PLM - Cobalt Miners News For The Month Of July 2022
- Cobalt spot prices were significantly lower for the month, LME inventory was lower.
- Cobalt market news - Chinese demand for cobalt weakens. Ernst, Manchin seek to end U.S. Dependence on China for defense materials.
- Cobalt miners news - CMOC's Congo mine suspends copper and cobalt exports. Umicore prepares to construct first-of-its-kind battery materials production plant in Canada.
- Jervois Global ICO on track for Q3 2022 commissioning. GME Resources reports updated PFS outcomes for NiWest Nickel-Cobalt Project.
Welcome to the July 2022 cobalt miners news.
The past month saw cobalt spot prices fall significantly and a slower month of news. Demand for cobalt has weakened at a time when supply was ramping; however the CMOC dispute in the DRC threatens to disrupt global cobalt supply.
Cobalt price news
As of July 23, the cobalt spot price fell heavily to US$22.57/lb , from US$32.54/lb last month. The LME cobalt price is US$49,515/tonne . LME Cobalt inventory is 196 tonnes, lower than 206 last month. More details on cobalt pricing (in particular the more relevant cobalt sulphate), can be found here at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence or Fast Markets MB .
Cobalt spot prices - 5-year chart - USD 22.57
Source : Mining.com
Cobalt demand v supply forecasts
UBS cobalt supply and demand forecast - Growing deficits from 2023
Source : Fortune Minerals company presentation
UBS's EV metals demand forecast (from Nov. 2020)
UBS forecasts Year battery metals go into deficit
Source: UBS courtesy Carlos Vincens LinkedIn
2021 IEA forecast growth in demand for selected minerals from clean energy technologies by scenario, 2040 relative to 2020 - Increases Of Lithium 13x to 42x, Graphite 8x to 25x, Cobalt 6x to 21x, Nickel 7x to 19x, Manganese 3x to 8x, Rare Earths 3x to 7x, And Copper 2x to 3x
Source : International Energy Agency 2021 report
BMI 2022 forecast for cobalt - Deficits building starting from 2024
Source : Reuters and courtesy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
Cobalt market news
On June 23 Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reported :
The energy storage revolution has arrive... but who will have dominion over the megatrend of our times?... In 2022, lithium ion battery demand is growing at its fastest ever rate and is on course for 50% year-on-year growth... The raw materials fuelling these gigafactories have also witnessed a coming of age moment.
Lithium supply has increased nearly three-and-a-half times and will be over a 600,000 tonne industry in 2022 – the first time it has topped the half a million tonne mark.
Cobalt demand from the battery industry will reach over 70% of total global volume in 2022, the highest proportion of demand of any of the battery minerals, followed closely by lithium.
Nickel sulphate supply, the battery chemical needed by the lithium ion battery industry, will approach 500,000 tonnes in 2022, more than a 3.5x increase over a 5 year period.
Graphite remains the highest intensity mineral in the lithium ion battery by weight with over 570,000 tonnes of natural flake to be consumed in 2022.
Yet, consumer demand for electric vehicles surpasses our ability to supply them. Waiting times for EVs are lengthening, a lithium ion battery shortage is hitting many automakers, and, most crucially, key raw material prices are at all time highs.
Source : Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
On June 29 Fastmarkets reported :
Why China’s cobalt prices continue to slide despite easing Covid-19 lockdowns. China’s cobalt sulfate and cobalt metal prices trended down in June after a slight pick-up in demand failed to offset the headwinds of sufficient supply and bearish sentiment following the lifting of Covid-19 lockdowns in Shanghai on June 1... Cobalt sulfate trading has picked up but downstream precursor makers had no immediate demand for the material and cheaper scrap-fed materials added pressure to the prices of regular-fed cobalt sulfate... Supply of cobalt sulfate and cobalt metal in China both outpaced demand, offsetting the slight increase in the demand for both materials.
On July 13 Bloomberg reported :
US says it will back miners to stop China's weaponization of battery metals...“Our concern is that critical minerals could be vulnerable to manipulation, as we’ve seen in other areas, or weaponization... “We are very serious about establishing strong relationships with Australia, and with you and with your potential customers for offtake”... Producers in nations including Australia can also access support through agencies including the Department of Energy’s loan programs office, Granholm said at the Wednesday meeting.....
