WILLCOX – Lithium, a mineral used in the production of batteries, especially for electric cars, sparked the modern-day gold rush. This has the side effect of exposing communities to active exploration and the potential for toxic and destructive industries to operate in our backyards.
As global demand increases, the search for lithium sources is expanding, and that search has led to Wilcox Playa.
MAX Power Mining Co., Ltd. announced on May 4 that it has begun exploration for a lithium mine at Playa, a 1,400-acre property southwest of Wilcox near Fort Cochise.
In March, the American arm of a Canadian company secured three parcels of land along the playa, totaling 3,754 acres, most of which was leased from the state of Arizona.
The company has secured three mineral exploration permits for the 1,434-acre Block 1 north of Playa.
MAX announced that the first core samples from the exploratory drilling are being analyzed.
How did MAX get here?
In 2018, Lithium Energy Products Inc. acquired the “Willcox Playa Lithium Asset” and began gravity studies and electromagnetic analysis of the project.
a company named Stria Lithium Co., Ltd.. owns the 1,400-acre Wilcox Playa Lithium estate. Pueblo Lithium LLC. Acquired from AGR-O Phosphate Inc. in 2014. The Stria Playa property included 61 mining claims.
Early interest in the playa stemmed from a series of U.S. Geological Survey explorations beginning in the 1960s. An airborne magnetic survey was carried out in 1963 (USGS Dempsey et al., 1963), 1966 gravity survey, 1976 electromagnetic and resistivity survey.
In 1978, the USGS drilled an analytical reverse circulation hole approximately 5 miles (8 km) northwest of MAX's southern claim.
These USGS reports were successful in mentioning Playa as “one of the most promising sites for undiscovered lithium brines,” and have since spurred slow but steady exploration in the area. I put it on.
In November 2023, MAX announced rig mobilization at the Wilcox Playa Lithium Project, and on December 5, announced that “systematic Phase 1 diamond drilling” had begun. By the end of December, the first core samples were analyzed.
The concrete news that drilling operations would begin shook the Pierce, Sunsite, and Cochise Stronghold communities.
Immediately after Max's announcement, the community erupted online and quickly fell into disapproval, with most predicting that if the mine was successful it would be pessimistic and doomy.
A group called “Help to Save Wilcox Playa” has started an effort online with the mission of slowing or stopping the planned mine.
Online accounts of lithium mining range from the technical details of university scientific journals to the hyperbolic pronouncements of environmental campaigners aimed at stopping the exploitation of the planet.
The topography and type of deposit indicate that this is a salt pond mine rather than an open pit mine.
By the end of the year, MAX announced that the first core samples from Playa would be analyzed.
easy explanation
most of the world lithium accumulates From underground saline reservoirs called “salas”. The brine is pumped to the surface and collected in a series of evaporation ponds, where it is held for more than a year.
When the water evaporates, a lithium-rich brine is left behind, and repeated evaporations increase the concentration of the brine. A slurry of slaked lime is added during the evaporation process to collect magnesium and boron salts from the brine.
Once the lithium concentration in the final brine reaches 6% or higher, the lithium is removed from the pond and the metal extraction process begins.
After the brine is purified to remove contaminants and unwanted elements, it is chemically treated to precipitate desired products and byproducts, and then filtered to remove precipitated solids.
Desired by-products include lithium hydroxide for making salts. Lithium bromide, a desiccant used in air conditioning systems. Butyllithium is used in organic chemistry.
Treatment with soda ash precipitates lithium carbonate, which can be washed and dried to obtain the final product.
There are currently no plans to purify the final brine here. MAX notes that the proximity to rail is a positive asset that helps transport brine for purification.
This is a very simplified explanation of the process. Methods for extracting metals are evolving, with the federal government awarding subsidies and incentives to cleaner and more applicable methods.
MAX in May Joint research and development agreement (CRADA), in collaboration with the University of California, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has researched lithium pretreatment, concentration, extraction, purification, and post-treatment to develop state-of-the-art direct extraction technology for brine resources.
