Categories: Base Metals / Energy / General Market Commentary
Topics: General Base Metals / General Energy / General Market Commentary

The Clayton Valley: Nevada’s Lithium Hotspot

The Clayton Valley: Nevada’s Lithium Hotspot

Here's a closer look at Nevada's Clayton Valley and some of the lithium companies operating there.

The lithium space has certainly been getting plenty of attention as of late, with investor excitement largely driven by rising lithium prices and increasing demand from the lithium-ion battery sector.

Most of the world’s lithium is currently produced in Australia, Chile and Argentina, but more recently, there’s been a veritable lithium rush in Nevada as well.

Ever since Tesla Motors’ (NASDAQ:TSLA) announced that it would build its massive lithium-ion battery gigafactory in Nevada, more and more junior mining companies have been moving in on the state to try their hand at developing lithium brine projects. The gigafactory is now under construction, and interest in the lithium space continues to grow, much of it focused in the Clayton Valley.

Furthermore, Nevada’s Clayton Valley is currently home to the only producing lithium brine operation in the United States, the Silver Peak Mine. Silver Peak is controlled by Rockwood Lithium, which was acquired by Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) in 2015.

Here’s a closer look at the Clayton Valley, and at some of the companies operating there.

A brief overview of the Clayton Valley
According to a 2013 report on lithium brine deposits from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Clayton Valley covers roughly 100 square kilometers, but has a catchment area of approximately 1,400 square kilometers. That’s because the Clayton Valley sits lower than at least four adjacent basins, all of which are hydrologically linked.

“In this case, it is the combined area of all five linked catchments that matters, making the effective area of the Clayton Valley Li-brine system much larger,” the report explained.

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