Global geographic distribution of raw lithium resources

Having painted a picture of the lithium industry and hsted the types of resources which are envisageable for its production, we shall now analyze the questions of global availability and local distribution of these resources. 

World lithium resources have already been evaluated and quantified by researchers, NGOs and private enterprises, although there is no consensus regarding the figures or the way in which they should be calculated in 2005, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) established that there were 15 million tons (Mt) of lithium reserve base and 6.8 Mt of reserves, while Clarke and Harben mentioned 39.4 Mt of resources and 27.7 Mt of reserve base in 2008. 

With regard to brines, those of North America come mainly from geothermal springs and oil fields, whereas those of China are from salt lakes. Globally, brine resources are highly concentrated in areas which are far from typical consumption centers, with the exception of certain sites in the US and Canada. Mineral resources from rocks are distributed much more evenly across the planet, with sources available on all the continents. However, in view of the difference in cost of production of this resource in comparison to salt lake brine, very few mining sites in Canada, Australia and China are currently producing. 

27 RusNano (Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies) and the Chinese group Thunder Sky signed a joint venture agreement to build the first Li-ion battery factory in Russia. 

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