Lithium rock mining is quite complex and energy-intensive.
Residents have serious concerns
Deb Hawk (left) and Joan Seeley led a discussion during the Save the Wilcox Playa group meeting.
Hector Acuna Herald/Review
The Wilcox Basin is facing a water crisis. The valley's water table, fed exclusively by rainfall, has declined dramatically over time, drying up wells for farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders.
Mines with water evaporation as the extraction mechanism use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to extract a ton of metal from the rich brine, leading to fears that the water table will be further depleted.
Organized opposition to the plan arose from ranchers, more than a dozen vineyards, and a large dairy farm.
The water is just half full. Residents are concerned about water, soil and air pollution in the area, which is known for its windswept winds and wildlife habitat. They argue that the winds will track pollutants throughout the valley, damaging all habitats.
The HSWP group aims to mount an organized resistance, first by disseminating information about the mine, bringing like-minded residents into the group, and collaborating with larger environmental groups with experience in mounting opposition movements. ing.
The group plans to look at other communities facing similar threats.
This challenge is exacerbated by a government that has prioritized growing America's lithium resources and encouraged the development of new extraction technologies with hasty approval.
The lithium rush is just that: a rush to find and start extracting lithium, with demand high and supply low, and a rush to get that lithium to market for profit. It is.
The more lithium that comes to market, the lower its value becomes, and if there are large discoveries elsewhere in the U.S., or if there is a lower percentage of lithium in the brine found in Playa, it becomes less attractive to people. In some cases, this may work in favor of HSWP efforts. my.
The group can look at similar mining projects as examples of what would happen if the mines produced, as well as study the efforts of opponents and learn from their successes and failures.
There is currently one lithium-producing pond mine in North America, the Silver Peak mine in Nevada, which produces about 1% of the world's annual production, or about 5,000 tons per year, from a 13,000-acre site.
Based in North Carolina albemarle The company operates mines in remote areas of Nevada. His MAX mine on Playa has the potential to mirror Silver Peak's pond infrastructure, where his 23 evaporation ponds ranging in size from 11 acres to 750 acres are maintained and fewer than 85 employees are employed. there is.
Another potentially huge source of lithium in North America is located in California's Salton Sea. A U.S. Department of Energy analysis this year confirmed that the region is rich in domestic lithium resources.
a Los Angeles Times A November headline proclaimed, “New report finds the Salton Sea contains even more lithium than previously thought,” and scientists said, “The Salton Sea contains more lithium than previously thought.” “We believe it has the highest concentration of lithium in the world.”
palm springs desert sun Once fully operational, he boasted, “the region will be able to produce enough lithium to power 375 million electric car batteries.”
If places like the Salton Sea could supply 40% of global demand, interest in places like Wilcox Playa would diminish.
Mine's statements regarding future expectations
MAX is the only source of information about Wilcox's exploration and is fairly clear about language describing the business, including “forward-looking statements,” explaining: There can be no guarantee that such expectations will prove to be correct. ”
You are also cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.
According to MAX, “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “interpret,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “target,” The use of words such as “suggest,” “often,” “target,” “future,” “likely,” “pending,” and “potential” are highly speculative. Therefore, it must be taken with a grain of salt.
Although Canadian securities laws require mining companies to explain their “statements” with each announcement, media outlets that issue press releases do not require this and make little effort to explain their language. Not yet.
These statements are intended to make investing in mining projects more attractive or desirable.
MAX Power CEO Rav Mlait “This strategic move into the U.S., combined with our efforts in northern Quebec, is another way to differentiate MAX in the growing lithium space, where we are discovering entirely new high-grade lithium. We are at the forefront of highly targeted activities for the Lithium Camp. With our American and Canadian divisions, we believe we can significantly expand our shareholder base in 2023, while providing a strong year-round news flow. ”
