The Conversation (0)
January 30, 2024
Balkan Mining and Minerals Ltd (ASX: BMM; "BMM" or "the Company") provides the Company’s quarterly activities report for the three months ended 31 December 2023 (“Quarter”).
The maiden 2,500m diamond drilling program undertaken at the highly prospective the Gorge Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada with visual spodumene observed across campaign and laboratory assays pending. Key strategic and operational milestones were achieved during the quarter, outlined below.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Diamond drilling undertaken at the Gorge Lithium Project with for a program of 2,500m with spodumene bearing pegmatites encountered in several holes drilled
- Drill program currently awaiting assays for approximately 180 samples
- Clearing and stripping work undertaken in preparation for the drill program reveals previously unmapped pegmatites and extensions to some known pegmatite occurrences at Gorge, further underlining the project’s potential
- Balkan remains committed to evaluating new project opportunities
- Mr Karl Simich appointed Non-Executive Chairman
Balkan Mining and Minerals, Managing Director, Ross Cotton commented:
“The maiden diamond drilling activity conducted at our flagship Gorge Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada has revealed a widespread and prolific pegmatite hosted spodumene geology. We eagerly anticipate assays from the 2,500m program which will inform our next steps in advancing this exciting lithium-focused opportunity.
Whilst we remain extremely upbeat on the prospectivity of Gorge, the Board is continually reviewing opportunities to improve and diversify our project portfolio and will advise our shareholders of any new potentialities if and when appropriate.
Gorge Lithium Project (Ontario, Canada)
During the quarter, Balkan primarily focussed on exploration activities associated with the Company’s Gorge Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada.
In October, Balkan announced that visual spodumene mineralisation had been observed in the first holes drilled at the Nelson pegmatite occurrence at Gorge (refer to ASX Announcement dated 16 October 2023). As the program was progressed, spodumene mineralisation has been visually identified in 8 of the first 10 holes completed in the program at both the Nelson and Koshman pegmatite prospects (refer to ASX Announcement dated 12 December 2023). The Company currently awaits assays on approximately 180 samples taken from the program and will inform the market as they come to hand.
The stripping and clearing associated with drilling preparation exposed extensions to known pegmatite occurrences at surface with the Nelson pegmatite strike now extending more than 200m. In addition, a new pegmatite dyke north east of Nelson, SP-23-2 was revealed to extend some 50m in strike length with widths at surface ranging from 2.6-5m thick and visual spodumene between 5-15% content.
The diamond drilling program was briefly paused during October after the observation of the traditional hunting season of the region’s First Nation peoples. Shortly after the resumption of drilling, the Company took the decision to engage global drilling house Major Drilling Group International Inc to complete the program with a fit-for-purpose drill rig which led to substantial improvements in drilling rates and efficiency.
Whilst Balkan is awaiting the assays from the diamond drilling program, the Company notes that the most recently reported drilling included hole KS-23-009, which encountered 16.8m of spodumene mineralisation from 5.8m depth.
During the quarter, the Company made the payment of AU$60,000 cash and AU$100,000 in BMM shares to the vendor of the Gorge Lithium Project to move to 50% beneficial ownership of the project (for full details, refer to ASX Announcement dated 4 July 2022).
At a local level, Balkan continues to engage with relevant stakeholders including First Nations communities, land holders and regulatory agencies and authorities.
This article includes content from Balkan Mining, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
BMM:AU
19 January
Further Exploration Targets Identified at Bayan Springs
Bayan Mining and Minerals (BMM:AU) has announced Further Exploration Targets Identified at Bayan Springs
31 October 2024
Quarterly Activities/Appendix 5B Cash Flow Report
13 August
Lithium Prices Surge After CATL Halts Major Mine in China
Lithium prices and mining stocks around the world soared this week after Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) (SZSE:300750,HKEX:3750) suspended operations at one of the world’s largest lithium mines.
The halt at the Jianxiawo lepidolite mine in Jiangxi province’s Yichun city, a hub for China’s lithium production, came after the mine’s permit expired on August 9.
CATL confirmed the closure on Monday (August 11), saying it is seeking a permit extension but offering no timeline for resuming output. The shutdown will last at least three months, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg.
The mine produces around 65,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) annually, equivalent to roughly 6 percent of global output, according to estimates.
That makes the stoppage one of the most significant supply interruptions in recent years for a metal central to electric vehicle (EV) batteries, grid storage, and consumer electronics.
The most-active lithium carbonate futures contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX) jumped the daily limit of 8 percent on Monday (August 11), closing at 81,000 yuan (US$11,280) per ton for November delivery.
Meanwhile, spot prices in China also climbed, with Asian Metal reporting a 3 percent increase to 75,500 yuan per ton, the highest margin since February.
On the Liyang Zhonglianjin E-Commerce platform, November delivery prices surged over 10,000 yuan to around 85,500 yuan per ton.
Chandler Wu, senior analyst for battery raw materials at Fastmarkets, estimated that the shutdown would cut about 5,000 tons of LCE from China’s monthly output.
