, that the contribution of laterites 

became really significant. 

By analogy with the previous section dealing with 

resources, mine production of cobalt of the 11 producer nations detailed in table 7 is related to economic 

status in table 11 and figure 5. In table 11, an index of 

the extent to which mine production of cobalt within 

each economic class of nations is supported by 

resources under the direct control of those nations is 

suggested by the ratio between the production percentage for each economic class and the corresponding 

resource percentage given earlier in table 6. 

The COMECON group of nations, with mine 

production of cobalt from the Soviet Union and Cuba, 

is fortunate in having an even larger share of world 

resources than they do of production. This favorable 

position is dependent upon very large Cuban resources. 

Any weakening of political links between Cuba and the 
TABLE 9.-Contributions by geologic deposit type to total world production of cobalt-in-ore, 1898-1982 

[N.r. =None reported; based on various British Geological Sutvey publications) 

Geologic 1898 1908 1918 1928 1938 1948 1958 1968 1978 

to to to to to to to to to deposit type 1907 1917 1927 1937 1947 1957 1967 1977 1982 

Percent 

Laterite ............................ 67.8 2.8 e~ N.r. N.r. N.r. 2.7 16.7 23.7 

Magmatic .......................... 28.5 97.2 62. 31.9 4.1 8.9 9.4 8.8 14.3 

Sediment-hosted .................... N.r. N.r. 22.6 55.1 66.8 16.5 63.4 61.5 50.0 

Hydrothermal ...................... N.r. N.r. N.r. 11.9 8.4 5.8 9.0 4.7 3.2 

Other2 ............................. 3.7 N.r. 15.1 .5 20.7 8.8 15.5 8.3 8.8 

Thousand metric tons 

Estimated total world production .... 3.8 7.1 5.1 14.4 35.8 99.0 159.1 289.2 144.2 

1 Negligible. 

2 Includes minor production from several countries, generally unclassifiable by geologic deposit type. 

TABLE 10.-National contributions to total world production of cobalt-in-ore, 1898-1982 

[Figures may not add to 100 percent due to rounding; N.r.=None reported; based on various British Geological SUtvey publications] 

1898 1908 1918 1928 1938 1948 1958 1968 1978 ' 

Country to to to to to to to to to 

1907 1917 1927 1937 1947 1957 1967 1977 1982 

Percent 

Canada ............................ 28.4 97.2 62.3 20.8 4.1 8.9 9.4 5.6 6.0 

United States ....................... N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. 6.5 8.1 N.r. N.r. N.r. 

Zaire .............................. N.r. N.r. 22.6 38.9 52.1 68.7 53.8 50.8 40.3 

Zambia ............................ N.r. N.r. N.r. 16.8 24.7 7.8 9.5 11.5 9.5 

Finland ............................ N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. 2.2 N.r. 2.4 1.6 4.1··· 

Morocco ........................... N.r. N.r. N.r. 11.9 8.0 5.8 9.0 4.7 3.2 

Burma ............................. N.r. N.r. N.r. 11.1 1.9 N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. 

Australia ........................... 1.1 N.r. 13.9 .4 .3 .1 .2 4.7 11.4 

Philipt!nes ......................... N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. .6 3.8 

New ledonia ..................... 67.8 2.8 . 4 N.r. N.r. N.r . .2 8.1 7.8 

Soviet Union ....................... N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. 4.7 7.5 

Cuba ............................... N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. N.r. 2.7 5.2 5.1 

Others ............................. 2.7 N.r. .8 N.r. .2 .6 112.8 2.4 1.3 

Thousand metric tons 

Estimated total of world production .. 3.8 7.1 5.1 14.4 35.8 99.0 159.1 289.2 144.2 

1 Including a significant but uncertain production from the Soviet Union and approximately 0.7 percent from Uganda. 

remaining COMECON nations may radically change 

the outlook for this economic community. 

In contrast, the group of industrial market economy countries, which can be expected to be the main 

consumers of cobalt products outside COMECON, 

have a ratio of percentage production to percentage 

resources that is greater than 1. This ratio emphasizes 

the importance of resources located within their own 

sphere in Finland, Canada, Australia, and New Caledonia. 

The position of countries within the low-income 

and lower middle-income groups is radically different. 

The production performance of these two groups is a 

closer reflection of their overall endowment in 

resources. The low-income category controls, for exam17 

pie, about 28 percent of world resources (located 

principally in Zaire; table 6) and contributes almost 

exactly the same proportion (again from Zaire) of 

world mine production (table 11). None of the numerous countries that can be classified as low-income or 

lower middle-income economies are significant consumers of cobalt products, and output of cobalt from 

countries within these groups is therefore destined for 

export. There is no evidence that COMECON is a 

major consumer of cobalt originating from the two 

lowest income categories. It is therefore apparent that 

Western industrial market economy nations, despite 

extensive use of indigenous deposits, are still dependent to a large degree upon supplies imported from 

nonmarket economy countries. Such dependence does, 
TABLE 11.-Mine production of cobalt in 1983 by economic class of 

country 

[Production fiaures are in metric tons of contained cobalt metal content; 

fl811res may not add to totals shown due to rounding) 

Economic 

class1 

Ratio of 

production 

Production2 Percent percentage/ 

resourcepercentage8 

Low-income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,349 

Lower middle-income . . . . . . 3,282 

Upper middle-income . . . . . . Negligible 

Industrial market . . . . . . . . . . 6,948 

COMECON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,000 

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,600 

27.3 

16.8 

.0 

35.5 

20.4 

100 

0.99 

.98 

.0 

1.41 

.84 

l Modified from World BaDk (198S) classification which is based principally on GNP 

per capita and on other distinguishing economic c:haracteristic 

I F'JgUres for countries having mine production in 1983 are shown in tlt>le 7. 

I Resource percentages are shown in table 6. 

however, seem to be lessening. Table 11 indicates, for 

example, that low-income and lower middle-income 

economy nations collectively support a 44-percent share 

of world mine production, most of which will find its 

way to Western markets. In 1978, however, the share 

supplied by low-income and lower middle-income economy nations was much higher-in the region of 61 

percent. 

Because of the flow of partially processed cobalt 

materials across national boundaries, lists of countries 

producing refined cobalt metal and compounds often 

do not correspond to lists of countries having mine 

production of cobalt. The second part of table 7 gives 

a listing for national production of cobalt metal. Fuller 

details of individual refineries are given in table 15 in 

Part II of this report. 

A breakdown of refined metal production with 

respect to geologic category would be meaningless, but 

it is of interest to compare metal production by economic class (see table 12) with the corresponding data 

for mine production (table 11; see also fig. 5). 

Although the lists in table 7 that refer to mine 

production of cobalt and production of metal for 

various countries show considerable differences in 

detail, the aggregation into economic classes displayed 

by tables 11 and 12 suggests that broadly the same 

balance is maintained, with low-income and lower 

middle-income economy countries commanding about 

45 percent of world metal production-almost an 

identical proportion to their share of mine production. 

However, this similarity may be more apparent than 

real. In the case of Zaire, for example, much metal 

produced in that country is further processed in Belgium. Therefore, it is a matter of opinion whether this 

metal should be regarded as Zairean, and hence as 

18 

TABLE 12. -Cobalt metal production in 1983 by economic class of 

country 

[Production fJ.8Ures are in metric tons of cobalt metal; ftgUres may not add to 

totals shown due to rounding) 

Economic class1 Production2 Percent 

Low-income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,350 31.1 

Lower middle-income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,410 14.0 

Upper middle-income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Negligible .0 

Industrial market.................... 4,920 28.6 

COMECON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,500 26.2 

Total. .................. ······ 17,200 100 

l Modified from World Bank (1985, p. 174-175) classification, which is based 

principally on GNP per capita and other distinguishing economic characteristics. 

I Figures for countries having cobalt metal production in 1983 are show in table 7. 

belonging to the low-income economy class, or as 

Belgian and therefore to be transferred to the industrial market economy class. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The attitude shared by most industrialized countries that cobalt is strategic is partly based upon the 

relatively large demand for the metal for special alloys 

designed to give optimum resistance to heat, abrasion, 

and chemical attack. Historically, permanent magnets 

have been an area where the possibilities of substitution for cobalt are limited, even though the gross 

consumption of cobalt in permanent magnets is not 

large. 

