Chile’s La Isla Lithium Deposit Set to Become Major Project, Enami Reports

Enami

Chile’s La Isla salt flat, located in the northern Atacama region, is on track to become the country’s third-largest lithium project, according to the national mining company Enami. Recent exploration drilling at La Isla returned promising results, with lithium concentrations averaging 921 milligrams per liter (mg/l) and reaching a maximum of 979 mg/l over a depth of 252 meters.

Chile holds the world’s largest lithium reserves, accounting for 36-40% of the global total. Most of these reserves are concentrated in the Atacama salt flat in the Antofagasta region, which has positioned Chile as a major player in the global lithium market. In 2023, the state copper company Codelco reported even higher lithium concentrations at the nearby Maricunga salt flat, where they averaged over 1,000 mg/l after drilling 10 holes.

La Isla: Part of the Altoandinos Lithium Project

La Isla is part of Enami’s broader Altoandinos lithium project, which also includes the Aguilar and Grande salt flats in the same region. Earlier exploration at Aguilar returned lower average lithium concentrations of 740 mg/l, with a maximum of 984 mg/l.

In an effort to enhance lithium extraction methods while minimizing environmental impact, Enami has partnered with eight international laboratories to test direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies. Among the participating companies are France’s Adionics and Eramet, U.S.-based Lilac Solutions and SLB, China’s CADL-Lanshen, Australia’s Rio Tinto, Canada’s Nanotech, and the UK’s WaterCycle Technologies.

Additionally, Enami is negotiating with six companies to select a partner for the operation and financing of the Altoandinos project, with a decision expected by March 2025. Chile, currently the world’s second-largest lithium producer, continues to rely on output from the Atacama salt flat, and the development of La Isla will further solidify its position as a key global supplier of this essential metal.