Cobalt Ore

Cobalt Ore is a raw mineral resource used primarily as the feedstock for producing refined Cobalt in Oxygen Not Included. It appears as mineable rock in certain locales and can also be obtained on rocket missions to specific Space POIs. Cobalt Ore is a non-consumable building material in the sense that it must be processed by machines or biological consumers to yield useful products; it does not directly serve as a construction material or fuel without conversion.

Cobalt Ore can be harvested on rocket missions from Swampy Ore Fields at a yield that ranges from 54 to 162 kg per cycle. In base production chains, the Metal Refinery converts Cobalt Ore into Cobalt at a 1:1 mass ratio (100 kg Cobalt Ore → 100 kg Cobalt). This conversion requires Duplicant operation of the Metal Refinery. The Rock Crusher also accepts Cobalt Ore but processes it with only 50% efficiency: 100 kg Cobalt Ore processed in a Rock Crusher yields 50 kg Cobalt and 50 kg Sand and likewise requires Duplicant operation. Because of the mass loss and production of Sand, the Rock Crusher is generally less efficient than the Metal Refinery for pure Cobalt production.

Several critters interact with Cobalt Ore in useful ways. Stone Hatches will eat Cobalt Ore and excrete Coal; feeding Cobalt Ore to Stone Hatches also increases the chance that they will lay Smooth Hatch eggs. Smooth Hatches can consume Cobalt Ore and excrete Cobalt at 75% mass output (for example, 100 kg eaten → 75 kg Cobalt excreted). Plug Slugs will eat Cobalt Ore to generate electrical power and produce Hydrogen Gas as a byproduct.

Practical notes and strategy:

• Prefer Metal Refinery for direct, lossless conversion of Cobalt Ore to Cobalt when Duplicant labor and power are available.
• Use Rock Crusher only when you need Sand as a byproduct or when Metal Refinery capacity is constrained; expect half the mass of input to become usable Cobalt.
• Harvesting Cobalt Ore from Swampy Ore Fields on Space POIs is a renewable source if you schedule rocket missions; yields per cycle vary between 54–162 kg.
• Employ critter farming strategically: Stone Hatches convert Cobalt Ore into Coal (useful for early fuel), Smooth Hatches return Cobalt at 75% efficiency and can be part of a biological Cobalt loop, and Plug Slugs provide on-site power generation while producing Hydrogen Gas that must be managed.
• All machine-based conversions of Cobalt Ore require Duplicant operation; plan duplicant assignments and task priorities accordingly.

Do not assume processing outputs beyond the documented ratios; use Metal Refinery for maximum mass retention when producing refined Cobalt.