Strategic Asset Leasing Inc (LEAS)

[PLUTUS]

The Lithium Triangle





LITHIUM DEPOSITS IN THE CENTRAL ANDES

The Lithium Triangle

The Lithium Triangle is the largest know world deposits of lithium which are contained in brines in halite (sodium chloride) evaporitic basins, high in the Andes Mountains, in a triangle formed by the South-West of Bolivia (Uyuni), the North-East of Chile (Atacama) and the North-West of Argentina (Hombre Muerto, Pozuelos, Rincon). .

These evaporitic basins are called "salares". The salares have different chemical compositions: In the Argentinean Puna, the eastern salares are rich in borates while the western salares contain important economic reserves of sulphates. Likewise, most salares have sodium chloride, calcium sulphate and minor quantities of carbonates. Currently, some of these salares produce borates from ulexite and borax; a mining activity with an annual turnover of 50 million US Dollars. Common salt is also mined commercially from these salares.

More importantly, the halitic salares contain brines rich in chemicals of which the most important is lithium, followed by boron, magnesium, potash, cesium and strontium.