In its current form, the epidemic won’t impact the nation’s cobalt production, as the vast distance from the Katanga region largely prevents its spread, says global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.
The offer represents a premium of nearly 45% on Lynas' closing price on Monday, but comes come with some significant conditions, including the rare dearth miner securing all necessary licences in Malaysia.
The Manibridge nickel deposit was first discovered in 1963 and it sits on the Thompson Nickel Belt, the fifth largest and third highest grade sulphide nickel belt in the world.
The discovery was made while working on another research project: using cobalt as a catalyst to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere back to hydrocarbon fuels.