Cobalt Statistics and Information

Cobalt (Co) is a metal used in numerous diverse commercial, industrial, and military applications, many of which are strategic and critical.  On a global basis, the leading use of cobalt is in rechargeable battery electrodes.  Superalloys, which are used to make parts for gas turbine engines, are another major use for cobalt.  Cobalt is also used to make airbags in automobiles; catalysts for the petroleum and chemical industries; cemented carbides (also called hardmetals) and diamond tools; corrosion- and wear-resistant alloys; drying agents for paints, varnishes, and inks; dyes and pigments; ground coats for porcelain enamels; high-speed steels; magnetic recording media; magnets; and steel-belted radial tires.

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Monthly Publications

Mineral Industry Surveys

• Cobalt
    PDF Format:
      2024: | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
      2023: | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
    XLSX Format:
      2024: | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
      2023: | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |

Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

• Cobalt
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       | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 |2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
• Appendixes

Minerals Yearbook

• Cobalt
    PDF Format:
       | 1994 | 1994 (figures) | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
    XLS Format:
       | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 tables-only release | 2021 tables-only release | 2022 tables-only release | 
• Archive
       | 1932-1993 |
• Recycling-Metals

Special Publications

Criticality

• China's Domestic and Foreign Influence in the Global Cobalt Supply Chain
  Resources Policy, August 2019
• Critical Minerals Review 2021
• Global Trends Affecting the Supply Security of Cobalt 
  Mining Engineering Magazine, December 2017

Deposits and Resources

• Cobalt Deposits in the United States
  USGS Data Release
• Co-Cu-Au Deposits in Metasedimentary Rocks-A Preliminary Report 
  Open-File Report 2010-1212
• Cobalt Mineral Exploration and Supply From 1995 Through 2013 
  Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5084
• Critical Mineral Resources of the United States--Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply
  Professional Paper 1802
  • Cobalt
• International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report - Cobalt
  Circular 930-F
• Magmatic Sulfide-Rich Nickel-Copper Deposits Related to Picrite and (or) Tholeiitic Basalt Dike-Sill Complexes-A Preliminary Deposit Model 
  Open-File Report 2010-1179
• Ni-Co Laterite Deposits of the World-Database and Grade and Tonnage Models
  Open-File Report 2011-1058
• Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposits of the World-Deposit Models and Database
  Open-File Report 03-107

Flow Studies

• Flow Studies for Recycling Metal Commodities in the United States
  C-1196-A-M
• The Materials Flow of Cobalt in the United States
  U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9350

Historical Statistics

• China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and artisanal cobalt mining from 2000 through 2020
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 120, Number 26, June 2023
• Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States
  Data Series 140
  • Cobalt
• One hundred years of cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  Resources Policy, Volume 79, December 2022
• Metal Prices in the United States through 2010
  Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5188
• Review of selected global mineral industries in 2011 and an outlook to 2017 
  Open-File Report 2013-1091
• Statistical Compendium
  • Cobalt
• U.S. Mineral Dependence-Statistical Compilation of U.S. and World Mineral Production, Consumption, and Trade, 1990-2010
  Open-File Report 2013-1184

Other

• Cobalt-For Strength and Color 
  Fact Sheet 2011-3081
• Factors that Influence the Price of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Rare Earth Elements, and Zn
  Open-File Report 2008-1356
• Material Use in the United States-Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries
  Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5141
• U.S. and Global Cobalt Statistics and Information from the USGS National Minerals Information Center
  Presentation given at the CDI Cobalt Conference 2015 -- Toronto, Ontario, Canada 20-21 May 2015

Other Sources of Information

• Recycled Metals in the United States: A Sustainable Resource. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 1993, 76 pp.
• Chemical Industry Applications of Industrial Minerals and Metals. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 1993, 158 pp.
• Metal Prices in the United States through 1991. Bureau of Mines Special Publication, 1993, 201 pp.

Links

• Cobalt Institute