Market sentiment had been building for weeks amid speculation the mine’s license might not be renewed. By Wednesday, contracts on the GFEX were already posting sharp gains, with sellers in the spot market pushing up offers in line with futures prices.
Global mining stocks rally
The supply shock sent lithium miners’ shares higher from Sydney to New York.
In the US, Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) jumped more than 15 percent, Lithium Americas (NYSE:LAC) by 13 percent, and Chile’s SQM (NYSE:SQM) by 12 percent.
Australian producers saw similar gains: Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS,OTC Pink:PILBF) climbed up to 20 percent, Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR,OTC Pink:LINRF), surged 25 percent, and Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF) advanced 14 percent.
Analysts say the suspension may be linked to Beijing’s “anti-involution” campaign — an initiative aimed at curbing overcapacity and promoting more sustainable production across industries.
The policy theme has recently swept China’s financial markets and affected sectors from steelmaking to e-commerce and EVs.
China has been the world’s top processor of lithium for years. CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, has also aggressively invested in raw material supply chains to secure long-term access to critical minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt.
That vertical integration has helped China dominate the global EV market, but it has also contributed to oversupply concerns in the lithium sector.
CATL emphasized that the Jianxiawo shutdown would have “little impact” on its overall operations.
Even so, traders warn that the effects could be far-reaching if the suspension extends beyond Jianxiawo. Local authorities in Yichun have reportedly asked eight other miners to submit reserve reports by the end of September after audits revealed non-compliance in registration and approvals.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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12 August
New Study Highlights Western Australia's Lithium Leadership and Future Potential
Western Australia has a strong lithium history, and a recent study could help inform future exploration.
Put together by researchers from the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA), Curtin University and the University of Western Australia, the report focuses on the formation of high-grade lithium deposits.
It states that Western Australia supplies around 35 percent of the world's lithium, with much of that coming from pegmatite, a coarse-grained rock commonly found in the state's Archean terrains.
"While most hard-rock lithium is sourced from similar formations, many existing exploration models are based on younger geological settings," an August 7 government press release explains.
The study's findings are summarised as follows:
"GSWA's research challenges these assumptions, as they may not apply to (Western Australia's) ancient crust. The new findings suggests that Archean lithium systems follow distinct rules and require a unique set of geological features for the formation of these deposits."
Lithium mines in Western Australia
The Greenbushes mine, owned by the Talison Lithium joint venture between Tianqi Lithium (SZSE:002466,HKEX:9696) and Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), is the world’s largest hard-rock lithium mine.
Operations date back to the 1980s, with annual production estimated at 1.95 million tonnes of lithium spodumene. Located adjacent to the town of Greenbushes in Western Australia, the asset is said to have been discovered in the 1970s, making it a significant mine in Western Australia's lithium history.
As of 2025, Pilbara Minerals' (ASX:PLS,OTC Pink:PILBF) Pilgangoora mine has dethroned Greenbushes in terms of resource size, with the former holding 446 million tonnes at 1.28 percent lithium oxide.
Greenbushes’ resource size as of late 2024 was 440 million tonnes at 1.5 percent lithium oxide.
Aside from these operations, Western Australia recently gained its first underground lithium mine, the Kathleen Valley asset owned by Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR).
Liontown’s latest quarter report, released on July 29, shows that Kathleen Valley produced over 300,000 wet metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate during its first 11 months of operations.
The Kathleen Valley plant reached commercial production in January 2025.
"Our findings provide fundamental insights that not only deepen our knowledge of WA's geology but also strengthen the State's position as a global leader in lithium exploration," said GSWA Executive Director Michele Spencer.
Government support for lithium
In November 2024, the government of Western Australia announced the Lithium Industry Support Program, which aims to bolster lithium miners and downstream processing facilities.
The program is scheduled to run for up to 24 months, at which time lithium prices “are expected to recover to an economically sustainable level.” During this time, government fees will be temporarily waived to support the continuation of downstream processing of lithium for up to two years, amounting to AU$90 million.
"Lithium is a key element in the global energy transition as we move to achieve a goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael said in a release at the time.
“We're providing (our lithium miners) with temporary and responsible support now to give them the best chance of continuing to supply the world with lithium products today and well into the future."
At the federal level, the Australian government has introduced critical support for the lithium sector under the broader Future Made in Australia industrial strategy.
Among its initiatives are the Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive, legislation passed in February to provide a 10 percent tax break on processing and refining costs for critical minerals, including lithium.
“The incentives are valued at AU$7 billion over the decade,” said Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King, calling the legislation a “historic moment” for the industry.
The incentive is applicable from 2028 to 2040, for up to 10 years per project.
There’s also the National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) and Critical Minerals Facility, with the latter’s initial AU$2 billion doubled to AU$4 billion, plus new investments through the NRF.
Recently, the NRF invested AU$50 million in Liontown to support Kathleen Valley, alongside private investment from Canmax Technologies (SZSE:300390), to stabilise financing during weak prices.
Lithium market due for a turnaround?
A March report by market research platform ASD Reports states that the Australian lithium market reached US$1,294.38 million in 2024 and is expected to hit US$5,309.55 million by 2032.
