Bolivias state-owned company, Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB), has initiated an exploration campaign to assess the potential of salt flats and increase the countrys lithium reserves.The Vice-Minister of Exploration and Exploitation of Energy Resources, Ral Mayta, announced this endeavor, which involves drilling 63 wells across various salt flats in the Potos department.The primary objective is to gather data on brine resources, water availability, and chemical composition.Dal desert in the Potossi department.
(Photo Internet reproduction)Bolivia already possesses significant lithium reserves in the Uyuni salt flat, but further exploration in other salt flats is necessary to ascertain their exploitation potential and expand the overall reserves.In 2019, the United States company SRK conducted a geological reserve certification in the Uyuni salt flat, involving the drilling of 50-meter deep wells across a substantial portion of the salt desert.Most of Bolivias lithium reserves are located in the Uyuni salt flat, covering an expansive area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers.Additional reserves are found in Coipasa, Pastos Grandes, and other salt flats within the countrys Andean region.YLB has identified at least 32 smaller salt flats in Bolivias western territory, mainly in the Oruro and Potos departments.The current exploration campaign aims to quantify the resources within Bolivias salt flats and gain insights into their potential for lithium extraction.By expanding the reserves, Bolivia seeks to enhance its position as one of the countries with significant evaporite resources, with lithium reserves currently estimated at 21 million tons in the Uyuni salt flat.The exploration efforts will help inform future plans for the sustainable development of Bolivias lithium resources, ensuring its responsible exploitation while meeting global demands.