Economy World's Largest Lithium Deposit Found in Nevada, with 20-40 Million Metric Tons.

[Arkain2K]

Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest​

By Ronny Reyes



A lithium deposit discovered in a volcanic crater along the Nevada-Oregon border may hold up to 40 million metric tons of the rare metal — possibly the largest ever in the world, which could have a massive impact on the electric vehicle industry, according to a new study.

The deposit hidden within the McDermitt Caldera is estimated to hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons, which would be nearly double the current record of about 23 million metric tons found over the summer beneath a Bolivian salt flat, researchers reported in Science Advances.

It would also greatly boost America’s overall lithium reserves, which were previously estimated at a paltry 1 million metric tons.

Belgian geologist Anouk Borst said that if the estimate proves true, the sudden overabundance of American lithium — the metal sought after by electric vehicle makers — could have global impacts.

“It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply and geopolitics,” Borst told Chemistry World. “The US would have its own supply of lithium and industries would be less scared about supply shortages.”

Electric vehicle makers have bemoaned estimates that “white gold” supplies will fall short by 2025, with China, the US and several South American countries vying to locate large deposits to meet the increasing demand.

Paul A. Jacobson, GM’s chief financial officer, told investors mid-June that they “already have that risk” of not getting enough lithium, explaining that GM has bought stakes in mining operations.

“We’ve got to have partnerships with people that can get us the lithium in the form that we need,” Jacobson said.

The rush to acquire the white gold has also been exacerbated by President Biden’s clean energy agenda, which calls for EVs to make up about 50% of all cars sold by 2030.

The administration has pushed for investing $7.5 billion in EV charging stations around the nation.

Thomas Benson, a geologist at Lithium Americas Corporation who co-wrote the new study, expects that mining can begin at the McDermitt Caldera by 2026.

Researchers from the Lithium Americas Corporation, GNS Science, and Oregon State University explained that the unique conditions of the McDermitt Caldera’s explosions 16 million years ago created the ideal state for lithium-rich particles to form.

Nevada itself has been a hotbed for lithium deposits, but the sites have seen opposition, with conservationists, Indigenous Americans and even NASA pushing to block mining in the area.

The McDermitt Caldera mine is located beside the Thacker Pass mine, which has seen protests from the native Paiutes tribe and court challenges over the last three years.

Meanwhile, NASA voiced its opposition in June to mining the Railroad Valley tabletop flat because its undisturbed standing is key to calibrating the measurements of hundreds of satellites orbiting the Earth.

Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest

A deposit estimated to hold between 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium has been discovered at the McDermitt Caldera crater along the Nevada-Oregon border, which could make it the largest ever …

nypost.com

 

[Arkain2K]

Lithium discovery in US volcano could be biggest deposit ever found​

A world-beating deposit of lithium along the Nevada–Oregon border could meet surging demand for this metal, according to a new analysis.

An estimated 20 to 40 million tonnes of lithium metal lie within a volcanic crater formed around 16 million years ago. This is notably larger than the lithium deposits found beneath a Bolivian salt flat, previously considered the largest deposit in the world. Mining at the site is, however, contested by Native Americans for whom the area is sacred, and is believed to be where a massacre took place in 1865.

‘If you believe their back-of-the-envelope estimation, this is a very, very significant deposit of lithium,’ says Anouk Borst, a geologist at KU Leuven University and the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. ‘It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply and geopolitics.’

New in situ analysis reveals that an unusual claystone, composed of the mineral illite, contains 1.3% to 2.4% of lithium in the volcanic crater. This is almost double the lithium present in the main lithium-bearing clay mineral, magnesium smectite, which is more common than illite.

Some unusual conditions created what could be a uniquely rich volcanic deposit. The crater – the McDermitt caldera – formed 16.4 million years ago when around 1000km3 of magma exploded outwards. The caldera was filled with erupted products of an alkaline magma rich in sodium and potassium, as well as lithium, chlorine and boron. This quickly cooled to form a finely crystalline glassy volcanic rock, ignimbrite, which weathered to produce lithium-rich particles.

A lake subsequently formed in the crater, persisting for hundreds of thousands of years, with weathered volcanic and surrounding materials forming a clay-rich sediment at its bottom. The new analysis suggested that, after the lake had emptied, another bout of volcanism exposed the sediments to a hot, alkaline brine, rich in lithium and potassium.

‘Previous research assumed that the illite was everywhere at depth in the caldera,’ says Thomas Benson, a geologist at Lithium Americas Corporation, and was formed when high temperatures and pressures turned smectite to illite.

Benson’s team proposed that a layer of illite around 40m thick was formed in the lake sediments by this hot brine. The fluid moved upwards along fractures formed as volcanic activity restarted, transforming smectite into illite in the southern part of the crater, Thacker Pass. The result was a claystone rich in lithium.

‘This would be a multistep alteration of lithium-bearing smectite to illite, where hydrothermal fluids enriched the clays in potassium, lithium and fluorine,’ says Borst. ‘They seem to have hit the sweet spot where the clays are preserved close to the surface, so they won’t have to extract as much rock, yet it hasn’t been weathered away yet.’

