EL DORADO, Ark. (NewsNation) — A new chemical extraction process developed by Standard Lithium could help the United States dramatically reduce its dependence on foreign lithium supplies, company officials said.
The company has perfected a method to extract lithium from saltwater brine located approximately 9,000 feet beneath southwestern Arkansas.
The Smackover Formation, which stretches across several Southern states, contains an estimated 19 million tons of lithium reserves, more than enough to meet American demand, according to geologists.
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“This beneath our feet is an unconventional lithium resource. It hasn’t been developed today because it needed a new technology to unlock it,” said Andy Robinson, president and chief operating officer of Standard Lithium…