The strategic nature of cobalt resulted in a 

scramble for supplies and a consequent rapid escalation of prices following political upheavals in central 

Africa in the late 1970's. The fear of a prolonged 

interruption of supply did not prove well-founded, 

however, and world output of cobalt declined in the 

early 1980's for reasons more related to economic 

downturn than to political factors. Until at least the end 

of the century, future shortfalls of supply from African 

sediment-hosted ores resulting from political infrastructure problems in that area might be replaced by 

increased production from magmatic ores in countries 

such as Canada or Australia. The position is complicated because cobalt of central African origin is a 

bypr~duct of copper production rather than of ?ickel 

production, as in other countries. Future suppbes of 

cobalt are therefore conditioned by the level of demand 

for nickel. Apart from some hydrothermal deposits 

limited in number and size, high-grade ores of cobalt 

are unknown, and it is doubtful whether cobalt production in any region could be maintained upon the 

basis of revenue from this metal alone. The largest 

unexploited resource of cobalt probably exists in later-
ites-many of which have been barely examined. However, since nickel production from such laterites has to 

compete with nickel production from metallurgically 

more amenable sulfide ores, the prospects for a substantial increase in the proportion of cobalt from 

laterite do not appear especially promising. The outlook for the next few decades therefore suggests further episodes of price volatility and, where increased 

demand for cobalt is out of phase with the cyclical 

demand for nickel, possible shortages as well. 

PART II-SELECTED INVENTORY INFORMATION 

FOR COBALT DEPOSITS AND DISTRICTS 

Tables 13 and 14 contain information from the 

International Strategic Minerals Inventory record 

forms for cobalt deposits and districts. Only selected 

items of information about the location and geology 

(table 13) and mineral production and resources (table 

14) of the deposits are listed here; some of this 

information has been abbreviated. Table 15 lists cobalt 

production from primary resources to contrast the 

location of the original source of the raw material to 

where it may be processed. 

Summary descriptions and data are presented in 

tables 13 and 14 essentially as they were reported in the 

inventory records. For instance, significant digits for 

amounts of production or resources have been maintained as reported. Data that were reported in units 

other than metric tons have been converted to metric 

tons for comparability. Some of the data in the tables 

are more aggregated than in the inventory records, 

such as cumulative production totals that for some 

mines have been reported by year or by groups of 

years. Some of the abbreviations used in the inventory 

record forms have been used in these tables; they are 

explained in the headnotes. 

19 
TABLE 13.-Selected geologic and location infonnation 

Age abbreviations and prefiXes: 

Quaternary ..•.•.•. QUAT 

Tertial)' .•..••.•... 1ERT 

Cenozoic .......... CEN Pleistocene •••..•.• PLEIS Pliocene •...•••... PLIO 

Other OObreviations: 

Ma, Million yeaJS 

Ga, Thousand million yeaJS -, Not reported on the ISMI record form 

Site name 

Agnew mine (Western 

Australia). 

Kambalda-St. Ives district 

(Western Australia). 

Windarra district 

(Western Australia). 

Greenvale mine 

(Queensland). 

Selebi-Pikwe district 

Tocantins mine 

Bawdwin mine 

Buhinda district 

Miocene ••••....•• MIO Cretaceous ........ CRET 

Jurassic •..•..•.•. JUR Triassic ........... TRI 

H~ •.....••. HERC 

Permian ••.....•• .PERM Devonian ••••••••• DEV Cambrian •..••.••• CAMB Precsmbrian .....•• PREC 

Proterozoic ...•..•• PROT 

Latitude/ Deposit type Host rock longitude 

Australia 

27° 49'S. Magmatic stratiform, Serpentinized dunite 

120° 42'E. sulfide . 

31° 12'S. ------do.----------------- Serpentinized perido121° 39'E. tit e. 

28° 29'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.-----------------

122° 14'E. 

18° 55'S. Laterite ------do.-----------------

144° 59'E. 

Botswana 

22° OS'S. Magmatic (stratiform, Amphibolite 

27° 52'E. massive and disseminated). 

Brazil 

14° 33'S. Laterite Peridotite 

48° 23'W. 

Burma 

23° 07'N. Hydrothermal(strata- Volcanoclastic sedi97° 18'E. bound). ments. 

Burundi 

03° 45'S. Laterite Peridotite and 

30° 15'E. gabbro. 

Canada 

SUDBURY BASIN, ONTARIO-FALCONBRIDGE LTD.: 

East mine, 46° 35'N. Magmatic, gabbroic 

Falconbridge. 80° 47'W. 

Falconbridge mine 

Fecunis North mine 

Fraser mine 

46° 35'N. ------do.-----------------

800 48'W. 

46° 39'N. ------do.-----------------

810 21'W. 

46° 40'N. ------do.-----------------

810 21'W. 

20 

Gabbro, norite 

------do.-----------------

Granite breccia 

------do.-----------------

Archean ......... ARCH Early •••••••••••• .E Middle ••••.••... .M Late ..•.•••••••... L 

Age of 

mineralization 

ARCH (2.9-2.7 Ga) 

------do.---------------------

------do.---------------------

DEV;TERT 

ARCH 

TERT 

TRI (210 Ma) 

MIO 

EPROT (1.85 Ga) 

------do.---------------------

------do.---------------------

------do.---------------------
from ISM! records for cobalt deposits and districts 

Abbreviations for mineral names (after Longe and others, 1978, p. 63-66 and some additions): 

~rite •••••••• .ANGR Cooperite ..••.•.•. COOP Magnetite MGNT Atokite •••••••••• .ATOK Digenite •..•.•.••. DGNT Malachite:::::::: :MLCr Bismutite •••..••. .BMTI EnStatite •••••••••• ENST Martite •••.....••. MRTI Bornite •.••...••. .BRNT Galena •....••.••. GLEN Millerite ••.••..... MLRT Braggite ••••••••• .BRAG Garnierite •.•••.••. GRNR Montmorillonite •.• MMRL Cari'olite .......... CRLT Goethite .......... G1HT Niccolite .......... NCLT Chalcocite .•••.•••• CLCC Halloysite ••.••.... HALL Olivine .•••.....•. OL VN Chalcopyrite ••••••• CLCP Hematite ••••.••.. .HMTI Orthopyroxene .•••• ORPX Chloa!ithite .•••...• CLNT Heterogenite .••.. .HETE Pentlandite ....•••. PNLD Cbromite .•.•••.•• CRMT Illite .••..•••.••.. lLL T Plagioclase •..••.. .PLGC Clay •••••••••••••• CLAY Laurite ..•••.•••• .LART Platinum ..•..••.. .PLNM Cobaltite ••• , •••••• CBL T Limonite .••...•••. LMON Polydymite ..••... .PLDM 

Tectonic setting 

Greenstone belt 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

Australia -continued 

Massive sulfides at base of 

serpentinite body in 

metabasalts and metasediments. 

Embayment at base of ultramafic lava flow. 

------do.--------------------------

PYTI, PNLD, CLCP, 

PYRT,MGNT. 

PYTI, PNLD, PYRT, 

CLCP,MGNT, 

CRMT. 

PYTI, PNLD, PYRT, 

CLCP,MGNT. 

Psilomelane .••... .PLML Pyrite .•.•••...... .PYRT Pyrrhotite ........ .PYTI Safflorite ••.•..... .SFLR Serpentine .•.••.. .SRPN Skutterudite •.••.. .SKRC Smaltite ...••.••.. .SMLT Spenylite ........ .SPRL Sphalerite ..•...•. .SPLR l"etrahedrite ••.•••. TRDR Violarite ••.••.••.. VOLR 

Reference 

Marston and others (1981). 

Gresham and Loftus-Hills 

(1981). 

Roberts (1975). 

Weathered serpentinized 

ultrabasic rocks. 

LMON, Ni and Co silicates Fletcher and Couper (1975). 

Limpopo belt 

Subduction-related marine 

volcanic activity. 

Rift system 

Intracratonic intrusion trige;ered by meteoritic 

Impact. 

------do.-------------------------

-----do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Botswana-continued 

PYTI, PNLD, CLCP, 

PYRT. 

Brazil-continued 

Tropical weathering GRNR, CLAY 

Burma-continued 

GLEN, SPLR, PYRT, 

CBLT, BMTT, TRDR. 

Burundi -continued 

Tropical weathering LMON, Ni silicates 

Canada -continued 

Penecontemporaneous PYTI, PNLD, CLCP 

faulting. 

------do.-------------------------- PYTI, PNLD, CLCP 

Footwall breccia PYTI, PNLD, CLCP 

CLCP 

21 

Wakefield (1976). 

Pecora (1944). 

Brinckmann and Hinze 

(1981). 

Thomson (1959). 

Do. 
Site name 

Lockerby mine 

Onaping-Craig mine 

Strathcona mine 

TABlE 13.-Selected geologic and location information from 

Latitude/ 

longitude Deposit type 

Canada-continued 

46° 26'N. Magmatic, gabbroic 

81° 20'W. 

46° 38'N. ------do.-----------------

810 23'W. 

46° 40'N. ------do.-----------------

810 20'W. 

Age of 

Host rock mineralization 

Gabbro, norite EPROT (1.85 Ga) 

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

SUDBURY BASIN, ONTARIO-INCO LTD.: 

aarabelle pit 46° 31'N. 

81° 03'W. 

------do.----------------- ------do.----------------·· ------do.---------------------

Coleman mine 46° 41'N. ------do.----------------- Leucocratic breccia ------do.---------------------

81° 20'W. 