The material could be best described as looking ‘a bit like brown potter’s clay’, says Christopher Henry, emeritus professor of geology at the University of Nevada in Reno. ‘It is extremely uninteresting, except that it has so much lithium in it.’

‘There’s been a lot of searching for additional [lithium] deposits,’ Henry adds. ‘The United States has just one small lithium-producing brine operation in Nevada.’

Henry does not wholly agree with the newly proposed history of the crater, since isotopic dating showed that a lake existed there until 15.7 million years ago, but the volcanic system went extinct by 16.1 million years. The new timeline would require volcanic activity for longer than the evidence suggests, he explains.

Benson says his company expects to begin mining in 2026. It will remove clay with water and then separate out the small lithium-bearing grains from larger minerals by centrifuging. The clay will then be leached in vats of sulfuric acid to extract lithium.

‘If they can extract the lithium in a very low energy intensive way, or in a process that does not consume much acid, then this can be economically very significant,’ says Borst. ‘The US would have its own supply of lithium and industries would be less scared about supply shortages.’

Benson views the lithium-rich claystone at Thacker Pass as ‘unique’ amongst volcanic sedimentary deposits. ‘Smectite clays are relatively more abundant,’ he says. Exploration for further lithium deposits following eruptions should focus on calderas with lake sediments that have been hydrothermally altered in lakes with no outflows, he adds.

Lithium discovery in US volcano could be biggest deposit ever found

Find could point to new ways to prospect for material in high demand for batteries.

www.chemistryworld.com

 

[William Munny]

Great, let's no longer exploit poor African children and mine "conflict" minerals here

 

[idrankyourbeer]

i dunno how these mine owners are gonna be able to run their lithium mines efficiently and still live a lavish lifestyle if they have to pay their workers any more than 10 cents an hour to work 12 hour shifts.

better call up some asians i guess. you aint gonna find nobody on this half of the hemisphere willing to do this shit abd work themselves to death for slave wages just so that the owners can get richer.

these guys arent gonna wanna pay these guys their worth when they know there are foreigners out there who will do the same job for next to nothing.

 

[Arkain2K]

Great, let's no longer exploit poor African children and mine "conflict" minerals here

- Wrong continent. Most of the world's lithium supply comes from Australia, Chile, China, Argentina, and Brazil, in that order.

- Lithium is a metal, not a mineral. You're probably thinking about diamond, which is pretty useless in EV batteries production.

World's biggest lithium producers

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Thursday he would nationalise the country's lithium industry and create a state-owned company to produce the metal that is a key component of electric vehicle batteries.

www.reuters.com

Top ten biggest lithium mines in the world

Discover top ten biggest lithium mines worldwide. Explore leading sources of lithium production in the mining industry | Mining Technology

www.mining-technology.com

 

[BreatheSherBro]

Great, let's no longer exploit poor African children and mine "conflict" minerals here

If that became the rule, the mine owners would just exploit someone else like someone from Central America.

But maybe these will be good guy mine owners that strongly believe in paying a fair wage and quality dental insurance.

 

[kahiljabroni]

Meh we'll probably sell it to some Chinese shell company

 

[Natural Order]

America was #1 lithium supplier in the world back in 90s. Maybe they can capture that title again!

 

[cincymma79]

Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest​

By Ronny Reyes



A lithium deposit discovered in a volcanic crater along the Nevada-Oregon border may hold up to 40 million metric tons of the rare metal — possibly the largest ever in the world, which could have a massive impact on the electric vehicle industry, according to a new study.

The deposit hidden within the McDermitt Caldera is estimated to hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons, which would be nearly double the current record of about 23 million metric tons found over the summer beneath a Bolivian salt flat, researchers reported in Science Advances.

It would also greatly boost America’s overall lithium reserves, which were previously estimated at a paltry 1 million metric tons.

Belgian geologist Anouk Borst said that if the estimate proves true, the sudden overabundance of American lithium — the metal sought after by electric vehicle makers — could have global impacts.

“It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply and geopolitics,” Borst told Chemistry World. “The US would have its own supply of lithium and industries would be less scared about supply shortages.”

Electric vehicle makers have bemoaned estimates that “white gold” supplies will fall short by 2025, with China, the US and several South American countries vying to locate large deposits to meet the increasing demand.

Paul A. Jacobson, GM’s chief financial officer, told investors mid-June that they “already have that risk” of not getting enough lithium, explaining that GM has bought stakes in mining operations.

“We’ve got to have partnerships with people that can get us the lithium in the form that we need,” Jacobson said.

The rush to acquire the white gold has also been exacerbated by President Biden’s clean energy agenda, which calls for EVs to make up about 50% of all cars sold by 2030.

The administration has pushed for investing $7.5 billion in EV charging stations around the nation.

Thomas Benson, a geologist at Lithium Americas Corporation who co-wrote the new study, expects that mining can begin at the McDermitt Caldera by 2026.

