Researchers at the US Geological Survey (USGS) say they have located high concentrations of lithium brine in the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas. 

Dating back to the Jurassic period, the Smackover Formation is a relic of an ancient sea that left an extensive, porous and permeable limestone geologic unit that extends under parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida 

The team of scientists, led by Dr. Katherine Knierim—a hydrologist stationed at the Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center—working in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Office of the State Geologist,  calculated that there are 5.1 to 19 million tons (4.63 to 17.24 million metric tons) of lithium in Smackover Formation brine in southern Arkansas. This motherlode of lithium comprises 35% to 136% of the current US lithium resource estimate, and could be sufficient to meet the world’s demand for the mineral, which is crucial to lithium-ion batteries.  

“The potential for increased US production (of lithium) to replace imports has implications for employment, manufacturing and supply-chain resilience,” said David Applegate, the Director of the USGS. “This study illustrates the value of science in addressing economically important issues,” he added. 

The lithium could be extracted from brine co-produced during oil and gas operations, providing an opportunity to extract a valuable commodity from what would otherwise be considered a waste stream, the USGS said. 

Most of the world’s lithium is currently produced in Australia and South America. 

Source: US Geological Survey