This demonstrates a compound annual growth rate of 19.3 percent during the forecast period of 2025 to 2032.
However, research firm Fastmarkets has said the lithium market recorded a surplus of around 175,000 tonnes in 2023, and almost 154,000 tonnes in 2024 based on current available data.
This oversupply has pushed prices down and prompted some miners to cut production, leaving investors wondering when a turnaround may come for lithium. Fastmarkets sees improvement this year, with the surplus projected to shrink to 10,000 tonnes. After that, it anticipates a deficit of 1,500 tonnes in 2026.
“We’re expecting a rebalancing of market dynamics over the next few years,” a producer told the firm.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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11 August
AI Uncovers Five Potential Lithium Alternatives for Next-generation Batteries
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has helped a group of scientists identify five new materials that could power the next wave of batteries without relying on lithium.
The study, published on June 26 in Cell Reports Physical Science, focuses on materials that could enable multivalent-ion batteries — a technology long touted for its potential, but hindered by practical challenges.
The lithium problem for batteries
Lithium dominates in batteries used in everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, but faces challenges — it is costly to extract, geographically concentrated and comes with environmental and geopolitical concerns.
As global demand for batteries surges, researchers are racing to find viable alternatives that are both abundant and efficient. Multivalent-ion batteries offer one potential path forward. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which carry a single positive charge, multivalent-ion batteries using materials like magnesium or zinc carry two or three.
In theory, this means that they can pack more energy into the same space. However, their larger size and stronger charge make it difficult for them to move through standard battery materials.
“One of the biggest hurdles wasn’t a lack of promising battery chemistries — it was the sheer impossibility of testing millions of material combinations,” said lead author Dibakar Datta, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “We turned to generative AI as a fast, systematic way to sift through that vast landscape and spot the few structures that could truly make multivalent batteries practical.”
To tackle the challenge, Datta’s team developed a “dual AI” system. The first part, a crystal diffusion variational autoencoder (CDVAE), was trained on vast datasets of known crystal structures. It could generate entirely new porous transition metal oxides, a class of material known for its structural flexibility and ionic conductivity.
The second part was a fine-tuned large language model (LLM) designed to narrow the list.
It focused on materials closest to thermodynamic stability, a critical factor in determining whether a compound can realistically be made and used in the real world.
The CDVAE cast a wide net, creating thousands of hypothetical structures with large, open channels. The LLM then acted as a filter, selecting only those most likely to hold up under actual manufacturing and operational conditions.
Five new battery candidates
“Our AI tools dramatically accelerated the discovery process, which uncovered five entirely new porous transition metal oxide structures that show remarkable promise,” Datta said.
These structures, the study suggests, offer unusually large pathways for ion movement, a crucial step toward making multivalent batteries that charge quickly and last for long periods of time. Quantum mechanical simulations and stability tests confirmed that the materials should be both synthetically feasible and structurally sound.
The five compounds now move to the next stage — experimental synthesis in collaboration with partner laboratories. If successful, they could be incorporated into prototype batteries and eventually scaled for commercial production.
Traditional materials research is often a painstaking, years-long process of hypothesis, synthesis and testing.
By contrast, AI can rapidly explore enormous “material spaces” that would be impossible for humans to search manually, flagging only the most promising candidates for further investigation.
What it means for the batteries of tomorrow
Multivalent-ion batteries have been studied for decades, yet few have reached commercial readiness because the necessary materials either didn’t conduct ions well enough or degraded too quickly.
By using AI to overcome that bottleneck, the research team hopes to accelerate not just battery chemistry, but also the infrastructure needed to support electrification on a global scale.
However, the five materials identified by Datta’s team aren’t ready to replace lithium tomorrow. They still need to be synthesized, tested in lab-scale batteries and proven to perform under real-world conditions.
Safety, scalability and cost effectiveness all remain open questions.
Still, the study’s authors argue that their AI framework has already proven its value by shrinking what could have been a decades-long search into a matter of months.
“This is more than just discovering new battery materials — it’s about establishing a rapid, scalable method to explore any advanced materials, from electronics to clean energy solutions, without extensive trial and error,” Datta added.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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06 August
Top 9 Global Lithium Stocks of 2025
Lithium prices continued their downward trajectory in 2025's second quarter, with battery-grade lithium carbonate hitting a four year low of US$8,329 per metric ton in late June.
Lithium hydroxide followed suit as oversupply and bearish sentiment weighed on the market.
Despite strong electric vehicle (EV) demand, mine supply — driven largely by China, Australia, Argentina and emerging African producers — has outpaced consumption, with Fastmarkets forecasting a 260,000 metric ton surplus for 2025.
“The industry is navigating a period of complexity,” said Paul Lusty, head of battery raw materials at Fastmarkets, speaking at the firm’s June lithium conference. Still, he emphasized that long-term fundamentals remain “anchored in mega trends,” including the global energy transition, artificial intelligence expansions and climate change mitigation.
