Lindsey Choo of Forbes
Researchers have discovered a collection of lithium-a primary component in lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries-in Arkansas that, if recovered, could far exceed the projected world demand for lithium in car batteries in 2030.
There might be 5.1 million to 19 million tons of lithium in the Smackover Formation brines in southern Arkansas, researchers at the United States Geological Survey and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment found.
The lithium mine, calculated using a machine-learning model and geological information that predicted maps of lithium concentration, represents 35% to 136% of the current amount of lithium estimated to be in the U.S.
Lithium could be extracted from the waste stream of the brines-deposits of groundwater rich in minerals-in the Smackover Formation.
The Smackover is already commonly used by energy and mining companies to produce oil, gas and other natural resources.
"We estimate there is enough dissolved lithium present in that region to replace U.S. imports of lithium and more," Katherine Knierim, a hydrologist and the study's principal researcher said in a news release.
Lithium demand is projected to reach 1.5 million tons by 2025 and more than three million tons by 2030, growing exponentially due to the increased demand for electric vehicles.