According to a report by Mining.com, American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) recently announced the inferred resource estimates for its Tonopah Flats lithium mine project located in Nevada, USA, which have been independently audited. The company stated that this mine has become one of the largest known lithium deposits in the United States.
　　The Tonopah Flat Lithium Project is located in Big Smoky Valley, Nevada, covering an area of 10,340 acres and comprising 517 unpatented mining claims. ABTC holds 100% equity interest in the project and is entitled to ownership of the underground mineral resources without paying any royalties.
　　In the summer of 2021, ABTC began conducting surface sampling on these mineral rights and subsequently carried out several underground drilling programs, with a total footage of 12,000 feet, covering 65% of the mineral rights area.
　　The company stated that, through this analysis, the resource volume of the open-pit mining area has been estimated, which can support a processing capacity of at least 200,000 tons of clay and rock per day.
　　The analysis indicates that the Tonopah Flat mineral rights have estimated resources equivalent to 15.8 million tons of lithium carbonate.
　　ABTC stated that, combined with its own developed lithium extraction and lithium hydroxide production technologies, this project could become a major lithium production base within the United States, helping to meet the growing demand for lithium products.
　　By expanding the drilling scope in the north and south, as well as at deeper depths, it is possible to significantly increase the resource volume.
　　“Discovering one of the largest lithium deposits in the U.S. is truly exciting,” said Ryan Melsert, CEO of ABTC, in a statement. “However, simply identifying inferred resource estimates isn’t enough to help us meet the challenges of boosting domestic production of critical battery metals, lowering the costs of battery metal production, and reducing the environmental impact associated with their production.”
　　He said that developing these resources also requires the technology to extract these metals.
　　“Over the past few years, we have conducted technical research on the development of clay-type lithium deposits in Nevada. The related technologies have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy. In 2021, we were selected to receive R&D funding, and in 2022, we were again selected to receive funding for the construction of a commercial-scale clay lithium hydroxide refining plant.”