Lithium Mining

Lithium is a silvery, soft metal, often classified as an alkali metal, that has a wide array of uses in batteries, medicine, and chemical manufacturing. Geologists have identified large and potentially valuable deposits of lithium across southern Arkansas that may spark a mining boom in the region.

In 1817, lithium, known by the chemical symbol Li, was discovered by Swedish chemist J. A. Arfwedson. With only three protons in its atomic nucleus, it is one of the lightest elements in existence. The unusual configuration of its three electrons allows it to bind to other elements easily, making it highly flammable. In fact, dropping pure lithium in a bucket of water would cause an explosion; pure lithium is rarely found in nature, however. These same properties make lithium a good conductor for electricity and heat. Lithium is used in nuclear research and as a component in some types of nuclear weapons. It can also be used as a fuel additive for rockets and missiles.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), more than 87 percent of lithium used globally in 2024 was used for batteries. Use in ceramics and glass, the next most common category, accounts for 4 percent of usage. In 2024, Australia was producing the most lithium in the world, most of which was sold to China. The United States still imports most of its lithium, with more than 94 percent coming from Argentina and Chile. USGS figures from 2024 show that 138,000 metric tons of lithium were produced globally, while 4,000 metric tons were produced in the United States.

By 2025, an increasingly reliable source of lithium had arisen by isolating it from within salty sea brines. Through brine extraction, lithium is isolated using simple evaporation, with the lithium left behind treated with various chemicals to isolate and purify the product. Much lithium is procured through open-pit mining, simply digging out the lithium, isolating it, and crushing it.

During World War II, lithium grease was used as a lubricant for some aircraft engines because of its ability to work at high temperatures. Lithium is also used to produce ceramics and glass, particularly some types of ovenware.

As lithium salts are considered mood stabilizers, they were once a popular ingredient in patent medicines; the makers of 7-Up claimed lithium citrate as an ingredient in their soda until around the 1940s. Several cities had natural sources of lithium in their water or had lithium added, a process called lithiation. Cities with lithiated water often reported lower rates of crime and suicide. However, cities reconsidered these policies and stopped the practice in the 1940s. Since the 1950s, mental health professionals have commonly prescribed lithium to treat depression, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. However, medicines account for only about one percent of lithium usage.

Lithium hydroxide and lithium peroxide are used in air purification systems in outer space and in submarines. Lithium peroxide is also used for emergency oxygen candles, and because lithium burns with a red color, it is sometimes used to make red fireworks.

Lithium’s use in batteries has made it the subject of renewed focus. As electric cars have grown in popularity, lithium demand has grown too. Its unique electron configuration makes it ideal for use in electricity. Lithium-ion batteries can produce more power than the traditional lead or zinc batteries, have a longer lifespan, and have proven far easier than other types of batteries to recharge.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed the first lithium battery in 1965, but the forerunner of the modern lithium-ion battery emerged in 1974. By the 1990s, it had been perfected. It began to be used in products from children’s toys to cellphones to electric cars. The discovery and many uses of the lithium-ion battery led the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to be awarded to University of Texas physicist John B. Goodenough, French scientist Rachid Yazami, and Japanese chemist Akira Yoshino. Dozens of companies in the United States and Canada recycle lithium batteries.

Companies began investing in mining in Arkansas and elsewhere across the United States. By 2025, those investing in developing lithium production in Arkansas included Standard Lithium, which has offices in El Dorado (Union County) and Lewisville (Lafayette County), and Equinor, a Norwegian energy company. Energy giants such as ExxonMobil and Chevron have also expressed interest in Arkansas lithium.

While lithium-ion batteries have been touted by many corporations and activists as a cleaner alternative to gasoline engines, environmental questions surrounding lithium mining remain. “Hard rock mining” has often been cited for environmental degradation, particularly soil contamination and water pollution issues. Brine extraction, the technique most expected for use in obtaining lithium in Arkansas, is less energy intensive and has fewer environmental issues overall. However, the process takes large amounts of water for the extraction to be successful, and this can increase salt levels in local water sources.

