CABLE TO(Sanitized) FROM THE DIRECTOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00702A001000040010-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 16, 2002
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: December 16, 1978
• Content Type: CABLE

,Approved For Release 2002/05/07.: CIA-RDP80T00702A001000040010-5 25X1 A
CONFIDENTIAL PRP: r r- r r -r r
25X1A DrvE ARTICLE FROM OER'S ECONO~?IC IraTELI.IGEti.CE WEEKLY REVIEW ENDING
M
CM
BASSADOR, C~
,
15 DECEMBER 1978. REQUEST ARTICLE BE PASSED T? A
ECONQMIC SECTIQr Ar~D DTHEP ~~ORtCIrdG LEVEL STATE UFFICERS. 25X1A
- CD$ALT~ US DEPENDENCE ON OUTSIDE SUPPLIES tU),
1. DESPITE THE RISE Ire US CO~dSUMpTIC1N DF COBALT,
PERSI5TEr'dT PRO[.)UCTIt)ty PRUBLE""S I^: ZA.IREr AND GE~.~ERALLY
TIGHTER ~?~ORLhvIC~E SUPPLIES~r ~:E ESTIMATE THAT THE l)t~~ITED
STATES 1+ILL ESE At~LE TU MEET ITS 1979 r~EEDS FOR CDEALT OU7
.DF CURRENT GLDhAL PRODUCTIOr` AND SILL t~DT HAVE . TD DIP INTO
GUVERtdt~Er:T RE$Ek"JES (ND~ AT A Ttn~O-YEAR LEVEL). ASIDE FROM
SCRAP, ThE Ur,ITEG STC,TES RELIES Ord IMPORTS Ff~R ALL ITS
Ca3A(,T--a CRITICAL VtYLr;~ERARII.ITY SIraCE COBALT IS Atli OFTEN
IkREPLACEAhLE ELEME~!7 It~~ THE HIGH-TE~~PERATl1RE PATS hF
JET ENGIr~ES nrdU T~1RBIr'at:S Ar~D IN Cu7TIt?~G TD(1LS. (U)
KEY 1N1?USTRIAL AF~PLICATIDrdS.
2. COEiALT IS pNE OF THE FEut CRITICAL METALS,
DENIAL OF wHiCH v~:OULD SEVERELY IMPEDE tIUTPUT DF A VIDE
RANGE OF Ir~PORTArd7 INDUSTRIAL PHCtDUCTS, IT
IS rvEARLY IRREPLACEABLE I~ Ar, ESTIMA:TEb bCi PERCENT OF ITS
APPLICATioraS:
- ~ JET ENGIraE PARTS - - SuPERALLDYS DF UP TD 65 PERCENT
.COBALT PROVIDE RESISTANCE TO STRESS AND HIGH TEMPERATURES.
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2002/05/07 :CIA-RDP80T00702A001000040010-5
 Approved For. Release 2002/05/07 :CIA-RDP80T00702A001000040010-5
CONFIDENTIAL
TDOLS- DIES- AND DRILL BITS--COBALT IMPARTS -~EAR AND
( ABRASION RESISTANCE,
-- V~ELLHEAD AND PIREL.INE VALVES AND SEAMLESS TUBING--ALLOYS OF
~~ UP To 35 PERCENT COBALT ARE VITAL FOR HARDNESS, CORROSION RESISTANCE,
AND. PRUTECTIDN AGAI~tST ABRASION AND NEAT BUILDt}P.
,. -? CHEMICAL PRGCESSING-=COBALT SERVES AS A CATALYST IN
PETROLEUM HYDROGENATION ArdO AS DRYING AGENT IN PAINTS., fu)
~~ 'PARTICULAR. SIGNIFICANCE TO THE UNITED STATES
3. COBALT HAS BEEr.- DESIGr~ATEf} AS ONE OF TAG CRITICALLY
r-'~IMPOkTANT MINERALS THAT POSE SERIOUS SUPPLY PROBLEMS TO-THE
UNITED STATES. (CHROiv!IUM IS THE OTHER.) THE MI~~ERAL REVIEW
COhtNITTEE OF TF~E PRESI