In China, production ramp ups and new fair competition rules have added volatility, while US policy uncertainty under the Trump administration has dampened investor sentiment. Brief price rebounds in July, spurred by speculation about supply cuts, were short-lived, reflecting sensitivity to rumors over fundamentals. However, even with near-term headwinds, analysts say the structural case for lithium is solid, offering opportunities for long-term-focused investors.
Against this backdrop, some lithium stocks are seeing share price gains. Below is a look at the lithium stocks in Canada, the US and Australia that have performed the best so far in 2025, including updates on their news and activities.
This list of the top-gaining lithium companies is based on year-to-date as per TradingView’s stock screener. Data for Canadian stocks and US stocks was collected on July 22, 2025, and data for Australian stocks was gathered on July 23, 2025. Lithium stocks with market caps above $10 million in their respective currencies were considered.
1. NOA Lithium Brines (TSXV:NOAL)
Year-to-date gain: 58.82 percent
Market cap: C$77.55 million
Share price: C$0.35
NOA Lithium Brines is a lithium explorer and developer with three projects in Argentina’s Lithium Triangle region.
The company's flagship Rio Grande project and prospective Arizaro and Salinas Grandes land packages total more than 140,000 hectares. As NOA works to advance its flagship asset, the company brought on Hatch in April to lead work on a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the property. The PEA will evaluate Rio Grande's economic and development potential, with target production of 20,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent annually, as well as a scalable plant design that could double capacity to 40,000 metric tons per year.
NOA has also been working to secure a water source in the arid region through a drill program targeting fresh water. In late June, the company discovered a fresh water source at the project, located near high-grade lithium zones in the project's northeast area.The location means the water source could support future production facilities or evaporation ponds. The well, drilled to 190 meters in the northern part of the property, is being tested and developed.
Shares of NOA reached a year-to-date high C$0.425 on July 17.
2. Wealth Minerals (TSXV:WML)
Year-to-date gain: 40 percent
Market cap: C$23.93 million
Share price: C$0.07
Wealth Minerals is focused on the acquisition and development of lithium projects in Chile, including the Yapuckuta project in Chile’s Salar de Atacama, as well as the Kuska Salar and Pabellón projects near the Salar de Ollagüe.
Shares of Wealth spiked to a year-to-date high of C$0.095 on February 9 following the acquisition of the Pabellón project. According to the company, Pabellón has been shortlisted by Chile’s Ministry of Mining as a potential site for a special lithium operation contract based on its geological and environmental suitability.
Located in Northern Chile near the Bolivia border, the Pabellón project spans 7,600 hectares across 26 exploration licenses about 70 kilometers south of the Salar de Ollagüe.
In May, Wealth formed a joint venture with the Quechua Indigenous Community of Ollagüe to advance the Kuska project. The new entity, Kuska Minerals, is 95 percent owned by Wealth and 5 percent by the community, which also holds anti-dilution rights and a seat on the five member board.
3. Avalon Advanced Materials (TSX:AVL)
Year-to-date gain: 37.5 percent
Market cap: C$38.26 million
Share price: C$0.055
Avalon Advanced Materials is focused on integrating the Ontario lithium supply chain.
The company is developing the Separation Rapids and Snowbank lithium projects near Kenora, Ontario, and the Lilypad lithium-cesium project near Fort Hope, Ontario. Separation Rapids and Lilypad are part of a 40/60 joint venture between Avalon and SCR Sibelco, with Sibelco serving as the operator.
Avalon started the year with a revised mineral resource estimate for the Separation Rapids project, which boosted resources in the measured and indicated category by 28 percent.
Company shares rose to C$0.07, a year-to-date high, on July 15, the day after Avalon released its results for the quarter ended on May 31. A week later, Avalon announced an additional C$1.3 million in funding through a C$15 million convertible security agreement with Lind Global Fund II. The drawdown, expected to close within two weeks, will support project development and general corporate needs, according to the company.
1. Sociedad Química y Minera (NYSE:SQM)
Year-to-date gain: 10.43 percent
Market cap: US$10.82 billion
Share price: US$40.64
SQM is a major global lithium producer, with operations centered in Chile’s Salar de Atacama. The company extracts lithium from brine and produces lithium carbonate and hydroxide for use in batteries.
SQM is expanding production and holds interests in projects in Australia and China.
Shares of SQM reached a year-to-date high of US$45.61 on March 17, 2025. The spike occurred a few weeks after the company released its 2024 earnings report, which highlighted record sales volumes in the lithium and iodine segments. However, low lithium prices weighed on revenue from the segment, and the company's reported net profit was pulled down significantly due to a large accounting adjustment related to income tax.
In late April, Chile’s competition watchdog approved the partnership agreement between SQM and state-owned copper giant Codelco aimed at boosting output at the Atacama salt flat. The deal, first announced in 2024, reached another milestone when it secured approval for an additional lithium quota from Chile's nuclear energy regulator CChEN.
Weak lithium prices continued to weigh on profits, with the company reporting a 4 percent year-over-year decrease in total revenues for Q1 2025.
2. Lithium Americas (NYSE:LAC)
Year-to-date gain: 9.67 percent
Market cap: US$719.1 million
Share price: US$3.29
Lithium Americas is developing its flagship Thacker Pass project in Northern Nevada, US. The project is a joint venture between Lithium Americas at 62 percent and General Motors (NYSE:GM) at 38 percent.
