The Conversation (0)
September 19, 2021
Balkan Mining and Minerals Ltd (BMM or the Company) (ASX: BMM) is pleased to announce that the Company has commenced a reconciliation and surface sampling program at the Dobrinja Lithium-Borate Project, located in western Serbia.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Surface sampling and reconciliation program has commenced at Dobrinja
- Once completed, the geological team will move 10km northeast to Pranjani and begin the follow-on program
- The reconciliation and surface sampling program will be followed by a detailed mapping and gravity survey that will aid in the identification of drilling targets
Due to the extensive amount of outcrops, surface sampling is a useful guide in identifying the presence of Neogene strata and will allow the inference of prospective sections.
Once the Dobrinja program is completed, the geological team will move to the Pranjani Project, located 10km to the northeast in a basin that was historically believed to be connected to Dobrinja. A similar scale program will be undertaken at Pranjani.
A gravity survey will follow on competition of the initial programs with the aim of defining basin geometry, relative thickness of the sedimentary sections and steep basement margins, which may suggest faults that serve as zones of migration for lithium boron mineral-bearing fluids.
The surface sampling results will be assessed with mapping information and the geophysical survey interpretation in order to prioritise drill targets.
Managing Director Ross Cotton, commented: "Dobrinja is particularly interesting as it shows a lot of outcropping, which is a good indicator for lithium and borates. We are pleased that we have continued to deliver on our objectives and not have wasted any time on beginning our programs and advancing our projects."
Dobrinja
The Dobrinja license, covering 37.58km2 , is located in western Serbia along trend where lithium– borate Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves have been defined (Rio Tinto, Euro Lithium and Erin Ventures).
The Dobrinja basin is generally elongated in a northwest-southeast direction, controlled by the Neogene tectonic. The targeted lacustrine sedimentary sequence comprises of Lower, Middle and Upper Miocene fine pelitic sediments, marlstone, ash-flow tuffs, oil shale and basal clastic flows.
Surrounding the included basins are rocks that have been mapped as Paleozoic metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic carbonates and Vardar Ophiolites formations. Northwest - southeast trending faults are thought to be major structural controls on basement fracturing and basin development and may also serve as zones of migration for mineral-bearing fluids.
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
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Outstanding New 2024 Diamond Drill Results Tanbreez Project
14 August
Livium and Mineral Resources Form Joint Venture to Advance LieNA Technology
Livium (ASX:LIT) and Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN,OTC Pink:MALRF) said on Monday (August 11) that they have agreed to a 50/50 joint venture regarding the LieNA lithium-processing technology.
LieNA, the joint venture entity, was formerly a subsidiary of Livium, the owner of the intellectual property for the LieNA technology — an innovative process designed to recover lithium from spodumene.
The joint venture's formation comes after the completion of Stage 1A activities under a joint development deal. The companies first began working together in August 2023, and agreed to additional Stage 1A work in January.
At the time, Livium and Mineral Resources said the work would include the assessment of alternate commercialisation pathways for the technology, and the selection of the preferred lithium product for LieNA's development.
The aim of the joint venture will be to commercialise the LieNA lithium-processing technology by issuing licences to third parties, with the next step on that path being to set up a demonstration plant. However, the companies note that current lithium market dynamics "do not support the economic construction and funding of the plant."
As a result, they have extended previous deadlines for the demonstration plant.
The partners intend for the demonstration plant to be the first licencee for the LieNA technology, and Mineral Resources can elect to independently fund, develop and operate the plant.
The licence will apply to current and future Mineral Resources projects, with the company receiving a reduced royalty rate in recognition of being the first to adopt the process.
Livium CEO and Managing Director Simon Linge emphasised that although the lithium market is currently in the midst of a "cyclical downturn," fundamental drivers like electrification and decarbonisation are in place.
“With our immediate priority being to scale our recycling business, we will now take the opportunity, with MinRes, to explore options to realise short term value or alternatively preserve medium-term value from the LieNA technology," he outlined in the company's press release.
Mineral Resources was positive on LieNA's progress so far and its future impact.
"We firmly believe the technology has a role to play in the future of lithium processing and are focused on working together to convert the strong technical delivery achieved to date into commercial outcomes," the firm said.
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.
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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.
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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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