WFE discussion, page-51

DRC cobalt is comparatively easier to process given it is present in sedimentary deposits instead of being contained in laterite and sulfide, and is generally closer to the surface, hence production costs are low.

https://acbr.com.au/cobalt-charges-view

"Most of cobalt production worldwide coming from by-products of copper and nickel.

Cobalt resources are found mainly within sedimentary sand copper deposits, common in the DRC and Zambia, laterite nickel deposits, which are prevalent in in Australia, many island countries and Cuba, as well as mafic ultramafic volcanic sulfide deposits in Australia, Canada, Russia and the United States.

Nearly half of the cobalt produced in DRC was from the Africa copper belt, which strikes from the old Katanga province in DRC across to Zambia.

Annual production was 66,000t in 2016, and 40 per cent of that tonnage was produced by Glencore, China Molybdenum and Eurasian Natural Resources.

The main deposit types held by Australian mining companies include laterite nickel-cobalt-scandium and sulfide copper-nickel-cobalt. The first type, generally large scale but low grade, requires complex processing utilising a high-pressure acid leach system. The second is generally small in scale but high in grade, allowing for simpler processing."