Coppe~ Cliff North 46° 30'N. ------do.----------------- Quartz diorite ------do.---------------------

mme. 81° 04'W. 

Copper Cliff South 46° 28'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.-------··--------- ------do.---------------------

mine. 81° 04'W. 

Crean Hill mine 46° 25'N. ------do.----------------- Greenstone breccia ------do.---------------------

81° 21'W. 

Creighton mine 46° 28'N. ------do.----------------- Gabbro, norite ------do.---------------------

81° 11'W. 

Frood mine 46° 39'N. ------do.----------------- Quartz diorite ------do.---------------------

81° OO'W. 

Garson mine 46° 34'N. ------do.----------------- Gabbro, norite ------do.---------------------

81° 52'W. 

Levack mine 46° 39'N. ------do.--------------··-- Leucocratic breccia ------do.---------------------

81° 23'W. 

Levack East mine 46° 39'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

81° 22'W. 

Little Stobie mine 46° 33'N. ------do.----------------- Gabbro, norite ------do.---------------------

81° OO'W. 

McCreedy West 46° 38'N. ------do.----------------- Leucocratic breccia ------do.---------------------

mine. 81° 24'W. 

Murray mine 46° 31'N. ------do.----------------- Gabbro, norite ------do.---------------------

81° 04'W. 

Stobie mine 46° 32'N. ------do.----------------- Quartz diorite ------do.---------------------

81° OO'W. 

Totten mine 46° 23'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

81° 27'W. 

THUNDER BAY DISTRICT, ONTARIO-INCO LTD.: 

Shebandowan mine 48° 36'N. Magmatic, ultramafic Serpentinized perido- EPROT 

90° 15'W. tite. 

22 
ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Tectonic setting 

Intracratonic intrusion trigsered by meteoritic 

1m pact. 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Greenstone belt 

Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

Canada-continued 

PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

Sudbury sublayer PYIT, PNLD 

Sub layer intrusion at base of PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

irruptive sequence. 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

Penecontemporaneous PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

faulting. 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP, 

PLNM, Ni arsenides. 

Faulting associated with PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

basal contact intrusion. 

Sub layer intrusion at base of PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

irruptive sequence. 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

Footwall breccia and veins PYIT, PNLD, CLCP, 

below intrusion. MLRT. 

Sub layer intrusion at base of PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

irruptive sequence. 

------do.-------------------------- PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

Penecontemporaneous 

faulting. 

Sheared peridotite 

23 

PYIT, PYRT, PNLD, 

CLCP. 

Reference 

Abel and others (1979). 

Souch and others (1969). 

Pattison (1979). 

Souch and others (1969). 

Card (1968). 

Souch and others (1969). 

Zurbrigg and others (1957). 

Souch and others (1969). 

Do. 

Hoffman and others (1979). 

Do. 

Souch and others (1969). 

Morin (1973). 
Site name Latitude/ 

longitude 

TABLE 13.-Selected geologic and location information from 

Deposit type 

Canada -continued 

Host rock Age of 

mineralization 

THOMPSON NICKEL BELT, THE PAS MINING DISTRICf, MANITOBA: 

Birchtree mine 55° 42'N. 

97° 55'W. 

Magmatic, ultramafic 

(stratiform). 

Biotite schist EPROT (2.32 Ga) 

Moak mine 55° 57'N. Magmatic, ultramafic Serpentinized perido- EPROT (1.8-1.7 Ga) 

97° 35'W. tit e. 

Pipe No. 1 mine 55° 29'N. Magmatic, ultramafic ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

98° 09'W. (stratiform). 

Pipe No.2 open pit 55° 30'N. Magmatic (stratiform, ------do.----------------- EPROT 

98° 09'W. disseminated). 

Soab North and 55° 13'N. Magmatic (strati- Serpentinized perido- EPROT (2.32 Ga) 

South mines. 98° 25'W. form). tite and btotite 

schist. 

Thompson mine 55° 43'N. Magmatic (stratiform, Biotite schist ------do.---------------------

97° 5l'W. disseminated). 

NEW QUEBEC DISfRICf, QUEBEC: 

Donaldson deposit 

Katiniq deposit 

61° 40'N. Magmatic, ultramafic Peridotite 

73° 18'W. 

61 o 41 'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.-----------------

730 40'W. 

EPROT 

------do.---------------------

TIMISKAMING MINING DISTRICf, ONTARIO: 

Beave~-Temiskaming 47° 21'N. Hydrothermal, vein Volcanic rock EPROT (2.2 Ga) mme. 7~ 38'W. 

Castle-:rrethewey 47° 45'N. ------do.----------------- Clastic sedimentary ------do.--------------------- mme. 80° 44'W. rock. 

Coniagas mine 49° 23'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.--------------------- 7~ 41'W. 

Langis mine 47° 23'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.--------------------- 7~34'W. 

CASSIAR MINING DISTRICf, BRITISH COLUMBIA: 

Windy Craggy 

deposit. 5~ 43'N. Hydrothermal, vol- Siltstone 

137° 44'W. canic exhalative. 

LTRI 

Jinchuan mine (Gansu 

Province). 

Moa Bay district 

Nicaro district 

China 

Magmatic, gabbroic, 

stratiform; mas- sive and disseminated. 

200 37'N. Laterite 

74° 58'W. 

Cuba 

20° 35 'N. ------do.-----------------

750 33'W. 

24 

Ultramafic rocks EPROT 

Peridotite CEN 

Serpentinized perido- ------do.---------------------

tite. 
ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Tectonic setting 

Supracrustal Proterozoic 

rocks near margin of 

Archean craton. 

------do.-----------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Circumcratonic volcanic 

fold belt. 

Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

Canada-continued 

Ultramafic sill in metasedimentary sequence. 

------do.--------------------------

Ultramafic sill in metasedimentary sequence. 

PYJL.r,P~T,Pt{LD, 

CLCP, Ni arsenides. 

Sulfides 

PYJL.r,P~T,Pt{LD, 

VOLR. 

PYJL.r,P~T,Pt{LD, 

CLCP. 

Ultramafic sill in meta- PYJL.r, P~T, Pt{LD, 

sedimentary sequence. CLCP. 

Mafic volcanic flow PYJL.r, Pt{LD, CLCP, 

SRPN. 

------do.------------------------- ------do.-------------------------- PYJL.r, P~ T, Pt{LD, 

CLCP, SRPN. 

Archean inlier in Pro- Veins in fracture Fe, Ni, Co sulfides and 

terozoic. arsenides. 

Proterozoic blanket rocks ------do.-------------------------- ------do.-------------------------

above Archean uncon- formity. 

Archean inlier in Pro- ------do.-------------------------- ------do.-------------------------

terozoic. 

------do.------------------------- -----do.-------------------------- ------do.-------------------------

Spreading center Sedimentary trough PYJL.r, CLCP, P~T 

Obducted ophiolite 

------do.-------------------------

Tropical weathering 

China-continued 

Cuba-continued 

GTHT, HALL, Ni and Co 

colloids. 

------do.-------------------------- GTHT, LMON, MGNT, 

CRMT,GRNR. 

25 

Reference 

Theyer (1980). 

Patterson (1963). 

Coats and others (1972). 

Do. 

Do. 

Barnes (1979). 

Sergiades (1968). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Macintyre (1984). 

Brady (1981). 

Linchenat and Shirokova 

(1964). 

Case ( 1980). 
Site name 

Punta Gorda district 

Falconbridge 

Dominican a mines. 

Keretti mine 

Vuonos mine 

Euboea Island deposit 

Latymna mine 

EXMIBAL mine 

Sukhinda deposit 

Gag Island deposit 

Bou Azzer mine 

TABLE 13.-Selected geologic and location infonnation from 

Latitude/ Deposit type Host rock Age of 

longitude mineralization 

Cuba-continued 

200 35'N. Laterite Serpentinized perido- CEN 

74° 51'W. tite. 

Dominican Republic 

1~ 01'N. Laterite Serpentinized perido- MIO 

700 23'W. tite. 

Finland 

62° 46'N. Hydrothermal, vol- Quartzite EPROT (2.1 Ga) 

28° 28'E. canic exhalative. 

62° 43'N. ------do.----------------- Cherty quartzite ------do.---------------------

28° 56'E. 

Greece 

38° 41'N. Laterite 

23° 37'E. 

Serpentinite ECRET 

3SO 28'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

23° 17'E. 

Guatemala 

16° 30'N. Laterite Peridotite CEN 

89° 20'W. 

India 

21° 03'N. Magmatic ~massive Peridotite PROT (1.6 Ga) 

85° 48'E. layere sulfide) 

and laterite. 

Indonesia 

000 30'S. Laterite Peridotite LTERT; QUAT 

12~ 45'E. 

Morocco 

300 32'N. Hydrothermal (with Serpentinized perido- PREC; HERC 

06° 55'E. residual enrich- tite. 

ment). 