Researchers from the Lithium Americas Corporation, GNS Science, and Oregon State University explained that the unique conditions of the McDermitt Caldera’s explosions 16 million years ago created the ideal state for lithium-rich particles to form.

Nevada itself has been a hotbed for lithium deposits, but the sites have seen opposition, with conservationists, Indigenous Americans and even NASA pushing to block mining in the area.

The McDermitt Caldera mine is located beside the Thacker Pass mine, which has seen protests from the native Paiutes tribe and court challenges over the last three years.

Meanwhile, NASA voiced its opposition in June to mining the Railroad Valley tabletop flat because its undisturbed standing is key to calibrating the measurements of hundreds of satellites orbiting the Earth.

Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest

A deposit estimated to hold between 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium has been discovered at the McDermitt Caldera crater along the Nevada-Oregon border, which could make it the largest ever …

nypost.com

This is what Kurt cobain sang about


Good News though

 

[USA!USA!]

Murica wins again.

 

[LeonardoBjj]

- Nevada will become a wasteland!

 

[Scerpi]

Cue the environmentalis groups to drag any mining operations into lawsuit hell

 

[Bia]

Do they want Freedom?

 

[Crawler89]

I see china getting involved soon.
And it will be Bidens fault!

 

[nonoob]

This is a political rape & theft situation that occurred many years ago, phucking taxpayers that should benefit from the assets in our country, pilfered and stolen from PoS politicians acting behind corrupt alphabet agencies.

 

[Mr Holmes]

Cue the environmentalis groups to drag any mining operations into lawsuit hell

That would be an interesting conflict for them. Do they want batteries for EVs or prevent strip mining?

 

[TrueBias]

Make sure we dont drill for it so we can keep citizens living pay check to pay check.

 

[High Test With da Best]

Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest​

By Ronny Reyes



A lithium deposit discovered in a volcanic crater along the Nevada-Oregon border may hold up to 40 million metric tons of the rare metal — possibly the largest ever in the world, which could have a massive impact on the electric vehicle industry, according to a new study.

The deposit hidden within the McDermitt Caldera is estimated to hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons, which would be nearly double the current record of about 23 million metric tons found over the summer beneath a Bolivian salt flat, researchers reported in Science Advances.

It would also greatly boost America’s overall lithium reserves, which were previously estimated at a paltry 1 million metric tons.

Belgian geologist Anouk Borst said that if the estimate proves true, the sudden overabundance of American lithium — the metal sought after by electric vehicle makers — could have global impacts.

“It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply and geopolitics,” Borst told Chemistry World. “The US would have its own supply of lithium and industries would be less scared about supply shortages.”

Electric vehicle makers have bemoaned estimates that “white gold” supplies will fall short by 2025, with China, the US and several South American countries vying to locate large deposits to meet the increasing demand.

Paul A. Jacobson, GM’s chief financial officer, told investors mid-June that they “already have that risk” of not getting enough lithium, explaining that GM has bought stakes in mining operations.

“We’ve got to have partnerships with people that can get us the lithium in the form that we need,” Jacobson said.

The rush to acquire the white gold has also been exacerbated by President Biden’s clean energy agenda, which calls for EVs to make up about 50% of all cars sold by 2030.

The administration has pushed for investing $7.5 billion in EV charging stations around the nation.

Thomas Benson, a geologist at Lithium Americas Corporation who co-wrote the new study, expects that mining can begin at the McDermitt Caldera by 2026.

Researchers from the Lithium Americas Corporation, GNS Science, and Oregon State University explained that the unique conditions of the McDermitt Caldera’s explosions 16 million years ago created the ideal state for lithium-rich particles to form.

Nevada itself has been a hotbed for lithium deposits, but the sites have seen opposition, with conservationists, Indigenous Americans and even NASA pushing to block mining in the area.

The McDermitt Caldera mine is located beside the Thacker Pass mine, which has seen protests from the native Paiutes tribe and court challenges over the last three years.

Meanwhile, NASA voiced its opposition in June to mining the Railroad Valley tabletop flat because its undisturbed standing is key to calibrating the measurements of hundreds of satellites orbiting the Earth.

Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest

A deposit estimated to hold between 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium has been discovered at the McDermitt Caldera crater along the Nevada-Oregon border, which could make it the largest ever …

nypost.com

Good news, this came out today about the Salton Sea in central southern California as well:

The Salton Sea has even more lithium than previously thought, new report finds

But we shouldn't count on the desert lake to solve all our climate and clean energy problems.

www.latimes.com

"The new analysis — led by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and reported here for the first time — finds we may be able to extract 18 million metric tons of “white gold” from the heated underground pool, which is not connected to the surface lake."

 

[Pliny Pete]

I heard Nevada hates us for our freedoms, we should probably go do something about that

 

[Tatra]

That would be an interesting conflict for them. Do they want batteries for EVs or prevent strip mining?

They want humans to go back to living like hunter-gatherers because they're not serious people.