mine · Argentina

Cauchari-Olaroz

A high-altitude brine operation representing the new wave of Argentine lithium supply.

OperatingRamp-upProject score 73

Operator

Independent

Country

Argentina

Mine life

40 yrs

Capex

$1.0B

Profile

Resource, economics and jurisdiction

Resource: Large brine resource in the Lithium Triangle.
Production: Nameplate capacity of 40 kt LCE annually.
Economics: Competitive brine cost structure once fully ramped.
Infrastructure: Remote high-altitude site with new power line and gas supply.
Jurisdiction: Moderate risk
Ownership: Lithium Argentina and Ganfeng joint venture
Region: Jujuy

Overview

A high-altitude brine operation representing the new wave of Argentine lithium supply.

Methodology

Version v0.1

Resource Quality: 72 (weight 1.2) — Grade, continuity and metallurgical complexity of the resource.
Project Scale: 80 (weight 1) — Annual output potential relative to the global market for its primary mineral.
Development Stage: 78 (weight 0.9) — How far the asset has advanced toward or through production.
Jurisdiction: 75 (weight 1.1) — Political stability, permitting predictability and rule of law.
Infrastructure: 70 (weight 0.9) — Access to power, water, transport and processing capacity.
Economics: 74 (weight 1.2) — Cost position and margin resilience through the price cycle.
Strategic Importance: 76 (weight 1) — Relevance to national critical mineral strategies and allied supply chains.
Supply-Chain Value: 80 (weight 1) — Whether the asset relieves a genuine downstream bottleneck.
Sustainability: 66 (weight 0.9) — Carbon intensity, water use, tailings approach and community standing.
Execution Risk: 74 (weight 1) — Technical, financing and schedule risk to reaching nameplate output. Higher is lower risk.