Our exploration teams reveal the potential of Centenario-Ratones
Eramine's decision to establish a lithium processing plant in Argentina's Centenario-Ratones basin is the result of many years of research, exploration and strategic thinking. As a result of this exploration work, the lithium potential of the Centenario-Ratones Basin has been shown to be promising.
Following a period of three years of extensive exploration and the obtaining of mining permits, Eramine now owns 570km2 of land, and is predominantly focusing on the Ratones area when it comes to the initial phase of the project.
With the first pre-feasibility studies in 2015, the southern part of the lithium deposit emerged as the focal point due to optimal flow rate values and substantial lithium resources. Environmental and engineering studies kickstarted in tandem with the need to pinpoint the plant's precise location.
The lithium stock in the Centenario-Ratones basin is substantial, with an underground deposit stretching over 70 km and deposits beginning at depths of 250m below the surface, it contains the equivalent of 15 million metric tonnes of lithium carbonate (LCE). To exploit these deposits, in November 2021, the Group began the construction of an industrial complex comprising a pump mine and a production plant.
Phase 1 of the project will tap into 6% of these deposits over 20 years, necessitating the installation of 19 pumping wells to extract the required brine volumes for a production of 24 thousand tons of LCE per year.
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Centenario-Ratones basin is home to a total 15 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).