New Caledonia 

DEPOSITS WORKED BY SOCIETE METALLURGIQUE LE NICKEL (SLN): 

Kouaoua mine 

Nepoui mine 

Poro mine 

Thio mine 

21° 24'S. Laterite 

165° 45'E. 

21° 17'S. ------do.-----------------

1640 41'E. 

21 o 43'S. ------do.-----------------

1650 40'E. 

21° 40'S. ------do.-----------------

1660 13'E. 

26 

Serpentinized perido- CEN 

tite. 

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

------do.----------------- ------do.--------------------
ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Tectonic setting 

Obducted ophiolite 

Island arc, thrusted 

ophiolite. 

Fold belt 

-----do.------------------------

Ophiolite belt 

------do.-------------------------

Orogenic belt 

Orogenic fold belt 

Ophiolite belt 

Obducted ophiolite 

Ophiolite belt 

------do.------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

Cuba-continued 

Tropical weathering GTHT, LMON, MGNT, 

CRMT,GRNR. 

Dominican Republic-continued 

Tropical weathering SRPN, GTHT, OLVN, 

ENST. 

Finland -continued 

Structural emplacement into 

metasedimentary 

sequence. 

------do. -----Q·-------------------

PYTT, CLCP, SPLR, PYRT 

PYTT, CLCP, SPLR, 

CBLT, PNLD, PYRT. 

Greece-continued 

Tropical weathering 

------do.-------------------------- GRNR, ANGR, MMRL 

Guatemala-continued 

Reference 

Case ( 1980). 

Haldemann and others 

(1982). 

Peltola (1978). 

Heiskanen and others 

(1981). 

Albandakis (1980). 

Do. 

Tropical weathering GRNR, LMON, SRPN Case (1980). 

India-continued 

CRMT, LMON, Ni and Co Law (1976). 

silicates. 

Indonesia-continued 

Tropical weathering GRNR, LMON, SRPN Havryluk and Huff (1979). 

Morocco-continued 

Folded horsts and grabens SK.RC, SFLR, NCLT, 

CLCP, PYRT. 

New Caledonia-continued 

Tropical weathering 

------do.-------------------------

------do.--------------------------

------do.--------------------------

27 

GTHT, LMON, SRPN, 

CRMT,GRNR. 

GRNR, LMON, SRPN 

GRNR, LMON, SRPN 

GRNR, LMON, SRPN 

Leblanc and Billaud (1982). 

Paris (1981). 

Do. 

·Do. 

Do. 
Site name Latitude/ 

longitude 

TABLE 13.-Selected geologic and location infonnation from 

Deposit type 

New Caledonia-continued 

Host rock Age of 

mineralization 

DEPOSITS WORKED OR DEVELOPED BY CIE FRANCAISE D'ENTERPRISE MINIERES, METALLURGIQUES ET D'INVESTISSEMENTS (COFREMMI): 

Poum prospect 20° 15'S. Laterite 

164° 03'E. 

Serpentinized perido- CEN 

tite. 

Tiebaghi mine 20° 27'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

1640 13'E. 

DEPOSIT EVALUATED BY SOCIETE NATIONAL DES PETROLES AQUITAINE (PART) AND INCO (PART): 

Goro prospect 22° 24'S. Laterite Serpentinized perido- CEN 

167° 01'E. tite. 

Note: Numerous other laterite deposits in New Caledonia are potential sources of cobalt. For further details see De Young 

and others (1986). 

Marcona prospect 

Rio Tuba mine 

Surigao district 

Platreef sector 

(Potgietersrus ). 

Merensky Reef sector, 

Western Bushveld. 

Merensky Reef sector, 

Eastern Bushveld. 

Chromitite Layer sector, 

Western Bushveld. 

Chromitite Layer sector, 

Eastern Bushveld. 

Khuvo-Aksinsk deposit 

(Tura Autonomous 

Republic). 

Noril'sk-Talnakh district 

(northern Siberia). 

Peru 

15° 10'S. Hydrothermal 

75° 10'W. 

Philippines 

08° 35'N. Laterite 

117° 24'E. 

09° 51'N. ------do.-----------------

125° 37'E. 

South Africa 

23° 59'S. Magmatic (strati28° 54'E. form). 

25° 40'S. ------do.-----------------

27° 15'E. 

24° 19'S. ------do.----------------- 2~ SO'E. 

25° 42'S. ------do.-----------------

270 30'E. 

24° 40'S. ------do.-----------------

300 OO'E. 

Soviet Union 

51° OS'N. Hydrothermal, skarn 

93° 40'E. 

6~ 20'N. Magmatic (massive 

88° 08'E. and disseminated). 

28 

Limestone PERM!fRI 

Pyroxenite CRET 

Peridotite PLIO!EPLEIS 

Pyroxenite EPROT (2.1 Ga) 

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

------d 0.----------------- ------do.---------------------

Carbonate rocks EDEV 

Gabbro, dolerite ETRI (230--220 Ma) 
ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and disnicts-Continued 

Tectonic setting 

Ophiolite belt 

------do.---------------------

------do.------------------------

Mobile belt 

Mobile belt 

Island arc thrust zone 

Intracratonic 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Affected by regional block 

faulting. 

Fold belt 

Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

New Caledonia-continued 

Tropical weathering GRNR, LMON, SRPN 

------do.-------------------------- GRNR, LMON, SRPN 

------do.-------------------------- GRNR, LMON, SRPN 

Peru -continued 

MRTT, PYRT, CLCP 

Philippines-continued 

Tropical weathering GRNR, LMON 

------do.-------------------------- ILLT, GTIIT 

South Africa-continued 

Plutonic 

------do.--------------------------

------do.--------------------------

------do.--------------------------

------do.--------------------------

PYTT, PNLD, CLCP, 

COOP, BRAG. 

PYTT, PNLD, CLCP, 

COOP, BRAG, SPRL, 

LART. 

PNLD, CLCP, PYRT, 

PYTT, COOP, BRAG, 

LART, SPRL, ATOK. 

CRMT, ORPX, PLGC, 

LART, COOP, BRAG, 

PNLD, CLCP, PYTT, 

PYRT. 

CRMT, ORPX, PLGC, 

LART, COOP, BRAG, 

PNLD, CLCP, PYTT, 

PYRT. 

Soviet Union-continued 

Skarn-type metasomatism 

Differentiated basic intrusion. 

29 

SKRC, SFLR, SMLT, 

CLNT, NCLT. 

PYTT, CLCP, PNLD 

Reference 

Paris (1981). 

Do. 

Do. 

Atchley (1956). 

Wolff (1978). 

Philippines Bureau of Mines 

and Geo-Sciences 

(1980). 

Vermaak and von Gruenewaldt (1981). 

Coetzee (1976). 

Schwellnus and others 

(1976). 

Vermaak and von Gruenewaldt (1981). 

McLaren and De Villiers 

(1982). 

Smirnov (1977). 

Naldrett (1981). 
TABLE 13.-Selected geologic and location information from 

Site name Latitude/ Deposit type Host rock Age of 

longitude mineralization 

Soviet Union-continued 

Orsk combine (southern 51° 13'N. Laterite Serpentinized perido- TRI/JUR 

Urals). 58° 35'E. tit e. 

Pechenga district (Kola) 6~ 20'N. Magmatic (massive) Gabbro, dolerite PROT 2~44'E. 

Yuzhuralnickel complex 56° 46'N. Laterite Serpentinized perido- TRI/JUR 

(central Urals). 600 18'E. tite. 

Uganda 

Kilembe mine 03° OO'N. Sediment-hosted Chlorite biotite schist PREC 

300 01'E. (strata-bound). 

United States 

Blackbird mine (Idaho) 45° OS'N. 

114° 30'W. 

Sediment-hosted Metasediments PREC 

Kawishiwi province 47° 45'N. Magmatic, gabbroic Gabbro MPROT (1.1 Ga) 

~Duluth Complex) 91° 40'W. 

Minnesota). 

Fredericktown area 37° 33'N. Hydrothermal Dolomite CAMB 

(Missouri). 90° 25'W. 

Gasquet Mountain pros- 41° 51'N. Laterite Peridotite 

pect (California). 123° 58'W. 

Riddle mine (Oregon) 42° 58'N. 

123° 27'W. 

------do.----------------- Serpentinite MIO/PLIO 

Yugoslavia 

Kosovo mines 42° 28'N. Laterite (residual Serpentinite JUR;TERT 

21° 03'E. enrichment). 

RZanovo mine 41° 14'N. ------do.----------------- ------do.-----------------

22° 16'E. 

Zaire 

Dikuluwe-Mashamba 10° 44'S. Sediment-hosted Dolomite, shale, LPROT 

mines. 25° 22'E. (strata-bound). quartzite. 

Kakanda mine 100 44'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.-----------------

26° 23'E. 

Kambove West mine 10° 52'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

26° 36'E. 

