Lithium Discovery in Arkansas Could Fuel the EV Boom
Mike Colagrossi
The U.S.may have just struck “white gold” in southwestern Arkansas. A recent U.S. Geological Survey study found an estimated 5 to 19 million tons of lithium reserves.
Urban Tech: Global demand for lithium, a key mineral for electric vehicle battery production, has surged in recent years. This growth is expected to continue as the shift from fossil fuels to electric and hybrid vehicles accelerates.
Lithium could be extracted from the mineral-rich brine waste streams in the Smackover Formation, where energy and mining companies already extract oil, gas, and other resources.
- The study used a blend of water testing and machine learning to pinpoint the estimated lithium reserves, ranging from 5 to 19 million tons.
- If these reserves are found to be commercially viable, they could supply enough lithium to meet global demand for car batteries through 2030.
U.S. Lithium Mineral Independence
Katherine Knierim, a hydrologist and the study’s principal researcher, notes that:
“Our research was able to estimate the total lithium present in the southwestern portion of the Smackover in Arkansas for the first time. We estimate there is enough dissolved lithium present in that region to replace U.S. imports of lithium and more…”
Cautioning the viability of extraction, Knierim states, “It is important to caution that these estimates are an in-place assessment. We have not estimated what is technically recoverable based on newer methods to extract lithium from brines.”
Growing Demand: Lithium resources are only going to increase as automakers shift towards electric vehicles.
- A 2024 USGS report estimates that electric vehicles (EVs) already makes up 87% of global lithium consumption.
- The U.S. currently depends on imports for over 25% of its lithium supply.
According to the USGS, the lithium found in the oil and brine waste streams of southern Arkansas could meet the country’s current consumption needs.
Even the lower estimate of 5 million tons of lithium in Smackover brines is over nine times the International Energy Agency’s projected global demand for electric vehicle lithium in 2030.
