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Top ten biggest lithium mines in the world

Western Australia hosts five of the world’s biggest lithium mines, whose
combined reserves exceed 475.24 million tonnes (Mt). Mining Technology ranks
the top ten biggest lithium mines in the world, based on proven and probable
reserves.
August 30, 2019

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Sonora Lithium Project is the biggest lithium deposit in the world. Image
courtesy of Dnn87.

1. Sonora Lithium Project – 243.8Mt

Sonora Lithium Project is the biggest lithium deposit in the world. Image
courtesy of Dnn87.

T he Sonora lithium project, located in Sonora,

Mexico, is the biggest lithium deposit being
developed by Sonora Lithium (SLL), a joint venture (JV)
of Bacanora Minerals (77.5%) and Ganfeng Lithium
(22.5%).

The mine is estimated to hold proven and probable

reserves of 243.8Mt, containing 4.5Mt of lithium
carbonate-equivalent (LCE). The bankable feasibility
study for the La Ventana concession, which will
account for 88% of the mined ore from the project,
estimates an initial mine life of 19 years.

Sonora will be an open-pit operation proposed to be

developed in two stages with the first stage having a
production capacity of 17,500 tonnes per annum (tpa)
of lithium carbonate. Stage two will double the
production capacity to 35,000tpa.
2. Thacker Pass Lithium Project – 179.4Mt

Thacker Pass Lithium Project is being developed in two stages. Image courtesy
of Lithium Americas Corp.

The Thacker Pass lithium project is located in

Humboldt County, Nevada, US. It is 100% owned and
operated by Lithium Americas.

The mine is estimated to contain proven and probable

reserves of 179.4Mt containing 3.1Mt of lithium
carbonate equivalent (LCE). The mine is expected to
have a life cycle of 46 years.

The pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the project was

completed in August 2018, which proposed the two-
phase mine development using open-pit methods.
Phase one is expected to be commissioned in 2022
with a production capacity of 30,000tpa of battery-
grade Li2CO3 while phase two will increase the
capacity to 60,000tpa with a commissioning date of
2026.
3. Wodgina Lithium Project – 151.94Mt

Wodgina Lithium Project will be developed as an open-pit mine. Image

courtesy of Mineral Resources.

The Wodgina lithium project is located 100km south-

east of Port Hedland in Western Australia. The mine
was earlier 100% owned by Mineral Resources. In
August 2019, the company entered an agreement with
Albemarle Corporation to form a 60:40 joint venture to
develop the mine.

The open-pit mine is estimated to contain probable

reserves of 151.94Mt grading 1.17% Li2O. Construction
of the spodumene concentrate plant is currently
ongoing with the first train being commissioned in
June 2019 while the remaining three are expected to
be commissioned in 2020. First ore from the mine is
expected in the first quarter of 2020.

Wodgina is expected to produce 833,000 wet tonnes

(750,000 dry tonnes) of 6% spodumene concentrate a
year, upon commissioning.

4. Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum Project – 108.2Mt

The first stage of the Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum Project achieved

commercial production in April 2019. Image courtesy of Pilbara Minerals.

The Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project is situated in

the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The mine is
100% owned and operated by Pilbara Minerals.

The proven and probable reserves of the mine are

estimated to be 108.2Mt grading 1.25% Li2O and 120
parts per million (ppm) Ta2O5 and 1.17% Fe2O3. The
definitive feasibility study (DFS) of the project was
completed in September 2016 and commercial
production was achieved in April 2019.

The mine is expected to produce 320,000tpa of 6%

spodumene concentrate through open-cut methods.
Pilbara Minerals plans to undertake the second stage
expansion of the mine to increase the production
capacity to 5Mtpa, allowing it to produce 850,000tpa
of 6% spodumene concentrate.

5. Earl Grey Lithium Project – 94.2Mt

The Earl Grey Lithium Project is expected to be commissioned in 2020. Image

courtesy of Kidman Resources.

The Earl Grey lithium project, also known as the Mt

Holland lithium project, is located in the Forestania
Greenstone Belt in Mt Holland, Western Australia. It is
owned by Kidman Resources (50%) and Sociedad
Química y Minera de Chile (SQM, 50%) under a JV
named Covalent Lithium.

