With much attention falling on lithium lately, one mine is set to curb the world’s battery hunger with a promised 8,700,000 tonnes expected to be found under this spot called the Greenbushes mine. With the demand for batteries increasing, it makes sense that the focus will fall on the world-renowned Greenbushes lithium deposit. With a site known for being one of the world’s premium hard-rock lithium mineral assets, Galan Lithium has achieved quite a strategic feat in acquiring the exploration license E70/4889.
The mining district is characterized by its incredible history
Greenbushes can be found in the south-west of Western Australia. Despite mining operations occurring 250 kilometers (55 miles) south of Perth and Fremantle, these operations are happening close to container ports like Bunbury, which is located about 90 kilometers (159 miles) southeast of Greenbushes. The area has become so well-known in Australia’s mining history, as tin mining initially occurred at the Greenbushes site back in 1888. Thereafter, tantulum production can be traced back to the 1940s, followed by lithium development that began as early as the 1980s. The very first lithium processing plant was commissioned in 1985.
The geological continuity and the fact that this site is the longest continuous mining operations site in history make the license acquisition by Galan Lithium all the more interesting. The maturity of this mine and the scale of lithium ore that is predicted to be discovered are what set this project apart from other similar mining operations still in their early phases of development.
How did Greenbushes become a source of this lithium asset?
Interestingly enough, the underground deposit belonged to the Lithium–Caesium–Tantalum family of pegmatites. Despite being 2.5 million years old, this site represents a highly evolved geological environment. At this site, the lithium-rich zones extend to two kilometers (1.2 miles) in length and are heavily enriched with spodumene, which makes up half of the rock. The site is made up of a main zone and smaller pegmatite dykes and pods extending from the main body.
Such an unusual concentration, according to global standards, earns Greenbushes the reputation of having high-quality ore. The zoning of the pegmatite and the selective mining make this deposit site one that continues attracting attention.
How do mining operations happen at Greenbushes?
Talison Lithium is responsible for lithium ore mining at Greenbushes, where this white gold is mined from fresh and unweathered zones in the exposed pegmatite. The traditional drill and blast method is often relied on, which is then followed by the ore being graded and stockpiled according to its mineralogical grade and characteristics. Waste is thereafter deposited within an area of the site where it can be replanted.
At the Greenbushes mining site, there are four processing plants. One plant is responsible for producing technical-grade lithium concentrates, whilst two plants are meant to produce chemical-grade lithium concentrates. The last plant serves to re-treat historical tailings. The ore that contains Li20 gets fed into the processing plants to upgrade the lithium minerals. A variety of modes are used in the lithium processing plants to produce various lithium concentrates that are meant to meet customer requirements. The focus on Li20 is surely triggering “blue” gold fever as lithium continues to be seen as valuable throughout the world.
What does Galan Lithium’s acquisition of the ground adjacent to Greenbushes mean?
Greenbushes can be seen as a key player contributing to the global lithium supply, but for Galan Lithium, the acquisition of the exploration license signifies high exploration potential and the chance to position itself as a leader in the global lithium market. For Galan Lithium, the focus will stay on phase 1 construction at the Ombre Muerto West (HMW) project in Argentina, but the exploration of Greenbushes would enable a dual-asset approach for this company, making the company one with a diversified portfolio. Having access to white gold deposits could stun the world, as it means having access to the game-changer for decades