LACUS is an Argentina-based resource company focused on the exploration and development of new sources of Lithium and Potash in Salt Brines. The company owns 179,500 acres (72,634 has.) in Puna (northern Argentina), in 2 different salars: Centenario and Pocitos. The company aims at becoming one of the key players for Lithium and Potash in a region (Puna) that accounts for almost 70% of the potential reserves of Lithium worldwide and one of the most significant sources of Potash in South America.
Salt Brines Mining has become a new specialization in the Mining Industry from early exploration stage to explotation. It is strongly linked to
hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry and reservoir engineering in the sense it involves different methods of sampling, mapping and assessing from classical mining.
Lithium and Potash exploration and development is focused on the evaluation of enriched salt brines hosted in a porous reservoir and its fluid transmissibility
characteristics. An integral understanding of hydrogeology, stratigraphy, evaporites sedimentology and reservoir engineering is crucial to a thorough assessment
of the potential of this type of deposits and its economic value. Lacus Team and associated consultants are geologists and operations professionals from Mining
and the Oil and Gas industry, reservoir engineers, geophysicists and field research scientists with a strong background in sedimentology, stratigraphy, hydrogeology
and project management. This strategic mix allows Lacus to have a dynamic and multidisciplinary approach of the challenges of salt brine deposits and hence the
competitive advantage in the search of lithium and potash in dry salt lakes.
Several factors enhance the potential for resources in the area to be the next premier lithium and potash brine resource to be developed:
The acreage owned allows the company to achieve critical mass in at least 3 different salt brines with promising anomalies in both Li and K.
The overall brine chemistry at nearby salars allows the company to use well understood, and thus lower risk processing sequences.
The resource is located close to a well maintained and sealed road leading directly to Antofagasta, Chile, which is the primary lithium export port in the world. Also, there is a railroad that links Salta Province to the potash markets in Brazil.
A large natural gas pipeline and compression station exist nearby and within the same valley as the resource, thus providing low cost access to power.
The process and the main goal of Lacus is to participate in a new generation of clean and environmentally friendly projects.
Salt Brines Mining is a natural process which is one of the most environmental sound in the industry. Most of the power used is natural (solar evaporation is the key process to obtain lithium and potassium deposits, electricity could be achieved with nearby natural gas and solar panels). The residual components are part of and constrained to the existing salt brines. Last, specifically in the case of lithium, the main use is aimed at fueling the environmentally-friendly electric car growing demand.
