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State-owned critical mineral exploration and mining agency KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) has received approval for non-invasive exploration in three of the five lithium blocks it recently acquired in Argentina. This permission allows KABIL to use remote sensing and other techniques to identify and characterize mineral deposits without environmental disruption. Detailed reports will be required before the company can proceed with full exploration activities, according to VL Kantha Rao, Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Coal.
The three lithium blocks approved for exploration are part of a larger agreement signed in January, when KABIL entered into a ?200-crore pact with the Argentinian state-owned entity CAMYEN (Catamaca Minera Y Energitca Sociedad Del Estado). The agreement covers five lithium brine blocks—Cortadera-I, Cortadera-VII, Cortadera-VIII, Cateo-2022-01810132, and Cortadera-VI—spanning approximately 15,703 hectares in the Catamarca district.
Rao mentioned that KABIL has a two-year timeframe to complete exploration and initiate production. "We have guided for a two-year period to complete exploration activities and get the mines to start production," he said at the FIMI AGM.
As part of its international strategy, KABIL has set up a branch office in Argentina and partnered with a local contractor for exploration. The company is also exploring further opportunities abroad. In Australia, KABIL is working on leads provided by the consultancy E&Y, though no formal agreement has been signed yet. Additionally, Coal India is looking into expanding its lithium resource base in Chile and Argentina.
Lithium, often referred to as "white gold," is crucial for India’s green energy transition, particularly in energy storage, mobile phones, and electric vehicle batteries. Despite some domestic exploration, India remains heavily reliant on imported lithium and lithium-based batteries, with an import bill exceeding ?25,000 crore. |
