Mineral resource base of Russia’s cobalt: current state and development prospects

The relevance of this study stems from the need to obtain a comprehensive picture of the state of the cobalt mineral resource base of the Russian Federation. Objective: to examine the current state of Russia’s cobalt mineral resource base, the spatial distribution of cobalt deposits by ore formation types and within ore provinces, and the prospects for national cobalt production. Methods: statistical, graphical, and logical analysis. Results: a consolidated schematic map of Russia is presented, featuring 25 cobalt-bearing provinces and a sample of 150 of the most significant cobalt deposits across various ore formations, along with prospective sites and areas. Key characteristics are provided for the main ore formations hosting cobalt deposits in Russia, as well as for cobalt-bearing provinces and deposits outside these provinces. In Russia, cobalt is extracted as a by-product from sulfide copper-nickel ores (9.2 Kt in 2022). As of January 1, 2023, Russia’s balance reserves of cobalt totaled 1,562.3 Kt. The largest volumes of cobalt reserves are associated with the copper-nickel formation (62.5%) and the silicate-cobalt-nickel formation (19.9%), with the remaining 17.6% distributed among all other ore formations. By province, the Norilsk province accounts for 47.0% of Russia’s cobalt reserves, the Ural province – 24.7%, the Kola and Shoria-Khakass provinces – 7.4% each, the Easten Sayan province – 6.1%, and all other provinces – 7.7%. The Russian Federation has been allocated exploration areas on the international seabed in the Pacific Ocean, where geological surveys are underway in the cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust formation of the Magellan Mountains (resources of 110 Kt Co, with 0.50–0.61% Co) and in the ferromanganese nodule formation of the Clarion-Clipperton ore field (resources of 985 Kt Co, with 0.22–0.29% Co). Despite a substantial base of prepared cobalt reserves, Russia lacks a systematic accounting of forecast cobalt resources, complicating the planning of geological exploration for cobalt. A systematic review of existing geological and geochemical data on known occurrences and points of cobalt mineralization is proposed, with the aim of assessing forecast resources using a unified methodology and producing a consolidated forecast resource balance for cobalt in Russia. For deposits of the silicate-cobalt-nickel formation, where previous assessments were based on maximizing nickel reserves, a reassessment is proposed with 3D special modeling of cobalt distribution as the primary ore component. Such deposits can then be managed specifically for cobalt production. Advancements in underground and heap leaching technologies, as well as bioleaching of cobalt-bearing ores, will enable the development of cobalt deposits with low-grade ores and small reserves, as well as the reprocessing of technogenic materials derived from beneficiation and metallurgical processes. The most promising targets for cobalt extraction using in-situ leaching, heap leaching, and bioleaching technologies are the deposits of the silicate-cobalt-nickel formation.