Potentially the world's largest lithium deposit has been found in a US volcano

[Judi Lynn]

A possible game changer for the US electric vehicle industry
By Rob Thubron
September 12, 2023 at 6:55 AM



What just happened? What is likely to be the world's largest deposit of lithium has been discovered in a volcano crater along the Nevada-Oregon border. It's estimated that the McDermitt Caldera holds between 20 million and 40 million metric tons, which would be larger than the current 21-million-ton record-holding deposit beneath the salt flats of Bolivia.

Located in the 28-mile-long and 22-mile-wide McDermitt Caldera, the discovery of the deposit will be a massive boost to the United States' lithium reserves, which have been estimated at just one million metric tons. Most of the world's major deposits are in countries outside of North America, such as Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, China and Australia. It could also encourage more US investment in electric cars and will alleviate fears over lithium shortages – it's thought that a million metric tons of lithium will be needed by 2024.

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



The size of the deposit still has to be confirmed, but Lithium Americas Corporation says it expects to start mining the supply in 2026.

More:
https://www.techspot.com/news/100117-potentially-world-largest-lithium-deposit-has-found-us.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Ancient supervolcano may harbor world's largest lithium deposit

Published on 09/22/2023



In recent years, lithium has become a precious metal for all countries, given its use in the manufacture of batteries for electric cars or telephones. To satisfy the growing demand and because their price continues to increase every day, governments have not ceased their search for terrestrial sources of these metals. At the moment, the United States depends on China to import lithium, so it has started to explore its own lands.

And, to their surprise, several geologists have just discovered that the world's largest reserve of lithium could actually be under their own feet. According to them, the McDermitt Caldera, between the states of Nevada and Oregon, contains more than twice the concentration of lithium than any other place on the planet.

Understand the context
The study was funded by mining company Lithium Nevada, LLC, a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corporation (LAC), amid controversy over lithium extraction in the United States.

Many scientists and environmentalists point out that the mineral deposit is on land sacred to several indigenous tribes, and that its exploration could pose risks to wildlife.

More:
https://carbonozero.net/antigo-supervulcao-pode-abrigar-maior-deposito-de-litio-do-mundo/

[DFW]

2. Now THERE is a decision that will have to be intensely discussed before implementation.

The sensitivities of the Americans to whom the land is sacred, along with the inescapable necessity of environmental considerations, balanced opposite the obvious national security advantages IF the first two can be resolved. It’s a safe bet that Chinese interests will be stoking the fires for those against mining the lithium, and it will take some serious sifting to discriminate between legitimate arguments against extraction and those that were pumped up by outside interests who want to preserve their worldwide price cartel.

[FBaggins]

4. Yes and no

“No” because it’s already being implemented.

“Yes” because what you’re predicting is exactly what happened.

While the OP is written as though the deposit was just discovered… the reality is that the USGS has known about it for several years. The permitting/protest/lawsuit/settlement process has already occurred, and the mine is nearing operation.

The news trigger is that you can’t call a deposit “reserves” until you get to it and start digging. Until then it’s a “deposit” and the estimated amount of the resource can’t be counted as reserves

The largest shareholder is a Chinese corporation

[DFW]

12. A CHINESE corporation

Well, at least someone was paying attention. Too bad it wasn’t us. So much for future competitive pricing.

Xi will look in the mirror and tell the guy he sees there, « don’t offer your lithium any cheaper, or I’ll give you a price war you can never win! » Whereupon the guy in the mirror answers, « anything you say, boss! »

[FBaggins]

13. Not quite that bad. They aren't the majority shareholder

Just the largest - at about 10% of the company.

GM owns the same amount.

[DFW]

14. Aha, OK, thanks. So, prescient, but not in control

At least, not overtly, anyway. That they have any kind of stake at all gives me the willies.

[Easterncedar]

3. Selfishly, my first thought...

is that perhaps this might make a proposed mine in the gorgeous mountain wilderness of western Maine less profitable and so perhaps less likely. The destruction of this fragile environment for the lithium is sickeningly being touted as a necessity given the national dependence on foreign sources.

[TomWilm]

5. So no more US coups against Bolivia now?

[Hekate]

6. KnR

[cstanleytech]

7. I thought I read that there was a problem though with extracting the lithium in a

cost effective manner?

[Think. Again.]

9. When you MUST have something....

...the financial cost of getting it becomes secondary.

[Think. Again.]

8. Hmmm....

...I still think we should be focusing on building out green Hydrogen from the start for the majority of our vehicle power needs.

At least with green Hydrogen, we don't have national ownership issues, it isn't a limited commodity and can't be monopolized, we don't have to disrupt sensitive lands to produce it, it doesn't come with major recycling issues, it stores energy longer than lithium batteries can, and it has more versatility than lithium batteries.

Since the transition away from fossil fuels is only just beginning, we might as start out on our best longer-term option.

[clouds]

10. Lithium might not be in favor in three years

The way things are advancing with other greener technologies.
Also, this is endangered sage grouse habitat.

[2naSalit]

11. +1

And it's a large Chinese shareholder base I hear.

[cstanleytech]

16. Even with greener tech there is still going to be a need for high density storage of power.

[hunter]

15. This might be a good time for one of those alternative battery chemistry breakthroughs...

... we're always hearing about. In any case batteries won't save the world, they'll only mess it up more, as this project demonstrates.