Metallogeny of Global Sedimentary-Metasedimentary Cobalt Deposits and Their Implications for the Exploration of Cobalt Deposits in Ningxia

Cobalt is currently a globally strategic key metal mineral, which is of great significance for the construction of the national economy and the development of emerging industries. The Beishan cobalt deposit in Ningxia is considered to be a sedimentary-metamorphic cobalt deposit with multiple periods of hydrothermal superimposed transformation. However, research on its mineralization era and structural background, as well as the source, occurrence status, and migration and enrichment mechanism of cobalt, is still relatively weak. The Ningxia cobalt deposit is a sedimentary-metasedimentary cobalt, whose genesis is controlled by multi-factors such as sedimentation, metamorphism and hydrotherm. At present, the mineralization era and tectonic background of the deposit, as well as the source, occurrence state, and migration and enrichment mechanism of cobalt were poorly studied. To explore the above issues and inspire research on cobalt ore exploration in Ningxia, this study systematically summarizes the global sedimentary metamorphic cobalt mineralization patterns. The mineralization ages are mainly concentrated in the Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic, and spatially distributed in Central Africa, Zambia Congo, Idaho, Finland, and China. Moreover, the formation of sedimentary-cobalt deposits is closely related to major geological events such as global supercontinent aggregation and fragmentation cycles, global large-scale oxidation, and extreme climate. Based on the above research, this study suggest that research on cobalt deposits in Ningxia region should be conducted in depth and detail in areas such as mineralization chronology, major geological events and their relationship with mineralization, geochemical characteristics of ore bearing strata, material source attributes and their mineralization tectonic background, and data-driven cobalt mineralization prediction. And this study will support the exploration of strategic key metal mineral resources.