THE NATURAL STATE

ARKANSAS LITHIUM DEPOSITS BIG ENOUGH TO MEET EV DEMAND

- DAMIEN MARTIN

Millions of years ago, a sea covered parts of what’s now Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. What it left behind helped fuel the modern world. A century ago, oil was discovered in the Smackover Formation. Now, the amount of lithium held deep underground might be enough to power the EV transition.

"WE ESTIMATE THERE IS ENOUGH DISSOLVED LITHIUM PRESENT IN THE SMACKOVER REGION TO REPLACE U.S. IMPORTS OF LITHIUM AND MORE."

MASSIVE AMOUNTS

The U.S. Geological Survey and Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment found that there are anywhere from 5 to 19 million tons of lithium in saltwater 10,000 feet below the surface of southwest Arkansas.

It remains to be seen how much of that is recoverable, but the deposits could be a massive game-changer as demand for lithium will quadruple by 2030 as EV sales continue to climb. Lithium demand is set to hit 1.5 million tons in 2025 and nearly 3 million by 2030, with nearly 90% of that going toward lithium-ion batteries for EVs.

Currently, Australia produces more than half of the world’s lithium, with most of that processed in China. The U.S. accounts for about 5% of the global supply, but that output would skyrocket if the Smackover deposits can be harvested.