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-Short Attention Span Theater- |
Colossal Cache of Lithium Found in US May Be The World's Largest |
2023-09-11 |
[Futurism] Some of the world's richest lithium stores are contained in brine. But the McDermitt Caldera's lithium, particularly in its southern portion in Nevada, in an area called Thacker Pass, is locked up in clay. The caldera formed after a massive magma eruption approximately 16.4 million years ago, dredging up untold scores of lithium and other metals. A lake eventually inhabited the caldera, which deposited a layer of sediment spliced with the lithium that today is over 600 feet deep. The result: a clay called smectite. But that was just the first lithium injection. Eventually, as volcanic activity heated up again, hot brine containing additional lithium was driven up into the existing smectite, infusing it with even more of it. Now, the clay was no longer just smectite, but a uniquely lithium-rich illite. "They seem to have hit the sweet spot where the clays are preserved close to the surface, so they won't have to extract as much rock, yet it hasn't been weathered away yet," Borst told Chemistry World. |
Posted by:Besoeker |
#14 Coke bar - that would explain the paper money covering every inch of available space. The real estate office was a real hoot. |
Posted by: Rex Mundi 2023-09-11 18:33 |
#13 A lot of lithium could be recovered from the Salton Sea. But it's Caliphornia, Jake. Fuggeddaboudit... |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-09-11 16:28 |
#12 So it's useful? Can help people? And make money for others? It does meet the three-pronged test that it is Bad For The Environment. Greenies, please help us make sure that NONE of this lithium is ever used. |
Posted by: Tom 2023-09-11 16:26 |
#11 |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-09-11 16:12 |
#10 "Ski Inn" Didnt realize that dive was famous. I once drove out to Salton Sea to do some dessert hiking after a dessert thunderstorm. Desserts Bloom after rain, so beautiful. I drove out to what I thought was a ranger station, that was to be my launch point into the outback. When I got there, there was a plaque in the ground: Future Home of Salton Sea Ranger Station #xyz. So bummed. But I stopped at Ski Inn (if it looks like a coke dive bar in the middle of the dessert, it probably is) and the burger wasnt too bad. |
Posted by: mossomo 2023-09-11 16:08 |
#9 Lithium hopefuls seize 'finite' window to send unprocessed ore to China |
Posted by: Skidmark 2023-09-11 15:47 |
#8 China may get top ownership of US lithium mine |
Posted by: Skidmark 2023-09-11 15:46 |
#7 As I recall, all the lithium clay is shipped to China for processing, then returned. Anything other than lithium clearly is processing waste. Anyone want to do the energy numbers plus dollar to do that? Dollars, which require energy to earn. Green. So Green. |
Posted by: swksvolFF 2023-09-11 13:56 |
#6 there is a substantial amount of gold, silver, platinum in this area also As I recall, all the lithium clay is shipped to China for processing, then returned. Anything other than lithium clearly is processing waste. Lithium Americas website Feasibility Study |
Posted by: Skidmark 2023-09-11 13:52 |
#5 pretty sure there is a substantial amount of gold, silver, platinum in this area also |
Posted by: lord garth 2023-09-11 13:06 |
#4 Property Under Contract. No longer available. |
Posted by: Besoeker 2023-09-11 11:09 |
#3 [BREAKING NEWS] A new species of '3-toed frilled lizard' was discovered on site and immediately declared endangered -- all exploratory digging halted. (/sarc) |
Posted by: magpie 2023-09-11 11:03 |
#2 The CCP, of course. The area around Salton Sea also looks to contain some promising deposits of lithium. For those interested, the Ski Inn, known for the bar at the lowest elevation in N America, is still operating and serves up a decent cheeseburger (RIP J Buffet). |
Posted by: Rex Mundi 2023-09-11 11:03 |
#1 A Chinese connection? Well, yes of course: The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine is a lithium clay mining development project in Humboldt County, Nevada, which is the largest known lithium deposit in the US and one of the largest in the world.[5][6][7] There has been significant exploration of Thacker Pass since 2007. The Bureau of Land Management issued a Record of Decision approving development of the mine in January 2021. Construction began in March 2023 after an emergency appeal was denied by the court.[8] The project site would cover 18,000 acres (7,300 ha), with less than 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) of that being mined,[9][10][11][12] on a site 21 miles (34 km) west-northwest of Orovada, Nevada within the McDermitt Caldera.[4][5][13] The mine is a project of Lithium Nevada, LLC - a wholly owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp, whose largest shareholder is the world's largest lithium mining company, Chinese Ganfeng Lithium.[11] At full capacity it would produce 66,000 tons annually, WIKI Link |
Posted by: Besoeker 2023-09-11 10:53 |