Abstract:  Due to its unique physical and chemical properties, cobalt is widely used in modern advanced technology fields, so some countries have listed it as an important strategic critical resource. There are few independent cobalt deposits, and co-associated deposits are the main cobalt deposits. China is a country with relatively poor cobalt resources, with external dependence exceeding 90.0%. Many large and medium cobalt deposits have been discovered and explored in northeast China, including Cu-associated deposits and Cu-Ni-Fe co-associated deposits. Therefore, it is necessary to further summarize its metallogenic geological characteristics, analyze its resource potential, and provide a reference for future exploration. In this paper, cobalt deposits are classified into four main types, i.e., sedimentary-metamorphic type, magmatic type, marine volcano-sedimentary-metamorphic type, and skarn type. The sedimentary-metamorphic type and magmatic type cobalt deposits are widely distributed, mainly in the Paleoproterozoic Liaoning-Jilin rift zone. Combined with the geological characteristics of typical deposits, regional geochemical and geophysical characteristics, 28 prospect areas were further delineated, including 4 prospect areas of class A, 8 prospect areas of class B, and 16 prospect areas of class C. Finally, four class A prospect areas are recommended as the priority areas to focus on in the deployment of prospecting and exploration in the future.

Key words: cobalt deposit, basic features, metallogenic regularity, mineral resource potential prognosis, Northeast China