On July 14 Newsweek reported :
Ernst, Manchin seek to end U.S. dependence on China for defense materials... Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa is seeking to address this issue by teaming up with her Senate Armed Services Committee colleague, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, to sponsor the Homeland Acceleration of Recovering Deposits and Renewing Onshore Critical Keystones Act, known as the HARD Rock Act... What this act will do is it pushes the Pentagon to refocus on our National Defense Stockpile so that we can secure the materials from partners and allies and further expand our own domestic supply and then end that reliance on our adversaries,"... Some of the minerals appearing on the list that the NDS requires for its stockpile include cobalt, lithium, titanium alloy, aluminum and zinc.
On July 19 Reuters reported :
U.S., allies cannot allow China to dominate raw materials, technologies - Yellen... Friend-shoring offered the United States and its allies a way to preserve the best features of the rules-based global order, while addressing unfair Chinese trade practices and ensuring access to vital inputs and products - from medicine to semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries, she will say...
Cobalt company news
Glencore [HK:805] [LSE:GLEN] ( GLCNF )
On June 30, Glencore announced :
Glencore publishes payments to governments report 2021. During 2021, our total payments to governments were more than US$7.6 billion.
On July 12, Glencore announced :
Sale of BaseCore Metals LP. Glencore today announces the completion of the sale of a royalty package by BaseCore Metals LP ("BaseCore") to Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (“Sandstorm”) for total consideration of US$525 million......
China Molybdenum [ HKSE:3993] [SHE:603993] ( OTC:CMCLF )/CMOC Group Limited (English name change)
On June 23 Mining.com reported :
One of world’s biggest cobalt mines is at stake in Congo fight... A top executive from state mining company Gecamines said that partner CMOC Group Ltd. owes $7.6 billion in overdue payments, and even accused the Chinese metals producer and trader of posing a threat to national security. CMOC said it denies the allegations, “strongly” opposes what it views as unjustified attacks, and will defend its rights and interests. The crux of the dispute is over mineral royalties. Gecamines, which owns 20% of the Tenke Fungurume mine, accuses controlling shareholder CMOC of under-reporting mineral reserves and hiding data to avoid triggering higher payments under their agreement... Now Gecamines is firing up the rhetoric, threatening last week to cancel the partnership altogether and take back the rights to the deposit. The company is owed about $5 billion in royalties and wants more than $2.5 billion in interest as well.....
On July 1, China Molybdenum announced :
CMOC’s KFM copper-cobalt mine scheduled to start production in 1H 2023. On June 30, CMOC announced that the KFM copper-cobalt mine in the DRC will start production in 1H 2023 and is expected to add an average of 90,000 tons of copper metal and 30,000 tons of cobalt metal per year upon reaching full production.
On July 17 Reuters reported :
CMOC's Congo mine suspends copper and cobalt exports. CMOC's Tenke Fungurume copper and cobalt mine has suspended all exports, logistics companies were told in a notice seen by Reuters late on Saturday, complying with demands by a court-appointed administrator. A CMOC spokesman did not immediately reply to a request for comment but had said on Friday that the mine, which accounted for more than 10% of worldwide cobalt output in 2021, had not issued any instructions to stop exports... The administrator, Sage Ngoie Mbayo, this month demanded that CMOC suspend marketing and export of its production because CMOC and Gecamines had not reached agreement this year on how to sell the mine's output.
Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt [SHA:603799]
On July 15, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt announced :
Huayou Cobalt reached a strategic cooperation with Bank of China Zhejiang Branch and obtained 10 billion credit intent.
On July 15, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt announced :
Big milestone for Group's lithium business - Huayou completed the delivery of the Arcadia lithium project in Zimbabwe!
On July 15, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt announced : "Huayou Cobalt and PT.PLN signed MoU on green power supply cooperation."
On July 15, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt announced :
Huayou Cobalt and LG Chem join hands again to lay out cathode materials production in Korea for the first time... This cooperation will be carried out through the subscription of equity by Bamo Technology, a cathode material subsidiary of Huayou Cobalt, after which LG Chemical will hold 51% of the shares and BAMO Technology will hold 49% of the shares. The joint venture company intends to build ternary cathode materials plant with an annual production capacity of 66,000 tons of ternary cathode materials with a total investment of KRW 437.1 billion (approximately RMB 2,337 million).
On July 21, Reuters reported : "Vale Indonesia, China's Huayou sign agreement with Ford for nickel plant."
Jinchuan Group International Resources [HK:2362]
No significant news for the month.
Chemaf (subsidiary of Shalina Resources)
No news for the month.
