There has been no communication with the miners since they were trapped more than 1,640 ft below ground during a flood at Trevali's Perkoa zinc mine on April 16.
Increased prices for fossil fuels have shifted the conversation, potentially benefitting oil and gas projects in Africa as importers scramble to diversify supply chains away from Russia.
In addition to ESG risks linked to its extraction, cobalt is at the top of the list because only two countries are in charge of producing and refining the battery metal.