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United States

Idaho Cobalt (ICO) Operation

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
Study CompletedFeasibility
StatusCare and Maintenance
Commodities
  • Cobalt
  • Copper
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Back stoping
  • Sill mining
Backfill type ... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotIdaho Cobalt Operations (“ICO”) is the only primary cobalt mine in the United States and will play a key role in the transition to the low-carbon economy. The Ram deposit is one of the two deposits part of the ICO, the other being Sunshine.

As of 16 March 2023, full concentrator commissioning was scheduled for the following month; initial ore was expected to be processed into cobalt and copper concentrates in early Q2 2023.

On March 30, 2023, Jervois suspended final construction at Idaho Cobalt Operations due to continuing low cobalt prices.

Jervois Mining USA suspended operations at the ICO mine in March 2023. The company is transitioning the ICO from a short-term suspension to a long-term care-and-maintenance phase. Beginning in November 2025, active water treatment ceased once water management ponds reach minimum operating levels that maintain stormwater storage capacity, and underground dewatering will be discontinued. The site is now in a passive water management phase.
Related Asset

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Jervois Global Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The ICO Property is 100% owned by Jervois Mining USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jervois.

At the end of 2024, Millstreet provides the secured Jervois Finland (“JFO”) Working Capital Facility (“JFO Facility”), is the majority and controlling lender of the 12.5% US$100.0 million Idaho Cobalt Operations (“ICO”) Senior Secured Bonds (“ICO Bonds”) and is the sole holder of the US$25.0 million convertible notes (“CN”) issued by the Jervois.

On 2 January 2025, Jervois reaches funding and recapitalisation agreement with Millstreet Capital Management, which will result in Jervois being recapitalised through a prepackaged United States Chapter 11 procedure and becoming a private group.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • SEDEX
  • Stratabound

Summary:

The Ram deposit is one of the two deposits part of the ICO, the other being Sunshine. Stratigraphy in the Ram deposit area is predominantly medium- to fine-grained metagreywacke (previously described as quartzite) metamorphosed to upper greenschist to amphibolite facies. Stratigraphically, the Ram deposit is subdivided into three zones: Hanging wall, Main and Footwall zones, with each zone containing distinct mineralized horizons.

Sunshine is the second deposit part of the ICO. Stratigraphy, including the BTE horizons, strikes north northwest and dips moderately to steeply to the east-northeast. Individual sulphide-bearing beds may not be continuous over a distance of a few hundred feet. Still, generally, the overall mineralized zones within the BTE horizons can be traced along strike for over 500 m (~1,500 ft).

Mineralization at the ICO is of Type 1 characterized as syngenetic, stratiform/tabular exhalative deposits; however, the presumably associated mafic sequences of the Apple Creek Formation have not been identified at this time. This mineralization is dominantly bedding concordant, and the deposits range from nearly massive to disseminated. Some crosscutting mineralization is present that may be in feeder zones to the stratiform mineralization or may be due to remobilization locally into fracture quartz veins and/or crosscutting structures.

Dominant minerals include cobaltite (CoAsS) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). Other minerals present in small quantities are pyrite (FeS2), pyrrhotite (FeS), arsenopyrite (FeAsS), linnaeite ((Co Ni)3S4), loellingite (FeAs2), safflorite (CoFeAs2), enargite (Cu3AsS4), and marcasite (FeS2).

Recently, rare-earth minerals have been identified in samples from the deposit as monazite, xenotime and allanite. At this time, these minerals have not been considered for potential recovery as by-products.

Hoy (1995) suggested the following “associated deposit types: Possibly Besshi volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, Fe formations, base metal veins, tourmaline breccias.”

Mineralogy seen in the 2019 program, as well as recorded in all previous drilling campaigns, fails to mention any tangible content of IOCG related assemblages. Therefore, making it difficult to assign such deposit type to this mineralization.

The current understanding indicates that the Ram area is a Metasedimentary rock hosted Co-Cu-Au package with strata bound zones of semi-massive sulphides. The origins of these deposits are thought to be varied; a range of mineralizing processes, from diagenetic to epigenetic are thought to be involved; however, the sources of the hydrothermal fluids and metals are still enigmatic. (Bookstrom et al. 2016).

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Cobalt Concentrate kt 124 *
Cobalt Payable metal kt 9.3 *
Copper Payable metal t 15,081 *
Gold Payable metal oz 30,527 *
Cobalt Metal in concentrate kt 1.9 *
Copper Metal in concentrate t 2,900 *
Gold Metal in concentrate oz 6,700 *
* According to 2020 study.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Credits (by-product) Cobalt USD  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs (sold) Cobalt USD  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs (sold) Cobalt USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Cobalt USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Copper USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study / presentation.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
UG mining costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2020 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Closure costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
UG OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 52
G&A costs $M USD 33.2
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Mining Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Income Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Operating margin, %  ......  Subscribe
EBITDA (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 9, 2026
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Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2020

Aerial view:

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