“It is important to caution that these estimates are an in-place assessment. We have not estimated what is technically recoverable based on newer methods to extract lithium from brines”
The USGS puts 5 to 19 million tons of lithium in brines under southwestern Arkansas. The low end alone is nine times projected 2030 world demand for EV batteries. The catch is in the lead researcher’s own words: nobody has estimated how much can actually come out. The brine is oil and gas waste, so the drillers already sitting on it are the ones who cash in.