Originally posted by ozblue
@Mutley8 .........."Your suggestions got binned last time but if you obviously want to go through this old grind again?"
It is very funny how you mix up suggestions and fact. What I presented in the prior post were facts from the USGS and the company announcement. Those were facts!!
What you have stated here ......."The company has been engaging with artisinal miners that are semi-mechanised so they are not hand digging, referred to by the company in the announcements as "established mining operators". These types of artisinal miners can provide around 3000-5000T per month each."
.......Is just a suggestion as that does not get mentioned in any announcement.
There is a religious type belief in these threads that is clearly not backed by any announcements about 'high grade cobalt ore'. The talk, again just the other day about this being an 8-Disallowed based on rumours shows me just who are the desperate people.
Last year WFE were in discussions with RRR about gaining access to tailings that had a grade of just 0.35% cobalt. This is fact!!
How can you or anyone possibly state that WFE is not interested in 0.5% ore when they were in discussions about gaining lower quality.
0.5% IS high grade compared to what they were in discussions about!!
Another VERY inconvenient fact is the current price of Cobalt despite Katanga's 34,000t/a production being offline until late q2 and ERG's Metalkol 24,000t/a plant not operating yet. Cobalt is down to $US40,000/t on the LME, less than half of last years peak in April.
The increase in production of cobalt, especially from DRC has been far in excess of demand, hence why the price has fallen and is still falling (down from $US55,000/t in Dec). ERG's Metalkol plan to produce 20,000 tonnes this year, up from nothing last year. 20,000 tonnes of cobalt is enough for around 3 Million EVs, more than the world currently produces.
https://www.ergafrica.com/ergs-meta...clamation-project-phase-i-nearing-completion/
The whole concept of WFE 'fast tracking' to cobalt production, that I first heard about in May-June last year, was very good while prices were high, but the reality is that this has simply not happened, there has been no 'fast tracking' or the company would have been in production months ago, when prices were much higher.
Because of continuous disclosure rules, we can expect WFE to release an announcement when they have an ore supply contracted, not having such an announcement yet means IMHO that the prospectus cannot be anywhere near ready, so I'm expecting a further announcement of continued suspension on the 30 of January.
BTW it is not those of us that don't hold this stock that are desperate, that would squarely belong to those that have had their money tied up in a stock suspended for over 6 months while the underlying commodity that the stock is based on has crashed in price.
In early June 2018, when WFE went into TH/suspension, the Cobalt price on LME was $US86,500/t, now down to $US40,000/t.
Actually if you read correctly, which you appear not to, I said your post about USGS was useless information and not relevant to WFE stated supply position in the July announcement, it still is. WFE don't intend to mine at first they intend to process. That's fact!!
In regards to RRR supply, WFE has never announced such a binding agreement so again not relevant. Fact!!
The company announcement in July states actively pursing +1%. Another Fact!!
My comment about artisinal miners providing 3000-5000T per month was based on my conversation with JB and the comments from management at the AGM, all previously posted on HC. I dare you to ring JB and confirm those points. Unfortunately it derails your insinuations about supply quality and quantity.
Here is some new reading material for you and new investors
https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/an...ions-update.4349835/page-504?post_id=35373542
https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/an...ions-update.4349835/page-232?post_id=35079650
The price of cobalt is what it is and $40k US is low but can still be still profitable rather than super profits. Lets see what the prospectus shows us. From $40k there's plenty of upside!
As well as Glencore's Katanga offline until end of Q2 at the earliest, would be the first company to experience delays so I don't expect that to be online until well into the second half of this year. Possibly even next year if they experience delays with equipment or commissioning problems with the new de-ionising plant.
ERG's Metalkol.....let them get online first and start producing those quantities before dreaming of perfect production and 20,000T going out the back door. That's just you fantasising right now, they have a long way to go.
Interesting to note.......how you assume these other companies plans will go to perfection (ramping) while you insinuate WFE plans wont happen (down ramping)
