Electra advances Idaho cobalt–copper assets as cornerstone of America’s critical minerals independence

With financing for its North American cobalt refinery now completed and construction scheduled to resume, Electra is leveraging its strengthened balance sheet to advance its next phase of growth, onshoring not only mineral processing but also mining capabilities to meet rising US demand for critical minerals.

“America needs cobalt, and we see Idaho as the best opportunity to produce it domestically,” said Trent Mell, CEO. “With our refinery fully financed and progressing toward construction restart, we are now looking to diversify our feedstock base by bringing in domestic sources. Idaho offers a transparent, strategic pathway for cobalt and copper production inside the US, aligned with the administration’s priorities for critical mineral independence.”

Electra has commenced a bench-scale lab programme evaluating cobalt feedstocks from several North American deposits. The testing is focused on potential modifications to the company’s existing refinery flowsheet that would allow for broader acceptance of polymetallic sulfide concentrates. These studies complement Electra’s current sourcing arrangements with Glencore and Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), and represent a key step toward integrating domestic mine feed, including potential future production from Electra’s Idaho assets, into its refining operations.

A new geological research programme at Iron Creek is being conducted in partnership with the Centre to Advance the Science of Exploration to Reclamation in Mining (CASERM), based at the Colorado School of Mines. The initiative builds on earlier trial studies that used Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral imaging to identify iron-rich chlorite alteration zones associated with cobalt-copper mineralisation at Iron Creek and the adjacent Ruby zone.

The new phase will apply this technique across a broader set of drill holes to map the margins of mineralised zones, refine the geological model, and guide future drill targeting.

“This programme will help us unlock additional exploration potential in a structurally controlled and highly prospective region, refine our geological model, and focus future drilling campaigns,” said Dr. Frank Santaguida, Lead Geoscientist.

“By expanding the application of advanced scanning techniques, we aim to better define the geometry and extent of these mineralised zones, guiding the next phase of drilling.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/30102025/electra-advances-idaho-cobalt-copper-assets-as-cornerstone-of-americas-critical-minerals-independence/