By 2025, investors were negotiating a standard royalty rate with property owners through the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission. Geologists discovered a major lithium vein curving from western Mississippi into Arkansas and Louisiana and across eastern Texas. One of the most lithium-rich areas in this vein is an area called the Smackover Formation, named for the Union County community. The Smackover Formation is located in an area long known for its oil and brine deposits and covers much of Union, Columbia, Lafayette, and Ouachita counties, with up to 19 million metric tons of lithium present. These deposits are 8,000–10,000 feet deep. Lithium-rich brine is often extracted in part through existing oil production. One estimate from 2022 noted that enough lithium exists in this area to produce perhaps 50 million lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. Economists speculate that lithium could become a valuable industry for the region.

For additional information:
Cline, Elizabeth L. “Betting on Brine.” Arkansas Times, December 2025, pp. 22–24. Online at https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025/11/14/will-arkansass-big-bet-on-lithium-benefit-all-of-us-or-just-the-wealthy-few (accessed December 22, 2025).

Earley, Neal. “Exxon to Start Lithium Mining near Magnolia.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 14, 2023, pp. 1A, 3A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/nov/14/exxon-mobile-announces-plan-to-begin-lithium/ (accessed December 22, 2025).

Gettinger, Aaron. “Exxon Lithium Mining Operations Said Planned in State.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 21, 2023, pp. 1A, 5A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/21/wsj-exxon-mobil-plans-lithium-processing (accessed December 22, 2025).

Gillespie, Tyler. “Pay to Play: The Effect of the Brine Conservation Act’s Statutory ‘In-Lieu’ Royalty Provision on the Long-Term Economic Viability of Arkansas’s Brine-Lithium Industry.” University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review 46 (Summer 2024): 613–642.

Knierim, Katherine J., Madalyn S. Blondes, Andrew Masterson, Philip Freeman, Bonnie McDevitt, Amanda Herzberg, Peng Li, Ciara Mills, Colin Doolan, Aaron M. Jubb, Scott M. Ausbrooks, and Jessica Chenault. “Evaluation of the Lithium Resource in the Smackover Formation Brines of Southern Arkansas Using Machine Learning.” Science Advances 10 (September 27, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp8149 (accessed December 22, 2025).

“Lithium Resource in the Smackover Formation Brines of Southern Arkansas.” United States Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2024-3052. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20243052/full (accessed December 22, 2025).

Massey, Kyle. “Lithium Project Getting Feet Wet.” Arkansas Business, September 23–29, 2019, pp. 1, 8–9.

Penn, Ivan, and Rebecca F. Elliott. “Arkansas May Have Vast Lithium Reserves, Researchers Say.” New York Times, October 21, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/21/business/energy-environment/arkansas-lithium-ev-batteries.html (accessed December 22, 2025).

Platt, Ainsley. “Extractor Touts $225M Grant for Arkansas Lithium Project.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, January 17, 2025, pp. 1A, 8A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2025/jan/16/south-arkansas-company-announces-225-million/ (accessed December 22, 2025).

———. “Lithium Industry Dispute Comes to Head.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, October 7, 2024, pp. 1A, 2A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/oct/06/contentious-royalty-decision-has-states/ (accessed December 22, 2025).

———. “Lithium Royalty Hearing Delayed at Firms’ Request.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 20, 2024, pp. 1A, 6A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/sep/19/prospective-lithium-producers-ask-state/ (accessed December 22, 2025).

———. “State Lithium Projects Score Federal Grants.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 21, 2024, pp. 1A, 6A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/sep/20/two-prospective-arkansas-lithium-producing/ (accessed December 22, 2025).

Platt, Ainsley, and Aaron Gettinger. “Lithium Royalties Needed, Firms Say.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 31, 2024, pp. 1A, 7A. Online at https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/jul/30/lithium-extraction-companies-ask-arkansas-agency/ (accessed December 22, 2025).

Steed, Stephen. “Analysts Set to See Lithium Project.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, August 15, 2019, pp. 1D, 2D.

Upholt, Boyce. “In Rush for Lithium, Miners Turn to the Oil Fields of Arkansas.” Yale 360, February 29, 2024. https://e360.yale.edu/features/arkansas-direct-lithium-extraction (accessed December 22, 2025).

Kenneth Bridges
South Arkansas College