296 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1985 
 
 
on November 8, 1985, stated that no action may be taken before October 1,
1986, to implement or administer any reduction in a stockpile goal in effect
on October 1, 1984. 
 Cobalt-rich manganese crusts on Pacific sea mounts were not likely to be
developed in the near future, according to the Office of Strategic and International
Minerals, Minerals Management Service (MMS), U.S. Department of the Interior.
The MMS announced that an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) would be prepared for a proposed lease sale of the crusts
within the Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone. After hearings and preparation
of the final EIS, the Secretary of the Interior was to decide whether to
proceed with a lease sale, which was scheduled to take place in middle to
late 1987. Following the lease sale, detailed exploration was to take at
least 5 years, and the construction of mining equipment and onshore facilities,
another 5 or 10 years. 
 
DOMESTIC PRODUCTiON 
 
 The sole domestic cobalt refinery, at Braithwaite, LA, closed late in 1985
because it lost its source of raw material. AMAX Nickel Inc., owner and operator
of the refmery, terminated the supply contract for the nickel-copper-cobalt
matte, which had been produced in Botswana. The matte had accounted for about
two-thirds of the refinery's feedstock, the remainder having come from the
Agnew Mine in Australia, owned jointly by Seltrust Holdings Ltd. and Mount
Isa Mines Ltd AMAX Nickel was reported to be hoping for an expansion of production
capacity at the Agnew Mine or an arrangement to have the Agnew matte toll
refined. According to reports, however, the Agnew Mine was unable to increase
its capacity owing to ground control problems, and 
AMAX Nickel was unable to interest other refmers in a toll-refining agreement.
With insufficient raw material to support economical operations, AMAX Nickel
was forced to close the refinery and withdraw from the cobalt market. 
 Following the completion of a feasibility study, Hall Chemical Co., Wickliffe,
OH, awarded a preliminary engineering contract for its catalyst reclamation
project. The project was expected to result in the construction of a plant,
located in the gulf coast region, to be operational in late 1988. The facility
was to process spent catalysts and have the capacity to recycle 650,000 pounds
of cobalt per year to be used in the chemical industry. 
 
Table 2.—US. cobalt productsl produced and shipped by refiners
and
processors 
 
 
 
(Thousand pounds) 
 
 
 
 
 
1984 
1985 
 
 
 
Production 
Shipments 
Production 
Shipments 
 
 
Gross Cobalt weight content 
Gross Cobalt 
weight content 
Gross Cobalt 
weight content 
Gross Cobalt 
weight content 
Driers (organic compounds)            
Hydrate (hydroxide)— — Salts2 (inorganic compounds) 
       
  
Total             
— — 
NA 1,329 
NA 1,228 
NA 942 
NA 1,300 
NA 1,219 
NA 803 
NA 1,188 
NA 1,149 
NA 539 
NA 1,190 
NA 1,014 
NA 612 
 
 
NA 3,449 
NA 3,322 
NA 2,876 
NA 2,816 
NA Not available. 
1Figures on oxide withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data.

2Various salts combined to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. 
 
CONSUMPTION AND USES 
 
 Cobalt consumption decreased after 2 consecutive years of increases. Although
reported consumption was 13.5 million pounds in 1985, compared with 12.9
million pounds in 1984, the increase was due to improved statistical coverage.
Apparent 
 
consumption, calculated from net imports, secondary production, and changes
in industry and Government stocks, decreased to 15.7 million pounds, 12%
less than that of 
1984. The decline in consumption was due to weakened demand and inventory
adjust-