It is astounding that one pontificates with such certainty on...

It is astounding that one pontificates with such certainty on the Cobalt market. Perhaps a better view could come from an acknowledged expert with 20+ years experience.

"Nick French has been following the metals for over twenty-five years He feels the coming period will be a fascinating time for cobalt. Cobalt is a by-product of copper and nickel mining, and as a result, the supply can’t be easily adjusted. Also, 65% of supply comes from the unpredictable and logistically tricky Congo region.
If the cobalt price reaches $100 a pound, it will still not justify the creation of a nickel or copper mine to produce cobalt since the cost would be upwards of six billion dollars. He sees nothing in the next five years that will put a cap on the price. Current demand is near 100,000 tons per year, and there are very few places where cobalt use can be cut. It’s used in alloys for products like jet engines and medical devices, and this usage demand is still increasing by 6% per annum.
In the next five to ten years there are no alternatives to cobalt use in lithium-ion batteries. The only thing that can change is the ratios of the battery metals used which may halve the amount required per battery. However, battery demand itself is expected to rise ten-fold as electric vehicle production grows."

Link for detailed discussion:

http://ht.ly/6yoS30gGrP5