Kamoto East mine 10° 43'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

25° 25'E. 

Kamoto North mine 100 43'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

25° 24'E. 

Kamoto mine (under- 100 43'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

ground). 25° 25'E. 

30 
ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts- Continued 

Tectonic setting 

Fold belt 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Fold belt 

Rift sedimentation 

Fold belt 

Orogenic belt 

Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

Soviet Union-continued 

Tropical weathering SRPN, GRNR 

Magmatic layered intrusion PYIT, PNLD, CLCP 

Tropical weathering SRPN, GRNR 

Uganda -continued 

Co-bearing PYRT, PYRT, 

CLCP, PYTI. 

United States-continued 

Strata-bound concentrations CLCP, PYTI, CBLT, 

of volcanogenic type PYRT. 

and hydrothermally 

remobilized. 

Concentrations in depres- CLCP, PNLD, PYRT, 

sions at base of mtru- BRNT. 

sive complex. 

Reef facies carbonate GLEN, SPLR, PYRT 

deposit over basement. 

Tropical weathering GRNR 

------do.-------------------------- GRNR 

Yugoslavia -continued 

Tropical weathering GRNR, GTHT, PLML 

Reference 

Smimov (1977). 

Naldrett (1981). 

Smimov (1977). 

Davis (1969). 

U.S. Bureau of Mines and 

U.S. Geological Survey 

(1952). 

Grosh and others (1955). 

Cornwall (1967). 

Chace and others (1969). 

Berthold (1980). 

------do.-------------------------- HMTT, LMON, MLRT, Do. 

Intracratonic sedimentary 

basin. 

------do.-------------------

------do.-----------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.------------------------

NCLT. 

Zaire-continued 

Shallow marine MLCT, CLCC, DGNT, 

CRLT,HETE. 

------do.-------------------------- MLCT, HETE 

------do.-------------------------- CLCP, CLCC, CRL T, 

MLCT, HETE. 

------do.-------------------------- CLCC, CLCP, CRLT, 

DGNT,MLCT. 

------do.-------------------------- CLCC, BRNT, CRLT, 

DGNT. 

------do.-------------------------- CLCC, BRNT, CRLT, 

DGNT. 

31 

Lombard and Nicolini 

(1961-63). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
TABLE 13.-Selected geologic and location information from 

Site name Latitude/ Deposit type Host rock Age of 

longitude mineralization 

Zaire-continued 

Mupine mine too 42'S. Sediment-hosted Dolomite, shale, LPROT 

25° 25'E. (strata-bound). quartzite. 

Musonoi mine too 42'S. ------do.----------------- ------do.----------------- ------do.---------------------

25° 27'E. 

Tenke-Fungurume mine tOO 37'S. ------do.----------······· ------do.----------------- ----do.-------------------

26° t7'E. 

Zambia 

Baluba mine (part t3° 04'S. Sediment-hosted Dolomite, schist LPROT 

Luanshya division). 28° 20'E. (strata-bound). 

Chibuluma mine (part t2° 23'S. ------do.----------------- Sericitic quartzite ------do.---------------------

Kalulushi division). 27° 57'E. 

Konkola division t2° 23'S. ------do.----------------- Siltstone ------do.---------------------

27° 57'E. 

Nchanga division t2° 32'S. 

27° 5t'E. 

------do.----------------- Feldspathic quartzite ------do.--------·------------

Nkana division t2° 49'S. ------do.----------------- Argillites ------do.---------------------

28° t3'E. 

Zimbabwe 

Epoch mine 200 25'S. Magmatic Komatiitic lava ARCH 2~ t5'E. 

Madziwa mine t7° OS'S. ------do.---------------- Pyroxenite ------do.---------------------

3t0 50'E. 

Shangani mine t~ 40'S. ------do.---------------- Peridotite ------do.--------------------- 2~ t5'E. 

Trojan mine t7° t8'S. ------do.----------------- Dunite ------do.---------------------

3t0 20'E. 

32 
ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Tectonic setting Local environment Principal mineral assemblages 

Zaire-continued 

Intracratonic sedimentary , Shallow marine CLCC, CLCP, MLCI', 

basin. HETE. 

------do.------------------------- ------do.-------------------------- CLCP, CLCC, MLCI', 

HETE. 

------do.------------------------- ------do.-------------------------- MLCI', CLCC, CLCP, 

Intracratonic sedimentary 

basin. 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

DGNT,CRLT. 

Zambia-continued 

Shallow marine CLCP, CLCC, PYRT, 

CRLT. 

------do.-------------------------- CLCP, CLCC, PYRT, 

BRNT,CRLT. 

------do.-------------------------- CLCP, CLCC, MLCI', 

CRLT,BRNT. 

------do.-------------------------- CLCP, CLCC, MLCI', 

CRLT,BRNT. 

------do.---------:----------------- CLCC, BRNT, CLCP, 

CRLT. 

Zimbabwe-continued 

Reference 

Lombard and Nicolini 

(1962-63). 

Do. 

Do. 

Mendelsohn (1961). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Fold belt PNLD, CLCP, MLRT, Clutten and others (1981). 

PLDM. 

Layered intrusion 

------do.------------------------- PY1T, PNLD, CLCP, Moubray and others (1976). 

VOLR, MLRT, SPLR. 

Intrusion into granites 

------do.------------------------- Layered intrusion PY1T, PNLD, CLCP, Viljoen and others (1976). 

PYRT. 

------do.------------------------- ------do.-------------------------- PNLD, MLRT, MGNT, Outten and others (1981). 

CLCP, NCLT. 

33 
TABlE 14.-Selected production and mineral-resource infonnation 

Abbreviations for mining method: 

S, surface; U, underground; N, not yet producing 

Annual production and cumulative production figures pertaining to metals other than cobalt not entered unless this is necessary for clarifJCation. Figures may 

be recorded as ore with or without metal content specified; as Co which implies cobalt-in-ore; as Co metal; or as Co concentrate. All tonnages are actual 

figures recorded in metric tons. Years for reported cumulative production are in parentheses. 

Site name 

Agnew mine (Western Australia) 

Kambalda-St. Ives district (Western Australia) 

Windarra district (Western Australia) 

Greenvale mine (Queensland) 

Selebi-Pi.kwe district 

Tocantins mine 

Bawdwin mine 

Buhinda district 

Year of discovery 

Australia 

1971 

1965 

1969 

1967 

Botswana 

1963 

Brazil 

1908 

Burma 

1412 

Burundi 

1972 

Canada 

SUDBURY BASIN, ONTARIO-FALCONBRIDGE LTD.: 

East mine, Falconbridge 1949 

Falconbridge mine 1916 

Fecunis North mine 1964 

Fraser mine Pre-1970 

Lockerby mine 1919 

Onaping-Craig mine 1942 

Strathcona mine 1951 

SUDBURY BASIN, ONTARIO-INCO LTD.: 

Qarabelle pit 1883 

34 

Mining method First year of 

production 

u 1978 

u -1967 

u,s 1974 

s 1974 

u,s 1974 

s 1979 

u,s 1412 

N None 

u 1953 

u 1930 

u 1965 

u 1981 

u 1975 

u 1961 

u 1962 

s 1979 
from ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts 

Resources include, for various resource categories, some or all of the following items (separated by semicolons): resource in thousand metric tons; U.N. 

resource classification (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 1979; Schanz, 1980); grade or other explanatory descriptor; and year of estimate. 

Other abbreviations: 

PGM, Platinum-group metals which are platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium. 

---, Not reported on the ISMI record form. 

Elements of economic interest 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co, Au, Ag, S, Pb, 

Pd. 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Zn, Pb, Au, Ni 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Co, Se, 

Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Annual production Cumulative production 

Australia-continued 

167; Co 

681; Co 

215; Co 

2,162; Co 

512; Co (1978-81) 

890; Co (1978-82) 

12,778; Co (1975-81) 

Botswana-continued 

247; Co 1,290; Co (1978-82) 

Brazil-continued 

Burma-continued 

250,000; ore 

Burundi -continued 

Canada-continued 

Aggregated with Falconbridge mine. 

579; Co 

Aggregated with Falconbridge mine. 

------do.-------------------------

-----do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Aggre~ated with Creighton mme. 

Aggregated with Falconbridge mine. 

78,284,000; ore 0.04 percent 

Co (1953-83). 

Aggregated with Falconbridge mine. 

-----do.--······················· 

-----do.---------------------

35 

------do.-------------------------

-----do.-------------------------

Aggre~ated with Creighton mme. 

Resources 

(1,000 t) 

2,700; R1E; ore; 1982. 

25,000; R1E; ore; 1982. 

9,200; R1E; ore; 1982. 

21,800; R1E; 0.12 percent 

Co; 1981. 

52,392; R1E; ore; 1983. 

38,700; R1E; ore; 1983. 

30,000; R1E; ore; 1982. 

