Dive Brief:
- Arkansas' southwestern Smackover Formation region could be home to millions of tons of lithium, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment.
- The projected lithium present in the geological unit represents between 35% and 136% of current estimated U.S. lithium resources, according to the study.
- Researchers found that lithium brines in the region may hold between 5.1 million and 19 million tons of lithium, which outweighs the International Energy Agency’s current prediction that global lithium demand will reach 717,000 tons in 2030.
Dive Insight:
Arkansas' additional lithium reserves could be a game changer for the U.S.’ ability to domestically supply the critical mineral needed for electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage devices.
Researchers used brine lithium concentration data to train a machine learning model to create a map of predicted reserves in the area, according to the published report in Science Advances. The study evaluated samples from across southern Arkansas and the surrounding area, with researchers also projecting high concentrations of lithium in the Cotton Valley Formation, although data was insufficient to be conclusive.
USGS' research focused only on the evaluation of lithium concentrations, but next steps in the process to extract and process commercial use of the critical mineral would be up to private industry, said Katherine Knierim, one of the report's authors.
The U.S. currently imports more than 25% of its lithium supply, according to USGS. China is a dominant supplier for lithium processing and lithium-ion batteries — the country accounted for 82% of lithium-ion battery imports in Q2 2024, according to S&P Global.
Stateside, the U.S. is currently home to one active lithium project, based in Nevada.
Lithium producers, however, have already started taking notice of Arkansas' potential to serve as a hub for the critical mineral.
Last November, Exxon Mobil announced plans to develop a lithium drilling site and processing facility in the Smackover region. The company expects to begin production at the facility in 2027.
Exxon Mobil could not be reached in time for comment on whether the new lithium discovery could impact its investment plans in the state.
Other companies, such as lithium producer Standard Lithium, have also established production projects on the Smackover land.
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