After reading a few post last night I see there are still people who believe for (whatever reason) that Ethical Mining Solutions have not been found . I find this astonishing that these type of ignorant mindset still exists in a World were it is so easy to to prove otherwise.
The second someone mentions this , they have lost the argument they just have no idea to be honest !
The World Bank estimates that artisanal mining, by small cooperative or family groups, employs some 40 million people globally. (“Artisanal and small-scale mining”, Nov. 21, 2013).
It’s inevitably a rough guess, but the World Bank’s assessment implies that some 100 million people, workers and their families depend on the sector for their livelihood And artisanal mining probably represents around 15-20 percent of all global minerals and metals production
I would think that its smart business to work with Artisanal Miners to help find a better way !
First thing 1st : Artisanal miners accounted for between 14 to 16 percent of the 80,800 tonnes of cobalt mined in the DRC in 2018. Thats about 11,000 tonnes of Cobalt if I'm correct, give or take a bit !
5 Top Cobalt-mining Companies in the World 2016/2017 ( Approximately )
1. Glencore
Total production: 27,400 tonnes
2. China Molybdenum
Total production: 9,314 tonnes
3. Fleurette Group
Total production: 7,595 tonnes
4. Vale
Total production: 5,278 tonnes
5. Gecamines
Total production: 4,167 tonnes
According to the production data available for 2016/2017, DRC Artisanal miners would come in at number 2 on the list with around 11,000 tonnes of Cobalt.
Kolwezi DRC
In Kolwezi, a mining town in southeastern DRC, Chinese entrepreneurs dominate the middle section of the market, purchasing the raw cobalt from miners and selling it on for refining.
Transactions in the buying houses depend on the purity of the ore. There are approximately 30 major kinds of cobalt-bearing rock and over 100 more where the metal is present in smaller quantities.
Handwritten signs at the buying houses in Kolwezi show the varying prices offered for a tonne: "3 percent = $500" and "15 percent = $7,000". The cobalt component is determined by a machine called "Metorex" which is used by the buyer.
The middlemen—predominantly Chinese and some Indians—then sell the raw material to operators for semi-processing.
Now before anyone screams Child labour and unethical cobalt supply , take a breath Lol , its all going to be just fine. LME to strengthen scrutiny of DRC-sourced cobalt , London Metal Exchange
The LME, the world’s largest metal exchange, will require all companies that get at least 25 per cent of their metal from small-scale mines in the DRC to undergo a professional audit starting in January
More than 60 per cent of the world’s cobalt comes from the DRC, and it is estimated that up to 20 per cent is hand-mined by small-scale miners
The Largest Metal Exchange on the Planet ( LME ) estimates up to 20% ( now 16,00 tonnes ) is hand mined , the more interesting part is ( LME) will require all companies that get at least 25 per cent of their metal from small-scale mines in the DRC to undergo a professional audit starting in January
Trafigura, the Swiss commodity trader, has teamed up with local mining company Chemaf to develop controlled sites for cobalt mining in the DRC, in collaboration with the local government. Cobalt Blockchain is also looking to develop pilots in the country using the technology behind bitcoin to track the metal from the mine to consumer.
they just have no idea to be honest !