The mine is estimated to contain proven and probable

reserves of 94.5Mt grading 1.5% Li2O. The PFS for the
project was completed in December 2018 while the
DFS is currently underway.

The mine is expected to produce 411,233t of

spodumene concentrate a year over its 47-year mine
life, upon commissioning in 2020.

6. Greenbushes Lithium Project – 86.4Mt

Greenbushes Lithium Project is operated by Talison Lithium. Image courtesy of

MSP Engineering.

The Greenbushes lithium project is located in

Greenbushes, Western Australia. It is owned by
Chinese mining company Tianqi Lithium and operated
by Talison Lithium, which is 51% owned by Tianqi
Lithium.

The mine is estimated to contain proven and probable

reserves of 86.4Mt grading 2.35% Li2O. It is installed
with two processing plants, which produce technical
and chemical-grade lithium concentrates.

A second chemical-grade lithium processing plant is

scheduled to be commissioned in 2019, which will
double the mine’s processing capacity to 1.3Mtpa of
lithium concentrates. Construction of a third
processing plant is to start in the third quarter of 2019.

7. Whabouchi Lithium Project – 36.6Mt

Whabouchi Lithium Project is expected to produce 205,000tpa of concentrate.

Image courtesy of Nemaska Lithium.

The Whabouchi lithium project is located in the James

Bay area in central Quebec, Canada. It is 100% owned
and operated by Nemaska Lithium, a Canadian mining
company.

The mine is estimated to contain proven and probable

reserves of 36.6Mt grading 1.3% Li2O. It is planned to
be developed using open-pit and underground mining
methods over its 33- year mine life. Underground
mining will be undertaken in year 26 upon depletion of
the open-pit reserves.

Whabouchi is expected to produce 205,000tpa of

concentrate. Construction is expected to begin in
November 2019, upon securing financing.

8. Altura Mining’s Pilgangoora Lithium Mine –

34.2Mt

Altura Mining’s Pilgangoora Lithium Mine is estimated to hold 34.2Mt of

proven and probable reserves. Image courtesy of Altura Mining.

Altura Mining’s 100%-owned Pilgangoora lithium mine

is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The mine is estimated to contain 34.2Mt of proven and
probable reserves grading 1.04% Li2O. The mine is
expected to have a life of 13 years.

The open-pit operation is being developed in two

stages. The first stage was commissioned in early-2019
and is expected to produce 220,000tpa of lithium
spodumene concentrate.

Altura has completed a DFS for stage two expansion of

the mine, which will increase the annual production
capacity to 440,000tpa. Stage two is expected to be
undertaken upon securing long-term offtake
agreements and necessary funding, following which
first production is expected within 18 months.

9. Goulamina Lithium Project – 31.2Mt

Goulamina Lithium Project will be developed using open-cut mining methods.

Image courtesy of Mali Lithium.

The Goulamina lithium project is 100% owned and

operated by Mali Lithium, a mining company based in
Australia. It is located in the Bougouni region of
southern Mali and planned to be developed using
open-cut methods.

The mine is estimated to contain probable reserves of

31.2Mt grading 1.56% Li2O and indicated and inferred
resources of 103Mt grading 1.34% Li2O. The estimated
operating life of the mine is 16 years while the
production capacity is 362,000tpa of concentrate.
Mali Lithium has completed the pre-feasibility study
(PFS) for the project and is currently carrying out the
DFS. The final investment decision on the project is
expected to be taken in the second half of 2020.

10. Arcadia Lithium Project – 26.9Mt

Arcadia Lithium Project is located near Harare in Zimbabwe. Image courtesy of

Prospect Resources.

The Arcadia lithium project is open-pit mine located

38km from Harare, Zimbabwe. It is owned and
operated by Prospect Resources, an Australian mining
company.

The mine is estimated to hold proven and probable

reserves of 29.8Mt grading 1.31% Li2O. It is expected to
have a mine life of 12 years with an average production
of 212,000tpa of 6% spodumene concentrates,
216,000tpa of petalite concentrate and 188,000lb of
tantalum a year.
The DFS for the project was completed in November
2018. The mine is currently under construction and
expected to be commissioned in the second half of
2020.

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