Cobalt Availability: A Minerals Availability Appraisal

摘要

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines has evaluated the potential resource and annual availability of cobalt from 27 deposits or districts in 11 market-economy countries. More than 95 pct of primary cobalt production from market-economy countries, mainly byproduct output from copper and nickel operations, was analyzed. Approximately 1,200,000 mt of cobalt is potentially recoverable at the demonstrated resource level. Very large additional resources exist, especially in laterite deposits, but are at the inferred level. The producing operations evaluated in the study are expected to produce about 19,000 mt of cobalt in 1989, significantly less than the available capacity of about 31,000 mt. Most of the evaluated nonproducing operations and prospects, that could potentially produce cobalt as a principal product or byproduct would require a total cost, (including a 15 pct-DCFROR), significantly exceeding January, 1989 market prices of the principal commodities. Principal-commodity dependence, transportation routes, cobalt toxicity, and other issues that could affect the availability of cobalt are addressed herein.