GEM Co., Ltd. [SHE: 002340]
No significant news for the month.
Investors can read more about GEM Co. in the Trend Investing article: " A Look At GEM Co., Ltd. - The World's Largest Battery Recycling Company " when GEM Co. was trading at CNY 5.08.
Eurasian Resources Group ("ERG") - private
ERG own the Metalkol facility in the DRC where ERG processes cobalt and copper tailings with a capacity of up to 24,000 tonnes of cobalt pa.
No news for the month.
Umicore SA [Brussels:UMI] ( UMICY )
On July 13, Umicore SA announced :
Umicore prepares to construct first-of-its-kind battery materials production plant in Canada... Today, Umicore and the Government of Canada have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to finalize the support application of the project under the Strategic Innovation Fund. This MoU follows a recently signed agreement with Loyalist Township to secure a plot of land of about 350 acres in Loyalist, Ontario, to this effect. The location, in the center of Canada’s automotive eco-system, offers critical advantages such as access to a highly skilled workforce, key infrastructure and renewable energy, which the new plant will be running on 100% from start of production. Umicore is targeting to start construction in 2023 and operations at the end of 2025 with the potential to reach by the end of the decade an annual production capacity capable of powering approximately one million EVs.
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. (TYO:5713) ( OTCPK:SMMYY )
No significant news for the month.
MMC Norilsk Nickel [LSX:MNOD] [GR:NNIC] ( OTCPK:NILSY ) (ADRs to remain in circulation until April 28, 2023 )
On June 5, MMC Norilsk Nickel announced :
Board of directors of Nornickel recommends cancellation of treasury shares. The Board of Directors of Nornickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper, decided to hold Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM) on August 11, 2022. The only item of the EGM agenda is the reduction of the authorized capital of the Company by RUB 791,227 to RUB 152,863,397 by cancelling 791,227 repurchased ordinary shares with par value of RUB 1.
OZ Minerals [ASX:OZL] ( OTCPK:OZMLF )
No cobalt related news for the month.
Sherritt International [TSX:S] ( OTCPK:SHERF )
No significant news for the month.
Nickel 28 [TSXV:NKL] [GR:3JC]
On June 30, Nickel 28 announced : "Nickel 28 files fiscal Q1 financial statements."
Investors can view the company presentations here .
Possible mid-term producers (after 2022)
Jervois Global Limited [ASX:JRV] [TSXV: JRV] (JRVMF) [FRA: IHS] (formerly Jervois Mining)
On June 24, Jervois Global Limited announced : " Jervois commits further US$3.6 million to ICO drilling."
On June 24, Jervois Global Limited announced : " Jervois’ ICO on track for Q3 2022 commissioning." Highlights include:
- " Idaho Cobalt Operations (“ICO”) capital project schedule and costing review has led to Jervois Board approving a revised construction budget of US$107.5 million, up from US$99.1 million. This includes a rise in remaining (unused) contingency to US$3.8 million...
- Jervois to commence commissioning ICO mill in September 2022; full production now expected to be achieved in February 2023.
- Once in production, ICO will be the only primary cobalt mine in the United States and will supply a critical metal necessary for electric vehicles, energy generation and distribution, defense and other industries and plays a key role in the transition to the low carbon economy.
- Mercuria US$150.0 million working capital facility drawn down by additional US$25.0 million, to US$100.0 million, underpinned by higher inventory and receivables at Jervois Finland, providing financial flexibility across the Jervois group including for potential funding of development activities in the United States and Brazil ."
On July 8, Jervois Global Limited announced : " Receipt of São Miguel Paulista Refinery City Hall permit."
On July 18, Jervois Global Limited announced : " Jervois closes its São Miguel Paulista refinery acquisition ."
On July 20, Jervois Global Limited announced : " Jervois draws US$51 million bond to complete construction of ICO ."
On July 22, Jervois Global Limited announced : " Jervois quarterly activities report to 30 June 2022."
Upcoming catalysts include:
- Sept. 2022 - Idaho Cobalt Operations commissioning, with full production in February 2023.
- 2023 - First production targeted from the São Miguel Paulista Refinery.
Electra Battery Materials [TSXV:ELBM] ( ELBM )
No news for the month.
Upcoming catalysts include:
Early 2023 - Target to have their North American cobalt refinery operational with ore feed from Glencore.
Investors can view the company presentations here and a good Crux Investor CEO interview here .
