The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) releases mining production data for 2019.
USGS Mining Production Data for 2019
An estimated 140,000 tonnes of cobalt were mined in 2019, with the Democratic Republic of Congo contributing 71% to the world supply. Bloomberg NEF estimated planned mining production in 2019 at 164,000 tonnes of cobalt. A sharp drop in prices from 2018, and the technical challenges faced by some projects, could explain why the production achieved was below capacity.
Katanga Mine was unable to reach its planned production capacity of 20,000 tonnes, and produced only about 17,000 metric tons. Vale New Caledonia (VNC) has not been able to produce at its projected capacity of about 5,000 tonnes, leading to a deficit of 3,300 tonnes. Mutanda closed the deadline a month earlier, taking 2,000 tonnes of production with him. In 2020, the BNEF expects the mines to produce about 148,000 metric tons, a marginal increase over 2019 due to the potential impact of Covid-19 on mining operations and on global electricity production, vehicle demand.
