Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | In-Situ |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2063 |
In June 2023, Caucharí-Olaroz achieved first lithium production as the project advances commissioning and ramp up to Stage 1 capacity of 40,000 tonnes per annum of battery-quality lithium carbonate, which is scheduled to be completed in mid-2024.
Caucharí-Olaroz Stage 2 construction for an expansion targeting additional production capacity of at least 20,000 tpa is expected to commence following the completion of Stage 1. |
Latest News | Lithium Argentina Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results March 20, 2024 |
Source:
p. 1,3
Ownership:
Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. - 46.7%;
Lithium Argentina (LAAC) - 44.8%;
Jujuy Energia y Mineria Sociedad del Estado (“JEMSE”) - 8.5%.
On Oct. 03, 2023 Lithium Americas Corp., now Lithium Americas (Argentina) Corp. and a new Lithium Americas Corp. jointly announced the completion of the reorganization of Lithium Americas into two independent publicly traded companies, implemented by way of statutory plan of arrangement.
Lithium Argentina owns a 44.8% interest in the Caucharí-Olaroz project.
Contractors
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Summary:
The Cauchari and Olaroz Salars are classified as “Silver Peak, Nevada” type terrigenous salars. Silver Peak, Nevada in the USA was the first lithium-bearing brine deposit in the world to be exploited. These deposits are characterized by restricted basins within deep structural depressions in-filled with sediments differentiated as inter-bedded units of clays, salt (halite), sands and gravels. In the Cauchari and Olaroz Salars, a lithium-bearing aquifer has developed during arid climatic periods. On the surface, the salars are presently covered by carbonate, borax, sulphate, clay, and sodium chloride facies.
Cauchari and Olaroz have relatively high sulphate contents and therefore both salars can be further classified as “sulphate type brine deposits”.
The brines from Cauchari are saturated in sodium chloride with total dissolved solids (TDS) on the order of 27% (324 to 335 g/L) and an average density of about 1.215 g/cm3. The other primary components of these brines are common to brines in other salars in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, and include: potassium, lithium, magnesium, calcium, sulphate, HCO3, and boron as borates and free H3BO3.
Summary:
It is contemplated that brine will be extracted from 56 production wells situated across the Mineral Reserve area. The wells comprising the brine extraction wellfield are spatially distributed in the Mineral Reserve evaluation area of the Caucharí-Olaroz Project to optimize well performance and capture of brine enriched in lithium. Production was initiated in year one of the pumping schedule representing 23 Stage 1 wells. In years two through 40, 33 wells are added to the pumping schedule for the duration of the life of mine plan. During the “Stage 2” pumping period, the average nominal pumping rate per well is 16 L/s capacity, providing approximately 903 L/s of lithium enriched brine from the aquifer to the evaporation ponds.
The pond system consists of 28 evaporation ponds segregated into the following types:
(i) 16 preconcentration ponds;
(ii) six ponds used as halite ponds;
(iii) two ponds used as sylvinite ponds;
(iv) two ponds used for control; and
(v) two ponds used for lithium ponds.
An average evaporation rate of 6.05 mm per day (2,157 mm/year) was used as a criterion to design the pond system. This rate corresponds to measured evaporation rates observed at the site where the ponds will be located. Assuming the above-mentioned evaporation rate, the total evaporation area required for the production of 40,000 tpa of lithium carbonate is 1,200 hectares when including consideration for harvesting of salt deposited in t ........
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Pipelines and Water Supply
Source:
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Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual (Projected) | LOM (Projected) |
Lithium
|
t
| 40,000 | 1,576,279 |
All production numbers are expressed as carbonate.
Reserves at May 7, 2019:
The Mineral Resource Estimate is expressed relative to the Resource Evaluation Area and a lithium grade cut-off of greater than or equal to 300 mg/L.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
156,875,201 m3
|
Lithium
|
616 mg/L
|
96,650 t
|
Proven
|
156,875,201 m3
|
LCE
|
|
514,450 t
|
Probable
|
967,767,934 m3
|
Lithium
|
606 mg/L
|
586,270 t
|
Probable
|
967,767,934 m3
|
LCE
|
|
3,120,590 t
|
Proven & Probable
|
1,124,643,135 m3
|
Lithium
|
607 mg/L
|
682,920 t
|
Proven & Probable
|
1,124,643,135 m3
|
LCE
|
|
3,635,040 t
|
Measured
|
1,130,000,000 m3
|
Lithium
|
591 mg/L
|
667,800 t
|
Measured
|
1,130,000,000 m3
|
LCE
|
|
3,554,700 t
|
Indicated
|
5,170,000,000 m3
|
Lithium
|
592 mg/L
|
3,061,900 t
|
Indicated
|
5,170,000,000 m3
|
LCE
|
|
16,298,000 t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,300,000,000 m3
|
Lithium
|
592 mg/L
|
3,729,700 t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6,300,000,000 m3
|
LCE
|
|
19,852,700 t
|
Inferred
|
1,500,000,000 m3
|
Lithium
|
592 mg/L
|
887,300 t
|
Inferred
|
1,500,000,000 m3
|
LCE
|
|
4,722,700 t
|
Required Heavy Mobile Equipment as of September 30, 2020:
HME Type | Size |
Truck (water)
|
20000 l
|
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