Price

Cesium Pricing and Market Data

Cesium has no exchange-traded price. Cesium formate brine is priced through private contracts at roughly $78,000-100,000/tonne of brine. The market is extremely small (only ~40 tonnes/year of contained cesium) and dominated by a single supplier (Sinomine, through the Tanco mine). Cesium formate drilling fluids are typically leased rather than sold outright, with the brine recovered after drilling operations, making cesium one of the most unusual commodity markets. High-purity cesium compounds for laboratory and atomic clock applications command far higher prices per gram.

Pricing Mechanisms

Cesium is priced using benchmarks from Private/Cabot/Sinomine. Cesium pricing operates through a combination of exchange-based benchmarks, price reporting agency assessments, bilateral negotiation, and long-term offtake contracts. The specific mechanism depends on product form, grade, and the buyer-seller relationship.

Price History and Notable Market Events

The Cesium market has been shaped by the following key events:

Price Drivers

Key factors influencing Cesium prices include production levels in Canada (82% of global supply), demand from atomic clocks and gps systems and oil and gas drilling fluids, inventory levels, energy costs, and government policy actions such as export restrictions or strategic stockpiling.

Spot vs. Contract Pricing

The Cesium market features both spot transactions and longer-term contracts. Spot prices reflect current conditions and are more volatile, while multi-year offtake agreements provide supply security for both producers and consumers. Current spot pricing is in the range of 80,000-100,000 $/tonne (Cs formate brine).