Sunrise Energy Metals Limited [ASX:SRL]( SREMF )(formerly Clean TeQ)
Sunrise Energy Metals has 132 kt contained cobalt at their Sunrise project.
On July 22, Sunrise Energy Metals Limited announced : " Quarterly activities report." Highlights include:
- " The increasing demand for EV’s, coupled with the geopolitical uncertainty and desire for battery and auto makers to secure supply chains, has led to an increased level of direct interest and engagement in the Sunrise Battery Materials Complex (‘Sunrise Project’).
- The Sunrise Project’s sustainability benefits, including renewable power supply and low carbon intensity of production, are becoming an increasingly important part of conversations with potential funding providers.
- Work streams to advance construction-readiness are focussed on: Progressing the long-lead electrical transmission line work scope. Assessment of construction transport corridors. Test work to assess opportunities for potential recycling of spent battery materials. Exploration activities continued during the quarter with a focus on expanding the understanding of the geological potential of our large tenement package in the Macquarie Arc...
- The Company had A$24.9m cash on hand as at 30 June 2022. "
Upcoming catalysts include:
2022 - Possible off-take agreements and project funding/partnering.
Investors can also read the latest company presentation here.
Fortune Minerals [TSX:FT] ( OTCQB:FTMDF )
On July 14, Fortune Minerals announced :
Fortune Minerals extends purchase option for NICO refinery site in Alberta until the end of September... where it plans to construct the NICO hydrometallurgical refinery. Fortune can acquire the JFSL site and facilities for C$5.5 million before the end of September 2022 by paying C$15,000 per month to extend the option...
Upcoming catalysts include:
- 2022 - Drill results, possible off-take or equity partners, project financing.
Investors can read the latest company presentation here , or a company pitch video here .
Australian Mines [ASX:AUZ] ( OTCQB:AMSLF )
On June 29, Australian Mines announced :
Update – LG Energy Solution offtake agreement. Australian Mines Limited (ASX: AUZ) (“Australian Mines” or “the Company”) announces that Australian Mines and LG Energy Solution have agreed to amend the financing Condition Precedent in the Offtake Agreement. In accordance with the amendment, if the financing Condition Precedent is not satisfied by 31 December 2022 (or such later date as the parties may agree), Australian Mines or LG Energy Solution may terminate the Offtake Agreement by providing written notice to the other party.
Investors can read the latest company presentation here.
Upcoming catalysts include:
- 2022 - PFS on alternative nickel-cobalt laterite ore processing.
Ardea Resources [ASX:ARL] ( ARRRF )
In total, Ardea has 5.9mt of contained nickel and 380kt of contained cobalt at their KNP Project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Ardea is also exploring for gold and nickel sulphide on their >5,100 km2 of 100% controlled tenements in the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.
On July 19, Ardea Resources announced :
Quarterly operations report for the quarter ended 30 June 2022... The KNP Goongarrie Hub is being advanced towards production by working with Commonwealth government Critical Minerals agencies, stakeholders, industry leading partners and completing feasibility programs. Development may be through partners who are able to earn a 50% offtake right, or alternatively Ardea may elect to retain 100% ownership as the Company continues to advance this globally significant asset...
Upcoming catalysts include:
- 2022 - Possible off-take partner and funding for the GNCP Project. Further exploration results.
Cobalt Blue Holdings [ASX:COB] ( CBBHF )
In total Cobalt Blue currently has 81.1kt of contained cobalt at their 100% owned Broken Hill Cobalt Project [BHCP] (formerly Thackaringa Cobalt Project) in NSW, Australia. LG International is an equity strategic partner.
No significant news for the month.
Upcoming catalysts include:
- 2022 - Possible off-take agreements. Feasibility Study & project approvals. Final Investment decision. Project Funding.
Investors can watch a CEO interview here and a recent presentation here .
Havilah Resources [ASX:HAV] [GR:FWL]
Havilah 100% own the Mutooroo copper-cobalt project about 60km west of Broken Hill in South Australia. They also have the nearby Kalkaroo copper-gold-cobalt project ( optioned to Oz Minerals ), as well as a potentially large iron ore project at Grants. Havilah’s 100% owned Kalkaroo copper-gold-cobalt deposit contains JORC Mineral Resources of 1.1 million tonnes of copper, 3.1 million ounces of gold and 23,200 tonnes of cobalt.
For further details see:
Cobalt Miners News For The Month Of July 2022