Salient Cobalt Statistics

TABLE 1
SALIENT COBALT STATISTICS¹

(Metric tons, cobalt content, unless otherwise specified)

		2011		2012		2013		2014		2015
United States:
Mine production^e		(2)		(2)		(2)		120		760
Consumption:
Reported		9,180		8,660		8,090		8,560		8,780
Apparent		9,300	^r	9,540	^r	8,650	^r	8,710	^r	10,300
Imports for consumption		10,600		11,100		10,400	^r	11,300	^r	11,400
Exports		3,320	^r	3,760		3,850		4,500		3,830
Stocks, December 31:
Industry³		784		730		821		1,160	^r	1,080
London Metal Exchange (LME), U.S. warehouse		43		51		41		9		165
U.S. Government:⁴
Metal		301		301		301		301		301
Lithium-cobalt oxide^e		--		--		--		0.055		0.145
Lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide^e		--		--		--		0.007		0.062
Price, metal:
U.S. spot^{5-----------------------------------}--------	dollars per pound	17.99		14.07		12.89		14.48		13.44
LME, cash⁶	do.	16.01		13.06		12.26		14.00		12.90
World:
Production:
Mine^e		111,000		105,000	^r	114,000		122,000	^r	126,000
Refinery		82,400		78,100		86,700	^r	92,700	^r	97,400
Stocks, December 31, LME⁷		304		429		560		489		630
^eEstimated.^rRevised. do. Ditto. -- Zero.
¹Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits, except prices.
²Negligible.
³Stocks held by cobalt processors and consumers.
⁴Source: Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials. The cobalt content of compounds listed was estimated as 60% of gross weight for
lithium-cobalt oxide and 9% of gross weight for lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide.
⁵Annual average U.S. spot price for minimum 99.8% cobalt cathode reported by Platts Metals Week.
⁶Annual average mean of the cash buyer price and cash seller price, minimum 99.3% cobalt briquettes, cathode, ingot, or rounds, converted
from- dollars per metric ton.
⁷Stocks held in Asia, Europe, and the United States.