According to the firm, Thacker Pass is the “largest known measured lithium resource and reserve in the world.”
Early in the year, Lithium Americas saw its share rally to a year-to-date high of US$3.49 on January 16, coinciding with a brief rally in lithium carbonate prices.
In March, Lithium Americas secured US$250 million from Orion Resource Partners to advance Phase 1 construction of Thacker Pass. The funding is expected to fully cover development costs through the construction phase. On April 1, the joint venture partners made a final investment decision for the project, with completion targeted for late 2027.
Other notable announcements this year included a new at-the-market equity program, allowing the company to sell up to US$100 million in common shares.
3. Lithium Argentina (NYSE:LAR)
Year-to-date gain: 8.46 percent
Market cap: US$467.28 million
Share price: US$2.90
Lithium Argentina produces lithium carbonate from its Caucharí-Olaroz brine project in Argentina, developed with Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,HKEX:1772).
The company is also advancing additional regional lithium assets to support EV and battery demand.
Previously named Lithium Americas (Argentina), the company was spun out from Lithium Americas in October 2023.
While shares of Lithium Argentina spiked in early January to a year-to-date high of US$3.10, the share price has been trending higher since June 19 to its current US$2.90 value.
Notable news from the company this year includes its name and ticker change and corporate migration to Switzerland in late January and the release of the full-year 2024 results in March.
In mid-April, Lithium Argentina executed a letter of intent with Ganfeng Lithium to jointly advance development across the Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes basins in Argentina. The plan includes a project fully owned by Ganfeng as well as two jointly held assets majority-owned by Lithium Argentina.
The company released its Q1 results on May 15, reporting a 15 percent quarter-over-quarter production reduction, which it attributed to planned shutdowns aimed at increasing recoveries and reducing costs.
Overall, the production guidance for 2025 is forecasted at 30,000 to 35,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate, reflecting higher expected production volumes in the second half of the year.
1. Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL)
Year-to-date gain: 123.26 percent
Market cap: AU$35.94 million
Share price: AU$0.48
Jindalee Lithium is focused on its McDermitt lithium project, located on the Oregon-Nevada border, which it regards as a potential low-cost and long-life lithium source for North America. On April 22, McDermitt became one of the Trump administration's first 10 resource projects to be designated as a Fast-41 transparency project.
The designation is intended to fast track resource projects important to the US critical minerals supply chain. It secures publicly accessible permitting timelines and enhances interagency cooperation for the project.
Shares of Jindalee Lithium spiked to a year-to-date high of AU$0.565 on April 30, the day after the company released it quarterly activities report for the March 2025 period.
On July 10, Jindalee announced a memorandum of understanding with US-based LiChem Operations, which is developing its lithium-refining process for battery-grade lithium.
Jindalee will initially supply LiChem with 100 kilograms of ore from McDermitt for testwork.
If both companies are satisfied with the result, Jindalee will provide up to 20 metric tons of further ore to LiChem in stages. There is also potential for Jindalee to negotiate for a licence to use LiChem's process in place of the sulfuric acid flowsheet from its prefeasibility study.
2. Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR)
Year-to-date gain: 75.47 percent
Market cap: AU$2.34 billion
Share price: AU$0.93
Liontown Resources has two assets in Western Australia, including the Kathleen Valley mine and processing plant. The mine entered open-pit production during H2 2024, and the plant hit commercial production in January 2025.
The firm is currently transitioning from open-pit to underground mining at Kathleen Valley. Underground production stoping kicked off in April of this year, making Kathleen Valley Western Australia’s first underground lithium mine.
Liontown also owns the Buldania lithium project in the Eastern Goldfields province of Western Australia. The project has an initial mineral resource of 15 million metric tons at 1.0 percent lithium oxide.
On June 30, Liontown announced executive leadership changes, appointing Graeme Pettit as interim CFO and Ryan Hair as COO after CFO Jon Latto and COO Adam Smits stepped down from the positions.
The company released its 2025 fiscal year results on July 29, reporting that Kathleen Valley produced over 300,000 wet metric tons of spodumene concentrate during its first 11 months of operations.
Shares of Liontown reached a year-to-date high of AU$1.03 on July 21.
3. Anson Resources (ASX:ASN)
Year-to-date gain: 57.14 percent
Market cap: AU$145.61 million
Share price: AU$0.11
Anson Resources is developing its flagship Paradox lithium project and its Green River lithium project, both located in Utah's Paradox Basin. It plans to produce lithium from the projects using direct lithium extraction (DLE).
Anson has been progressing at Green River this year. According to its March quarterly activities report, the company completed a DLE pilot program with Koch Technology Solutions, producing 43,000 gallons of lithium chloride eluate with an average lithium recovery of 98 percent from brine extracted from Green River's Bosydaba #1 well.
A June maiden JORC mineral resource estimate for Green River outlines 103,000 metric tons of contained lithium carbonate equivalent in the indicated and inferred categories based solely on drilling at the Bosydaba #1 well.