300,000; R1E; 0.1 percent 

Co; 1974. 

rlE (aggregated with 

Falconbridge mine). 

66,769; r1E; 0.04 percent 

Co; 1983. 

rlE (aggregated with 

Falconbridge mine). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

r1E (aggregated with 

Creighton mine). 
TABLE 14.-Selected production and mineral-resource infonnation 

Site name Year of discovery Mining method First year of . production 

Canada-continued 

Coleman mine Pre-1964 u 1971 

Copper Cliff North mine Pre-1960 u 1967 

Copper Cliff South mine Pre-1967 u 1970 

Crean Hill mine Pre-1905 u 1905 

Creighton mine 1900 u 1901 

Frood mine 1884 u 1889 

Garson mine 1891 u 1908 

Levack mine 1888 u 1914 

Levack East mine Pre-1970 u None 

Little Stobie mine 1885 u 1902 

McCreedy West mine Pre-1939 u 1973 

Murray mine 1883 u 1889 

Stobie mine 1884 u 1887 

Totten mine 1885 u 1966 

THUNDER BAY DISTRICT, ONTARIO-INCO LTD.: 

Shebandowan mine Pre-1936 u 1972 

THOMPSON NICKEL BELT, THE PAS MINING DISTRICT, MANITOBA: 

Birchtree mine 1964 u 1969 

Moak mine 1952 N(U) None 

Pipe No. 1 mine 1959 u 1970 

Pipe No. 2 open pit 1959 s 1970 

Soab North and South mines 1959 u 1967 

Thompson mine 1956 s, u 1961 

36 
from ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and dmriets-Continued 

Elements of economic interest 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se,Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Au, Ag, Co, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM, Au, Ag, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM, Au, Ag, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM, Au, Ag, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM, Au, Ag, 

Se, Te. 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM, Au, Ag, 

Se, Te. 

Annual production Cumulative production 

Canada-continued 

Aggre~ated with Creighton Aggre~ated with Creighton 

mme. mme. 

······dO.··•······················ 

···---do.-------------------······ 

------do.-------------------------

2,100; Co 

Aggre~ated with Creighton 

mme. 

------do.-------------------------

------do.------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.----------------········· 

------do.-------------------------

------do.------------------------

-·----do.-------------------------

Aggregated with Thompson 

mine. 

Development work suspended. 

···---do.······---------·-----···· 

------do.·------------------------

------do.-------------------------

438,250,000; ore also 

25,000; Co (1950-83). 

Aggre~ated with Creighton 

mme. 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

Aggregated with Thompson 

mine. 

On standby Aggre~ated with Thompson 

mme. 

Aggre~ated with Thompson ------do.-------------------------

mme. 

------do.------------------------- ------do.-------------------------

500; Co 4,700; Co (1961-83) 

37 

Resources 

(1,000 t) 

rlE (aggregated with 

treighton mine). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

360,000; r1E; 0.05 percent Co; 1983. 

r1E (aggregated with 

Creighton mine). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

r1E (aggregated with 

Thompson mine). 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

73,000; r1E; 0.05 percent Co; 1983. 
TABlE 14.-Selected production and mineral-resource infonnation 

Site name Year of discovery 

Canada -continued 

NEW QUEBEC DISTRICf, QUEBEC: 

Donaldson deposit 1954 

Katiniq deposit 1961 

TIMISKAMING MINING DISTRICf, ONTARIO: 

Beaver-Temiskaming mine 1907 

Castle-Trethewey mine 1919 

Coniagas mine 1905 

Langis mine 1907 

CASSIAR MINING DISTRICf, BRITISH COLUMBIA: 

Windy Craggy deposit 1965 

China 

Jinchuan mine (Gansu Province) 1958 

Cuba 

Moa Bay district 1905 

Nicaro district 1905 

Punta Gorda district 1905 

Dominican Republic 

Falconbridge Dominicana mines 1918 

Finland 

Keretti mine 1910 

Vuonos mine 1965 

Greece 

Euboea Island deposit 

Larymna mine 1900 

Guatemala 

EXMIBAL mine 1955 

38 

Mining method 

N 

N 

u 

u 

u 

u 

N 

u,s 

s 

s 

s 

s 

u 

s, u 

s 

s, u 

s 

First year of 

production 

None 

None 

1907 

1920 

1906 

1907 

None 

1964 

1959 

1944 

1985 

(planned) 

1971 

1970 

1966 

1977 
from ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Elements of economic interest 

Ni, Cu, Co1 PGM 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ag, Co, Ni, Cu 

Ag,Co 

Ag, Co, Ni, Cu 

Ag, Co, Ni, Cu 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co, Cr 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Cu,Zn,Co 

Cu, Co, Zn, Ni 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Co 

Annual production Cumulative production 

Canada-continued 

15; Co 

Aggregated with Beaver 

mine. 

------do.-------------------------

------do.-------------------------

200; Co (estimated capacity) 

200 

1,650; Co 

189; Co 

23; Co 

650; Co 

310; Co 

China -continued 

Cuba -continued 

Dominican Republic-continued 

Finland-continued 

3,270; Co (1979-83) 

1,550; Co (1979-83) 

Greece-continued 

Guatemala-continued 

39 

Resources 

(1,000 t) 

2,377; R1M; 0.03 percent 

Co; 1969. 

4,411; R1M; 0.03 percent 

Co; 1969. 

No estimates of indicated ore resources are available owing to erratic 

nature of deposits. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

91,000; R1S; 0.09 percent 

Co; 1983. 

4,760; R1E; ore; 1982. 

400,000; R1E; ore; 1978. 

153; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1964. 

60; R1E; ore; 1984. 

100; R1M; ore; 1984. 

70,000; R1E; ore; 1977. 

3,100; R1E; ore; 1983. 

1,800; R1E; 0.15 percent 

Co; 1980. 

200,000; R1E; ore; 1980. 

30,000; R1E; ore; 1973. 

50,000; R1E; ore; 1982. 
TABLE 14.-Selected production and mineral-resource infonnation 

Site name Year of discovery Mining method First year of production 

India 

Su.khinda deposit 1949 N (S, U) None 

Indonesia 

Gag Island deposit 1952 N (S) None 

Morocco 

Bou Azzer mine 1931 u 1930's 

New Caledonia 

DEPOSITS WORKED BY SOCIETE METALLURGIQUE LE NICKEL (SLN): 

Kouaoua mine 

Nepoui mine 

Poro mine 

1860's 

1965 

1865 

s 

s 

s 

1870's 

1973 

1875 

Thio mine 1863 S 1880's 

DEPOSITS WORKED OR DEVELOPED BY CIE FRANCAISE D'ENTERPRISE MINIERES, METALLURGIQUES ET D'INVESTISSEMENTS (COFREMMI): 

Poum prospect 1864 N (S) None 

Tiebaghi mine 1965 s 1982 

DEPOSIT EVALUATED BY SOCIETE NATIONAL DES PETROLIES AQUITAINE (PART) AND INCO (PART): 

Goro prospect 1960 N (S) None 

Marcona prospect 

Rio Tuba mine 

Surigao district 

Platreef sector (Potgietersrus) 

Merensky Reef sector, Western Bushveld 

Peru 

1905 

Philippines 

1967 

1912 

South Africa 

1924 

1926 

40 

s 

s 

s 

s 

u 

1920's 

1977 

1974 

1926 

1920's 
from ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Elements of economic interest Annual production Cumulative production 

India -continued 

Cr, Ni, Co 200; Co (estimated capacity) 

Indonesia-continued 

Ni, Co 

Morocco-continued 

Resources 

(1,000 t) 

65,000; R1E; 0.06 percent 

Co; 1979. 

160,000; R1E; 0.12 percent 

Co; 1981. 

Co, Ni, Cu 7,207; Co concentrate 2,429; Co metal (1978-82); Limited. 

50,000; Co metal 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Co, Fe 

Ni, Co 

Ni, Cr, Co 

Ni, Co 

Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Cu, PGM, Co 

PGM, Ni, Co, Cu 

(1930-82). 

New Caledonia-continued 

180,000; ore (partial figure 

only). 

960,000; ore 

312,000; ore 

750; Co 

299,000; ore 

1,195; Co 

Peru-continued 

Philippines-continued 

5,977; Co (1977-81) 

South Africa -continued 

41 

11; R1E; ore; 1972. 

30; R1E; ore; 1976. 

8; R1E; ore; 1972. 

50,000; R1E; ore; 1976. 

13,250; R1E; gamierite ore; 

1974. 

17,100; R1E; laterite ore; 

1974. 

150; R1E; ore; 1972. 

500; R2E; ore; 1972. 

250,000; R1E; iron ore; 

1970. 

20,000; R1E; ore; 1983. 

60,000; R1E; 0.13 percent 

Co; 1983. 

