The US Geological Survey estimates that Arkansas may contain 5 to 19 million tons of lithium, potentially enough to supply nine times the global demand for car batteries by 2030.
David Applegate from the USGS highlighted that "lithium is a critical mineral for the energy transition, and the potential for increased U.S. production to replace imports has implications for employment, manufacturing and supply-chain resilience."
Companies in Arkansas are working on developing technologies to extract lithium from the salty brine of the Smackover Formation, which was previously considered wastewater from oil operations.
ExxonMobil plans to commence lithium production in Arkansas by 2027 and has begun drilling exploratory wells, indicating significant interest from established fossil fuel giants in the lithium market.
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