The prior month, the company negotiated a lower royalty rate agreement with the Utah government.
On July 1, the company signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX,KRX:005490) to co-develop a DLE demonstration plant at Green River, which POSCO will fully fund.
Anson shares spiked in mid-July, ultimately climbing to a year-to-date high of AU$0.11 on July 21, following a pair of announcements. On July 14, Anson shipped about 2 metric tons of lithium brine to POSCO in South Korea for test work and due diligence. Two days later, it announced that its polishing system, which is installed at Green River, successfully reduced the minor contaminants from the lithium chloride eluate produced in the KOCH DLE pilot program.
FAQs for investing in lithium
How much lithium is on Earth?
While we don't know how much total lithium is on Earth, the US Geological Survey estimates that global reserves of lithium stand at 22 billion metric tons. Of that, 9.2 billion MT are located in Chile, and 5.7 billion MT are in Australia.
Where is lithium mined?
Lithium is mined throughout the world, but the two countries that produce the most are Australia and Chile. Australia's lithium comes from primarily hard-rock deposits, while Chile's comes from lithium brines. Chile is part of the Lithium Triangle alongside Argentina and Bolivia, although those two countries have a lower annual output.
Rounding out the top five lithium-producing countries behind Australia and Chile are China, Argentina and Brazil.
What is lithium used for?
Lithium has many uses, including the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, smartphones and other tech, as well as pharmaceuticals, ceramics, grease, lubricants and heat-resistant glass. Still, it is largely the electric vehicle industry that is boosting demand.
How to invest in lithium?
Those looking to get into the lithium market have many options when it comes to how to invest in lithium.
Lithium stocks like those mentioned above could be a good option for investors interested in the space. If you’re looking to diversify instead of focusing on one stock, there is the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (NYSE:LIT), an exchange-traded fund (ETF) focused on the metal. Experienced investors can also look at lithium futures.
Unlike many commodities, investors cannot physically hold lithium due to its dangerous properties.
How to buy lithium stocks?
Through the use of a broker or an investing service such as an app, investors can purchase lithium stocks and ETFs that match their investing outlook.
Before buying a lithium stock, potential investors should take time to research the companies they’re considering; they should also decide how many shares will be purchased, and what price they are willing to pay. With many options on the market, it's critical to complete due diligence before making any investment decisions.
It's also important for investors to keep their goals in mind when choosing their investing method. There are many factors to consider when choosing a broker, as well as when looking at investing apps — a few of these include the broker or app's reputation, their fee structure and investment style.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Jindalee Lithium is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
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06 August
5 Best-performing ASX Lithium Stocks of 2025
Global demand for lithium presents a significant opportunity for Australia.
Australia remains the world’s largest lithium miner, supplying nearly 30 percent of global production in 2024, though its dominance is waning as other lithium-producing countries like Zimbabwe, Argentina and Brazil scale up output.
This influx of supply has pushed lithium prices to multiyear lows, with battery-grade spodumene trading under US$800/tonne — pressuring even efficient Australian producers to trim output or delay projects.
Still, demand fundamentals for the lithium market remain intact. In 2024, global lithium demand jumped nearly 30 percent to 220,000 tonnes, driven by soaring electric vehicle sales up 35 percent. Market watchers expect a gradual price rebound as high-cost supply exits and demand catches up. For example, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) projects that spodumene prices will rise toward US$1,155 by 2027, with long-term deficits emerging by the end of the decade.
For investors eyeing top ASX lithium stocks, the current environment offers abundant production capacity at discounted valuations, though profitability remains tied to a recovery in global lithium prices.
Below the Investing News Network looks at the top five Australian lithium companies by year-to-date gains. The list below was generated using TradingView’s stock screener on July 23, 2025, and ASX lithium companies with market caps above AU$10 million at that time were considered for inclusion.
1. Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL)
Year-to-date gain: 123.26 percent
Market cap: AU$35.94 million
Share price: AU$0.48
Jindalee Lithium is focused on its McDermitt lithium project, located on the Oregon-Nevada border, which it regards as a potential low-cost and long-life lithium source for North America. On April 22, McDermitt became one of the Trump administration's first 10 resource projects to be designated as a Fast-41 transparency project.
The designation is intended to fast track resource projects important to the US critical minerals supply chain. It secures publicly accessible permitting timelines and enhances interagency cooperation for the project.
Shares of Jindalee Lithium spiked to a year-to-date high of AU$0.565 on April 30, the day after the company released it quarterly activities report for the March 2025 period.
On July 10, Jindalee announced a memorandum of understanding with US-based LiChem Operations, which is developing its lithium-refining process for battery-grade lithium.
Jindalee will initially supply LiChem with 100 kilograms of ore from McDermitt for testwork.
If both companies are satisfied with the result, Jindalee will provide up to 20 tonnes of further ore to LiChem in stages. There is also potential for Jindalee to negotiate for a licence to use LiChem's process in place of the sulphuric acid flowsheet from its prefeasibility study.
2. Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR)
Year-to-date gain: 75.47 percent
Market cap: AU$2.34 billion
Share price: AU$0.93
Liontown Resources has two assets in Western Australia, including the Kathleen Valley mine and processing plant. The mine entered open-pit production during H2 2024, and the plant hit commercial production in January 2025.
The firm is currently transitioning from open-pit to underground mining at Kathleen Valley. Underground production stoping kicked off in April of this year, making Kathleen Valley Western Australia’s first underground lithium mine.
Liontown also owns the Buldania lithium project in the Eastern Goldfields province of Western Australia. The project has an initial mineral resource of 15 million tonnes at 1.0 percent lithium oxide.
On June 30, Liontown announced executive leadership changes, appointing Graeme Pettit as interim CFO and Ryan Hair as COO after CFO Jon Latto and COO Adam Smits stepped down from the positions.
The company released its 2025 fiscal year results on July 29, reporting that Kathleen Valley produced over 300,000 wet metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate during its first 11 months of operations.
Shares of Liontown reached a year-to-date high of AU$1.03 on July 21.
3. Anson Resources (ASX:ASN)
Year-to-date gain: 57.14 percent
Market cap: AU$145.61 million
Share price: AU$0.11
Anson Resources is developing its flagship Paradox lithium project and its Green River lithium project, both located in Utah's Paradox Basin. It plans to produce lithium from the projects using direct lithium extraction (DLE).
Anson has been progressing at Green River this year. According to its March quarterly activities report, the company completed a DLE pilot program with Koch Technology Solutions, producing 43,000 gallons of lithium chloride eluate with an average lithium recovery of 98 percent from brine extracted from Green River's Bosydaba #1 well.
A June maiden JORC mineral resource estimate for Green River outlines 103,000 tonnes of contained lithium carbonate equivalent in the indicated and inferred categories based solely on drilling at the Bosydaba #1 well.
The prior month, the company negotiated a lower royalty rate agreement with the Utah government.
On July 1, the company signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX,KRX:005490) to co-develop a DLE demonstration plant at Green River, which POSCO will fully fund.
Anson's share price spiked in mid-July, ultimately climbing to a year-to-date high of AU$0.11 on July 21, following a pair of announcements. On July 14, Anson shipped about 2 tonnes of lithium brine to POSCO in South Korea for test work and due diligence. Two days later, it announced that its polishing system, which is installed at Green River, successfully reduced the minor contaminants from the lithium chloride eluate produced in the KOCH DLE pilot program.
4. Future Battery Minerals (ASX:FBM)
Year-to-date gain: 22.22 percent
Market cap: AU$14.81 million
Share price: AU$0.022
Future Battery Minerals' portfolio includes its flagship Kangaroo Hills lithium project and Miriam lithium-gold project, which are part of its Coolgardie lithium projects in Western Australia's Goldfields region.
It is also exploring its Coolgardie gold projects: Kal North, Burbanks East and Nepean South.
The company said in a March quarterly activities update that it received a program of works for a maiden Phase 1 drilling program at the Miriam project, with one in place for future drilling at Kangaroo Hills. It plans to schedule exploration drilling at the Coolgardie lithium projects once the metal reaches more favourable market conditions.
"In the interim, FBM is focussed on low-cost preservation of the underlying value that exists within its Kangaroo Hills and Miriam lithium tenure,” the company stated.
On May 19, the company confirmed it had acquired the remaining 15 percent interest in the lithium rights at Miriam, as well as all gold and base metal rights. In its June quarterly report, released on July 24, Future Battery Minerals discussed its current focus on gold exploration, stating that a gold-focused review of historical drill data at Miriam "highlighted consistent and continuous gold mineralisation ... over more than 600 metres at the Forrest prospect."
The company completed its gold-focused Phase 1 reverse-circulation drill program at Miriam's Forrest and Canyon prospects on July 22. Shares of Future Battery Minerals reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.029 on July 25.
5. Argosy Minerals (ASX:AGY)
Year-to-date gain: 17.86 percent
Market cap: AU$46.08 million
Share price: AU$0.033
Argosy Minerals is currently focused on advancing its Rincon lithium project in Salta Province, Argentina.
The project spans 2,794 hectares within the Lithium Triangle. Argosy currently holds a 77.5 percent interest in Rincon, with plans to increase to 90 percent through its earn-in agreement. It entered production of battery-grade lithium carbonate in 2024 at its 2,000 tonne per year demonstration facility, but has since suspended operations due to the low lithium price environment. The company continues to advance feasibility for its 12,000 tonne per year expansion.
The project currently holds a JORC total mineral resource estimate of 686,875 tonnes of lithium carbonate.
On June 27, the company announced a lithium carbonate spot sales contract with a Hong Kong-based chemical company for 60 tonnes of 99.5 percent lithium carbonate.
Shares of Argosy surged 79 percent on July 3 to AU$0.034, a move the company attributed in part to the sales contract news, as well as to increasing positive sentiment in the sector.
On July 11, Argosy announced that detailed engineering and feasibility works to develop a 7 kilometre electric transmission line able to supply up to 40 megawatts of energy to Rincon were underway.
