Mining Intelligence and News
Argentina

Cauchari-Olaroz Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeIn-Situ
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Lithium
Mining Method
  • Brine mining
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotCauchari-Olaroz became Argentina’s largest lithium producer. The Caucharí-Olaroz Project is a Direct Lithium Extraction operation. Commissioned in 2024, it has a nameplate capacity of 40,000 tpa of battery-grade lithium carbonate, with significant potential for expansion.

As of 2024, a 5,000 tpa demonstration plant on the solvent extraction process was being integrated into Stage 1. Once complete, Exar expects to confirm the new processing technology on a commercial scale. In March of 2025, the Province of Jujuy approved the permit modification to implement the demonstration plant, with commissioning expected to begin by the end of 2025.

Cauchari-Olaroz is also advancing Stage 2 to add 40,000 tpa of lithium carbonate equivalent, leveraging Stage 1 infrastructure and solar evaporation, with enhanced processing technologies. An application is being prepared under Argentina’s RIGI regime.

During 2023 and 2024, 39 wells were operative to support LCE production.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Jujuy Energia y Mineria Sociedad del Estado (“JEMSE”) 8.5 % Indirect
Lithium Argentina AG 44.8 % Indirect
Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. 46.7 % Indirect
Minera Exar S.A. (operator) 100 % Direct
Lithium Argentina AG's interest in Cauchari-Olaroz is held through a 44.8% ownership interest in Minera Exar S.A. (“Minera Exar”), a company incorporated under the laws of Argentina. Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. owns 46.7% of Minera Exar, with the remaining 8.5% interest held by Jujuy Energia y Mineria Sociedad del Estado.

Deposit type

  • Brine

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, lithium-bearing aquifers have 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.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

Production commenced in June 2023.
CommodityUnits202520242023
Lithium t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
All production numbers are expressed as carbonate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024
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Production Costs

CommodityUnits2024
Cash costs (sold) Li2CO3 USD  ....  Subscribe

Mine Financials

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Dec 31, 2024
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Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required 2023

Aerial view:

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