Arkansas is in the headlines after the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced on Monday that it is sitting atop a trove of lithium, a critical raw material for electric vehicle batteries.
Researchers estimate there might be 5 million to 19 million tons of lithium in an underground brine reservoir in southwestern Arkansas—enough to supply nine times the amount of the key material needed globally for car batteries in 2030.
The discovery could be vital to reducing America’s reliance on lithium imports. Currently, Australia produces over 50% of the world’s lithium. Chile and Argentina are also major producers. The majority of it is then processed in China.
ExxonMobil has already begun drilling in the region and plans to start lithium production by 2027, using new technologies to speed up the process.