Shares of Argosy reached a year-to-date high of AU$0.035 on July 24.
FAQs for investing in lithium
What is lithium?
Lithium is the lightest metal on the periodic table, and it is used in a wide variety of applications, including lithium-ion batteries, pharmaceuticals and industrial applications like glass and steel.
How do lithium-ion batteries work?
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries work by using the flow of lithium ions in the battery's cell to power a device.
A lithium-ion battery has one or more cells, depending on the amount of energy storage it is capable of, and each cell has a positive electrode and negative electrode with an electrolyte separating them. When the battery is in use, lithium ions flow from the negative electrode to the positive electrode, running out of power once all have transferred. When the battery is charging, ions flow the opposite way.
Where is lithium mined?
Lithium is mined from two types of deposits, hard rock and evaporated brines. Most of the world's lithium production comes out of Australia, which hosts the Greenbushes hard-rock lithium mine. The next-largest producing country is Chile, which like Argentina and Bolivia is located in South America's Lithium Triangle.
Lithium in this famed area comes from evaporated brines, including the Salar de Atacama. Lithium can also be found in sedimentary deposits, but currently none are producing.
Where is lithium found in Australia?
Australia's lithium mines are all located in Western Australia except for one, Core Lithium’s (ASX:CXO,OTC Pink:CXOXF) Finniss mine in the Northern Territory.
Who owns lithium mines in Australia?
Several companies own lithium mines in Australia, including some of the biggest ASX lithium stocks. In addition to the entities discussed above, others include: Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS,OTC Pink:PILBF) with its Pilgangoora operations; Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium (HKEX:0358), which owns the Mount Marion mine alongside Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN); and Tianqi Lithium (SZSE:002466), which is a partial owner of Greenbushes via its stake in operator Talison Lithium.
Who is Australia’s largest lithium producer?
Australia’s largest lithium producer is Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), which has interests in both the Greenbushes and Wodgina hard-rock lithium mines. Greenbushes is the world’s largest lithium mine, and Albemarle holds a 49 percent interest in the mine through the Talison Lithium joint venture.
Albermarle also has 50 percent ownership in the Wodgina mine alongside operator Mineral Resources, and wholly owns the Kemerton lithium hydroxide production facility.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Jindalee Lithium is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
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01 August
Albemarle Swings to Profit, Lowers Spending Amid Prolonged Lithium Slump
Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) is cutting costs and investment plans as it adjusts to lithium price weakness, even as demand from the electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage sectors holds up better than expected.
The major lithium miner reported a Q2 profit of US$22.9 million, a significant turnaround from the US$188.2 million loss it posted a year ago. While total revenue fell 7 percent to US$1.33 billion, the figure still came in ahead of Wall Street’s US$1.22 billion estimate, buoyed by cost management and stronger-than-expected results in its specialties division.
“Our job is just to keep working on the things that are in our control, because we don’t really have a clear line of sight to where pricing is going,” CFO Neal Sheorey told investors on Thursday (July 31).
Sheorey said Albemarle has reached its US $400 million annualized cost-savings and productivity target, citing measures such as supply chain restructuring and improved operations at lithium conversion and mining sites.
The company now expects to spend between US$650 million and US$700 million in capital expenditures for the full year, narrowing its previous guidance of US$700 million to US$800 million.
With lower spending and continued operational execution, Albemarle said it expects to achieve positive free cash flow for 2025 — so long as current lithium prices, which have hovered around US$9 per kilogram, persist.
Lithium prices down, but demand remains resilient
Lithium prices have come off historic highs seen from 2021 to 2022.
But that surge spurred rapid supply growth, and by late 2022, the market entered a surplus. Prices have since declined sharply and now sit near levels that are not considered economically viable for many new or greenfield projects.
Despite the pricing downturn, Sheorey emphasized that demand for lithium has not collapsed.
During the company’s earnings call, he maintained that demand has held up better than expected this year, pointing to robust growth in China and Europe that is offsetting a more subdued US market.
“The outlook in North America is less certain, particularly in the United States due to the potential impact of tariffs and the removal of the 30D tax credit in September,” Sheorey said.
He added that the US accounts for only about 10 percent of global EV sales.
In contrast, EV sales in China rose 41 percent year-to-date, including a 44 percent jump in battery EVs spurred by recent subsidies, while Europe also showed double-digit growth.
Still, Sheorey cautioned that pricing remains under pressure. “We continue to expect the full-year EBITDA margin [for energy storage] to average in the mid-20 percent range assuming our $9 per kilogram price scenario,”
According to Albemarle’s internal analysis, the market could return to balance as early as next year if current price levels persist. “New project development has begun to slow, while demand continues to be robust,” the company said. It estimates that demand growth could outstrip supply growth by up to 10 percent per year between 2024 and 2030.
Much of the company’s current optimism stems from performance at its integrated production and processing facilities, particularly due to strong volumes from Albemarle’s Wodgina mine and the Salar yield improvement project.
With lithium demand expected to more than double by 2030, Albemarle is betting that its investments in operational excellence and global reach will pay off once the market stabilizes.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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