1.5; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

3.8; R2S; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

2.7; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

2.7; R2S; Co-in-ore; 1984. 
TABLE 14.-Selected production and mineral-resource infonnation 

Site name Year of discovery 

South Africa-continued 

Merensky Reef sector, Eastern Bushveld 

Chromitite Layer sector, Western Bushveld 

Chromitite Layer sector, Eastern Bushveld 

Khuvo-Aksinsk deposit (Tura Autonomous 

Republic). 

Noril'sk Talnakh district (northern Siberia) 

Orsk combine (southern Urals) 

Pechenga district (Kola) 

Yuzhuralnickel complex (central Urals) 

Kilembe mine 

Blackbird mine (Idaho) 

Kawishiwi province (Duluth Complex) 

(Minnesota) 

Fredericktown area (Missouri) 

Gasquet Mountain prospect (California) 

Riddle mine (Oregon) 

Kosovo mines 

RZanovo mine 

Dikuluwe-Mashamba mines 

K.akanda mine 

Kambove West mine 

Kamoto East mine 

1924 

1924 

1924 

Soviet Union 

1947 

1961 

Pre-1914 

1874 

Uganda 

1908 

United States 

1893 

1948 

1720 

1851 

1864 

Yugoslavia 

1970 

1958 

Zaire 

1972 

1900's 

1901 

1900's 

42 

Mining method 

u 

u 

N 

u 

u 

s 

u 

s 

u 

u 

s, u 

u 

N (S) 

s 

s 

s 

s 

s 

u,s 

s 

First year of 

production 

1969 

1970's 

None 

1938 

Pre-1939 

1934 

1955 

About 1916 

1844 

None 

1954 

1982 

1980's 

1946 

1963 

1945 
from ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Elements of economic interest 

PGM, Ni, Co, Cu 

PGM, Ni, Co, Cu 

PGM, Ni, Co, Cu 

Co, Ni 

Ni, Cu, Co, PGM 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Ni, Fe, Co 

Co, Cu, Au, Ag 

Co, Ni, Cu 

Co, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn 

Ni, Co 

Ni, Co 

Ni, Co 

Ni, Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Annual production Cumulative production 

South Africa-continued 

Soviet Union -continued 

2,200; Co 11,000; Co (1979-83) 

700; Co metal 

Uganda-continued 

United States-continued 

980; Co (1957, mine closed 1,900; Co (1951-58) 

1959). 

Not yet in production 

Last production 1961 

910; Co (estimated) 

7,119,257; Ni ore with 0.05 

percent Co (1954-64). 

Yugoslavia -continued 

983,000; ore 

23,000,000; ore (planned 

capacity). 

Zaire-continued 

2,000,000; ore (estimated) 

970,000; ore 

1,500,000; ore 

2,000,000; ore (estimated) 

43 

Resources 

(1,000 t) 

0.2; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

4.1; R2S; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

0.8; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

0.7; R2S; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

0.6; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

2.6; R2S; Co-in-ore; 1984. 

100; R1E; Co-in-ore; 1977. 

380,000; R1E; ore; 1984. 

38,700; R1E; ore; 1983. 

4,300; RlS; 0.73 percent Co; 

1981. 

115; R2S; metal-in-sulfide; 

1979. 

1,100,000; R2S; ore; 1977. 

3,000; R1S; 0.28 percent Co; 

1962. 

37,000; R1E; 0.09 percent 

Co; 1984. 

16,000; R1E; 0.05 percent 

Co; 1969. 

26,700; R1E; 0.07 percent 

Co; 1982. 

110,000; R1E; ore; 1980. 

125,000; R1E; ore (28,000 

Dikuluwe). 

Nearly exhausted. 

Exhaustion expected 1986. 

Large. 
TABLE 14.-Selected production and mineral-resource infonnation 

Site name Year of discovety Mining method First year of 

production 

Zaire-continued 

Kamoto North mine 1900's s 1960's 

Kamoto mine (underground) u 1963 

Mupine mine 1900's s 1950's 

Musonoi mine 1900's s 1946 

Tenke-Fungurume mine 1970's N 

Zambia 

Baluba mine (part Luanshya division) 1929 u 1973 

Chibuluma mine (part Kalulushi division) 1939 u 1955 

Konkola division 1940 u 1957 

Nchanga division 1925 s, u 1939 

Nkana division 1923 s,u 1932 

Zimbabwe 

Epoch mine 1969 u 1976 

Madziwa mine 1958 u 1967 

Shangani mine 1969 u 1975 

Trojan mine 1957 u 1968 

44 
from ISM/ records for cobalt deposits and districts-Continued 

Elements of economic interest 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Cu,Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Ni, Cu, Co 

Annual production Cumulative production 

Zaire-continued 

750,000; ore (estimated) 

2,760,000; ore 

500,000; ore (estimated) 

500,000; ore (estimated) 

Zambia-continued 

1,902,000; ore 

12,900,000; ore (1956-83) 

Limited. 

Resources 

(1,000 t) 

55,000; R1E; ore (in north 

extension). 

Nearly exhausted. 

51,000; R1E; ore. 

53;754; R1E; ore; 1983. 

7,220; R1E; ore; 1983. 

55,361; R1E; ore; 1983. 

666,000; ore 

1,769,000; ore 

150, 700; ore 452,000; Co concentrate 9,897; R1E; ore; 1983. 

4,000,000; ore 

4 73,000; ore 

389,700; ore 

725,600; ore 

(1981-88 estimated). 

57,476; Co metal (1934-83) 12,685; R1E; ore; 1983. 

Zimbabwe-continued 

2,367,000; ore (1979-83) 

1,948,500; ore (1979-83) 

2,902,300; ore (1980-84) 

2,703,000; ore (1979-83) 

45 

901; R1E; ore; 1983. 

1,373; R1M; ore; 1983. 

2,745; R1S; ore; 1983. 

571; R1E; ore; 1983. 

1,661; R1M; ore; 1983. 

487; R1S; ore; 1983. 

914; R1E; ore; 1983. 

1,662; R1M; ore; 1983. 

11,917; R1S; ore; 1983. 

1,926; R1E; ore; 1983. 

3,300; R1M; ore; 1983. 

7,529; R1S; ore; 1983. 
TABI£ 15.-Cobalt production 

Annual capacity is in metric tons of cobalt unless other material is indicated. 

Annual production may include one or both of the following items: production in metric tons and year of production in parentheses. 

---, Not reported 

Site 

Kwinana, near Perth 

Olen, Antwerp 

Niquelandia, Goias 

Fort Saskatchewan, 

Alberta. 

Port Colbourne, Ontario 

Thompson, Manitoba 

Cobalt, Ontario 

Jinchuan, Gansu Province. 

Harjavalta 

Kokkola 

Luikonlahti, near Kaavi 

Sandouville, near Le Havre. 

Pombliere Saint Marcel, 

Savoie. 

Operator 

Western Mining Corp. 

Holdings Ltd. 

Raw material Origin of raw material 

Australia 

Nickel matte and concen· Material from company sources trates. includes concentrates from Kambalda and matte from Kalgoorlie. 

Also custom material. 

Belgium 

Metallurgie-Hoboken Cathode and white metal Shituru and Panda plants, Zaire 

Overpelt S.A. (partially owned by 

Union Miniere ). 

Brazil 

CODEMIN S.A. Lateritic ore Laterite from Tocantins mine 

Canada 

Sherritt Gordon Mines Nickel matte and concen- Feed now obtained from overseas, for 

Ltd. trate. example Australia and Philip· pin~, and other Canadian com- pames. 

INCO Ltd. Nickel sulfide concen- trate and nickel 

Sudbury basin ores 

matte. 

-----do.-------------------- ------do.-·----------------· Ore from The Pas mining district and overseas. 

Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. Sulfide ore Ore from company mines in 

Timiskammg mining district. 

China 

Jinchuan Non-Ferrous Sulfide ore Ore from nickel mine 

Metal Co. 

Finland 

Outokumpu Oy Sulfide ores Company mines 

------do.--·-----·--·--·-··---- Sulfide ores, copper Ores from company mines and forsmelting waste. eign sources. Waste from Ger- man Democratic Republic. 

Myllykoski Oy Sulfide ores Ore from company mine 

France 

Soc. Metallur!fme le Nickel matte New Caledonian laterite mines 

Nickel (S . 

Metaux Speciaux S.A. Concentrates, oxides, 

residues, scrap 

46 
, from primary resources 

Type of plant Product Annual 

capacity 

Australia-continued 

Sherritt Gordon process Cobalt salts? 

refinery. 

125 

Electrolytic 

Electrolytic.plant at Sao 

Miquel-paulista 

(Sao Paulo). 

Refinery 

------do.-------------------

Smelter and refinery 

Mill and refinery at 

Penn mill. 

Smelter and electrolytic 

refinery. 

Smelter and refinery 

Refinery 

Concentrator 

Refinery 

------do.--------------------

Belgium -continued 

Cobalt oxide, salts, and 8,400 

metal powders. 

