Salares Altoandinos is the third largest lithium project in Chile

At a depth of 252 meters in a drilling at Salar de La Isla, average total lithium concentrations of 921 mg/l and a maximum of 979 mg/l have been found.

The Chilean state-owned company, National Mining Company (Enami, by its acronym in Spanish) has released preliminary results of lithium concentrations in the Salar La Isla, confirming the potential of the Salares Altoandinos project that the state-owned company is carrying out in the mountain range of the Atacama Region.

The company reported that data certified by an accredited laboratory indicate that at a depth of 252 meters in a drilling at Salar de La Isla, average total lithium concentrations of 921 mg/l and a maximum of 979 mg/l have been found.

"With these results, we continue advancing with what is shaping up to be the third-largest lithium project in Chile, in terms of resources and potential reserves," commented Enami's executive vice president, Iván Mlynarz, about a project that is only surpassed by the Salar de Atacama and Maricunga.

According to the state-owned company's EVP, "The data confirmed to date also ratifies that Enami has done its job well and allows us to move forward with more strength to finalize this project and achieve the goal of having new lithium production in Chile in the coming years."

La Isla, Aguilar, and Grande

Salar La Isla, along with Aguilar and Grande, make up the Salares Altoandinos project being developed by Enami as part of the National Lithium Strategy. The data released today about La Isla adds to the positive results disclosed last April regarding Salar Aguilar, which showed an average total lithium concentration of 740 mg/l, with a maximum of 984 mg/l for that deposit.

Exploration of the salt flats has resumed after a pause due to harsh winter conditions, continuing with drilling, deep and surface sampling, and general hydrogeological data collection from the basins under study. Meanwhile, the indigenous consultation process, associated with the granting of the Special Operation Contract (CEOL) requested from the Ministry of Mining, is ongoing with local communities.

At the same time, Enami has progressed with sending brine samples to laboratories of eight companies from Australia, Canada, China, the United States, France, and England for the analysis of direct lithium extraction technologies.

Moreover, the state-owned company has defined, after a process of expressions of interest, a shortlist of six world-class companies that will participate in the negotiation process to form a public-private partnership in the Salares Altoandinos lithium project. The list includes BYD Chile SpA (China); CNGR Advanced Material Co. Ltd (China); LG Energy Solution, LTD. (South Korea); Eramet Chile S.A. (France); POSCO Holdings Inc. (South Korea); and RIO TINTO Mining and Exploration Limited – Chile Agency (England – Australia).

In March 2025, the selection of the project partner and/or financier will be announced.