Mining Intelligence and News
Argentina

Rincon Project

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeIn-Situ
Study CompletedFeasibility
StageConstruction
Commodities
  • Lithium
Mining Method
  • Brine mining
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SnapshotThe Rincon Lithium Project – a large, low-cost lithium-brine asset located in the heart of the ‘lithium triangle’ in Argentina. The project consists of brine extraction using a production wellfield, processing and waste facilities, as well as associated infrastructure.

Rincon's capacity of 60,000 tonnes of battery grade lithium carbonate per year is comprised of the 3,000-tonne starter plant and 57,000-tonne expansion plant.

In November 2024, first lithium was produced from the 3,000-tonne starter plant (Rincon 3000). First commercial production is targeted for the first half of 2025. Approved in December 2024, construction of the 57,000-tonne expansion plant (Rincon Full Potential (RFP)) is scheduled to begin in mid-2025, subject to permitting, which is expected by July 2025.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 100 % Indirect
The Rincon Project is owned by Rincon Mining Pty Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Brine
  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Rincon mineralisation is dissolved lithium in brine hosted in the pore or cavity space of clastic sediments and evaporites.

Lithium mineralisation occurs as a brine within a sedimentary sequence in a mature salar, composed of halite, volcaniclastic sand and variable amounts of clay/sand. The brine is hosted in two separate aquifers: an upper unconfined fractured halitic aquifer and a lower semi-confined aquifer composed mainly of volcaniclastic sand.

Active tectonics form and sustain numerous young Cenozoic endorheic basins in the Puna Plateau. North-south aligned thrust faults, grabens, and half grabens frequently create accommodation space, while transverse strike-slip faults or volcanism assist with basin closure. Siliclastic material deposited in the basins is sourced from the surrounding geology of the catchment area, although pre-basin sediments may also occur deeper in the basin and function as aquifers. Sedimentary deposits typically include evaporite deposits dominated by halite with widespread occurrence of gypsum, and travertine from active or dormant hydrothermal springs. The arid environment limits precipitation, and waters migrate downgradient to the salar margin. The aridity and phreatic brine level near land surface promotes groundwater evaporation which concentrates the fluids to form brines enriched in various metals and salts.

Mineralisation of dissolved lithium in brine has low local variability with relatively consistent or increasing grades in the salar area and with increasing depth.

Fractured halite and black sand aquifers contain the bulk of extractable lithium. The fractured halite unit is a close to surface, unconfined aquifer composed of a thick, well-developed body of halite with open, interconnected cavities between halite crystals. The fractured halite aquifer ranges in thickness from 1 m at the edge of the salar nucleus to 30 metres (m) in the centre. The fractured and upheaved salt crust has a jagged salt surface as a result of the continuous process of dissolution and recrystallisation of salt by evaporation. The black sand aquifer units exhibit confined to semi-confined conditions. Black sands are variably interbedded with massive halite at depths ranging from 30 m to 150 m and vary laterally throughout the salar area. The enriched brine aquifer system, which hosts lithium mineralisation is well understood and defined by brine level below land surface, assays, specific conductivity profiles, downhole geophysics, and transient electromagnetic surface geophysical surveys.

Dimensions
Because the Mineral Resource is a mobile brine, the dimensions are effectively the identified brine aquifer located in the southern portion of the Rincon Project basin. The upper limit of the resource is defined by the depth to the brine interface. In the salar nucleus and margins, the depth to brine ranges from approximately 0.05 m to 2 m below land surface, respectively.

The depth to brine interface increases north of the salar area. The lower definition of the resource is based on a drilled and sampled depth of 250 m in the salar nucleus. A deep exploration diamond hole drilled to a depth of 882 m confirms that mineralisation continues at depth, but was not used for the Mineral Resources estimate because continuity of deeper permeable units is not currently well understood.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
LCE kt 532,070
Lithium Mt 0.4

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Brine extraction, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

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Workforce

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