Why does Congo have a near monopoly in Cobalt extraction? Is all the Cobalt in the world really only in Congo? Or is it something else? Congo produces 80% of the global cobalt supply. Why only Congo? Is the entirety of cobalt located ONLY in Congo?

Question

Why does Congo have a near monopoly in Cobalt extraction? Is all the Cobalt in the world really only in Congo? Or is it something else? Congo produces 80% of the global cobalt supply. Why only Congo? Is the entirety of cobalt located ONLY in Congo?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

There is cobalt mining and refining in Canada, but precisely because of the problems listed it is extremely limited. And yes, it is colocated with the nickel deposits and extraction of northern (Sudbury) Ontario.