Brazil-continued 

Cobalt metal 1,000 

Canada-continued 

Cobalt metal 900 

------do.--------------------- 900 

Cobalt oxide 

Cobalt products as 

byproduct to silver 

output. 

China-continued 

Cobalt metal 450 

Finland-continued 

Cobalt hydroxide 

Cobalt metal and salts 

Cobalt-nickel concentrates. 

Cobalt chloride 

Cobalt metal 

France-continued 

600 

1,500 

(cobalt 

products). 

47 

Annual 

production 

800 

800 (1983) 

25 (1981-83) 

200 (1980-81) 

1,450 (1984) 

358 (1983) 

Comments 

Current production status of 

cobalt products uncertain. 

Capacity relates to 

expansion plans 

scheduled for 1983. 

Sherritt Gordon now 

custom refining for 

Amax following closure 

of company refinery. 

Electrolytic plant scheduled 

to begin separation in 

1983. 

Cobalt content of concen- trates low. 

Refinery originally designed to 

treat Moroccan ore, the 

stockpile of which is now believed to be exhausted. 
Site 

Duisburg 

Oker, near Goslar 

Hitachi, lbaraki prefecture. 

Niihama 

Kristiansand 

Rustenburg, Transvaal 

Sprin~, Transvaal 

Khalilovsk, southern 

Urals. 

Monchesorsk, Kola 

penmsula. 

Nadezhada, northern 

Siberia. 

Pechenga, Kola 

peninsula. 

Rezh, northeast of 

Sverdlovsk. 

Ufaley, south-southwest 

of Sverdlovsk. 

Ufaley region 

Clydach, Wales 

Braithwaite, Louisiana 

TABLE 15.-Cobalt production 

Operator Raw material Origin of raw material 

German Federal Republic 

Duisburger Kupferhutte Cobaltiferous pyrite 

(owned by RTZ sinter. 

Ltd.). 

Imported 

Hermann C. Starck Cobalt catalyst residues, Various 

Nippon Mining Co. Ltd. 

Sumitomo Metal Mining 

Co. 

Falconbridge _Nikkelwerk A/S. 

unrefined metal. 

Japan 

Nickel matte, mixed sulfide. 

Mixed nickel cobalt sulfide concentrate. 

Norway 

Nickel-copper matte 

South Africa 

Indonesia, Australia and other foreign sources. 

Philippines 

Material from company mines at 

Sudbury, Canada and custom 

material. 

Rustenburg Platinum 

Mines Ltd. 

Converter matte Company sources 

Impala Platinum Ltd .. ------do.---------------------- Company mines in western Bushveld 

Soviet Union 

Nickel concentrates 

Pechenganickel Sulfide ores 

Noril'sk Metallurgical ------do.----------------------

Combine. 

Pechenganickel ------do.----------------------

Rezhevsk Nickel Smelter Nickel concentrates 

Ufaleisk Nickel Smelter ------do.----------------------

Yuzhuralnickel ------do.----------------------

Inco Europe Ltd. 

Amax Inc. 

United Kingdom 

Laterite and sulfide 

matte. 

United States 

Copper-nickel matte 

48 

Southern Ural (Orsk) mines 

Local ore and ore shipped from 

Noril'sk. 

Local 

Local ore 

------do.---------------------------------------

------do.---------------------------------------

------do.---------------------------------------

Canada, Indonesia, Guatemala 

Botswana, Australia, New Caledonia 
from primary resources-Continued 

Type of plant 

Refinery 

------do.--------------------

Refinery 

Smelter and refinery 

Refinery 

Refinery 

------do.--------------------

Smelter and refinery 

------do.--------------------

------do.--------------------

------do.--------------------

------do.--------------------

Smelter only? 

Refinery 

Refinery 

Refinery 

Product Annual Annual 

capacity production 

German Federal Republic-continued 

Cobalt metal 1,000 100 (1981) 

Cobalt metal, salts, 

oxide, and powder. 

Japan -continued 

Fabricated products of 1,200 

cobalt. 

Cobalt salts 1,600 

Norway-continued 

835 ( 1983 estimate). 

587 (1983) 

Cobalt metal 1,800 879 (1983) 

South Africa -continued 

Cobalt sulfate 

Cobalt metal powder 

Soviet Union-continued 

Uncertain cobalt products. 

------do.---------------------

------do.--------------------- 500,000 

(matte). 

------do.---------------------

------do.---------------------

------do.---------------------

------do.---------------------

United Kingdom-continued 

Cobalt salts and oxide 200 (1982) 

United States-continued 

Cobalt metal 450 408 (1983) 

49 

Comments 

Nonferrous metal production 

ceased 1982. 

Refinery owned until 1983 by 

Matthey Rustenburg 

Refiners (Pty.) Ltd. 

Mining outstrips refining 

capacity. Ore and matte 

also sent to Monchegorsk. 

Production of salts ceased 

1984. 

Now closed. Sherritt Gordon 

(Canada) now custom 

refining for Amax. 
Site 

Luilu, Kolwezi 

Panda, Likasi 

Shituru, Likasi 

Chambisi 

Nkana 

Bin dura 

Operator 

Gecamines 

-----do.---------------------

------do.---------------------

Zambia Consolidated 

Copper Mines Ltd. 

------do.---------------------

Bindura Nickel Corp. 

Ltd. 

Raw material 

Zaire 

Copper-cobalt concen- trates. 

----do.----------------------

------do.----------------------

Zambia 

Copper-cobalt concen- trates. 

------do.----------------------

Zimbabwe 

Nickel sulfide concentrates. 

50 

TABLE 15.-Cobalt production 

Origin of raw material 

Kolwezi concentrates 

V arlo us local 

------do.----------------------------------

Concentrates from Chibuluma and 

Baluba mines. 

Various 

Company mines Trojan, Epoch, and 

Madziwa mines and does custom 

milling for Shangani mine and, 

formerly, Empress mine. 
from primary .resources-Continued 

Type of plant 

Electrolytic refinery 

Electric arc smelter 

Smelter and refinery 

Roast-leachelectrowinning. 

------do.----------------

Product Annual 

capacity 

Zaire-continued 

Cobalt pellets and 10,000 

cathodes. 

White-metal alloy 1,000 

(copper-cobalt). 

Cobalt cathodes, pellets, 8,400 

and granules. 

Zambia-continued 

Cobalt-metal cathodes 2,800 

------do.------------------ 2,600 

Annual 

production 

5,200 

(1981-83). 

4,600 

(1981-83). 

1,560 

(1981-82). 

990 (1981-82) 

Zimbabwe-continued 

Smelter and electrolytic Cobalt metal? 

refinery 

100 62 (1982) 

51 

Comments 

Alloys refined at Olen, 

Belgium. Cobalt production now suspended. 

Started 1978 with induction 

melting/vacuum refinery 

added 1982. 

Started 1982. Could expand to 

5,000 metric tons. 
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53 

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54 

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~u.S. G.P.O. 1987- 181-407:60035 




INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC MINERALS INVENTORY 

PARTICIPATING AGENCIES 

Australia 

Bureau of Mineral Resources, 

Geology and Geophysics 

Canada 

Energy, Mines & Resources Canada 

Mineral Policy Sector 

Geological Survey of Canada 

Federal Republic of Germany 

Bundesanstalt fiir Geowissenschaften 

und Rohstoffe 

South Africa 

Minerals Bureau 

Geological Surrey 

United Kingdom 

British Geological Survey 

United States 

Bureau of Mines 

Geological Survey 

SUMMARY REPORTS 

This circular is one of several reports on selected mineral commodities to be published in the U.S. Geological Survey 930 series. The 

circulars published to date are listed below; year of publication is shown 

in parentheses. Copies are available free on application to The Books 

and Open-File Reports Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, 

Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225-0046 U.S.A. 

930-A. Manganese (1984) 

930-B. Chromium (1984) 

930-C. Phosphate (1984) 

930-D. Nickel (1985) 

930-E. Platinum-Group Metals (1986) 

930-F. Cobalt (1987) 

Requests for copies of International Strategic Minerals Inventory summary reports and for further 

information may also be addressed to: 

Lee C. Ranford 

First Assistant Director 

Resource Assessment Division 

Bureau of Mineral Resources 

P.O. Box378 

Canberra aty, A.C.T. 2601 

AUSTRALIA 

J. Zwartendyk 

Director, Resource Evaluation Division 

Mineral Policy Sector 

Energy, Mines & Resources Canada· 

580 Booth Street 

Ottawa, Ontario K1A OE4 

CANADA 

Distribution Branch 

Bundesanstalt fii.r Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe 

Postfach 51 01 53 

D-3000 Hannover 51 

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 

Ian Goldberg 

Director, Minerals Bureau 

Private Bag X4 

Braamfontein 2017 

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA 

Richard N. Crockett 

Head, MISE Programme 

British Geological Survey 

Keyworth 

Nottingham NG12 5GG 

UNITED KINGDOM