Lithium
Prospectivity
The Territory has significant lithium resources and exploration potential associated with spodumene-bearing pegmatites in the Bynoe pegmatite field, located close to the port of Darwin, where the Territory’s first lithium mine was in production till June 2024.
Ongoing exploration by multiple companies continues to grow the resource base in the Bynoe field. Core Lithium Ltd, Lithium Plus Minerals Ltd, Ragusa Minerals Ltd, Charger Metals NL, Evergreen Lithium Ltd and DeSoto Resources Ltd are having early-stage exploration success for lithium in the Pine Creek Orogen, including the Bynoe field.
Numerous earlier stage exploration projects are also underway in the Barrow Creek and Anningie pegmatite fields in the Aileron Province of Central Australia. Askari Metals Ltd, Australasian Metals Ltd, Encounter Resources Ltd, Core Lithium Ltd, Eastern Metals Ltd, Lithium Springs Ltd, Oceana Lithium Ltd and Tivan Ltd are exploring in the Aileron Province in central Australia including the Barrow Creek and Anningie pegmatite fields. Indications of new spodumene-bearing pegmatites in the Reynolds Range, west of Ti Tree, have recently been announced by iTech Minerals Ltd (in joint venture with Prodigy Gold NL).
Download the Lithium opportunities factsheet PDF (4.0 MB).
Projects
Core Lithium Ltd commenced production at the Territory’s first lithium mine at the Finniss project near Darwin in late 2022. Mining has progressed at the Grants open pit mine with production guidance of 90–95 kt of spodumene concentrate in 2023/24, plus 46 kt of lithium fines. Concentrate is trucked 88 km to Darwin Port for export. The operation went into care and maintenance in June 2024.
An updated feasibility study is on hold at BP33 deposit, with exploration and resource growth a key focus for the company in 2024.
| Region | Name | Annual production | Resource | Company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Creek Orogen | Finniss | 209,166 tonnes (2023-24) | 48.2 Mt @ 1.26% Li2O | Core Lithium Ltd |
| Region | Name | Resource | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Creek Orogen | BP33 | 10.5 Mt @ 1.53% Li2O (included in FInniss global resource) | Core Lithium Ltd |
| Region | Name | Resource | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Creek Orogen | Lei | 4.1 Mt @ 1.43% Li2O | Lithium Plus Minerals Ltd |
| Grants (Finniss) | 2.32 Mt @ 1.45% Li2O | Core Lithium Ltd | |
| Carlton (Finniss) | 6.34 Mt @ 1.30% Li2O | ||
| Lees (Finniss) | 11.2 Mt @ 1.14% Li2O | ||
| Ah Hoy (Finniss) | 4.64 Mt @ 1.31% Li2O | ||
| Booths (Finniss) | 3.24 Mt @ 1.02% Li2O | ||
| Penfolds (Finniss) | 1.36 Mt @ 1.24% Li2O | ||
| Hang Gong (Finniss) | 3.46 Mt @ 1.16% Li2O | ||
| Sandras (Finniss) | 1.73 Mt @ 0.89% Li2O | ||
| Bilatos (Finniss) | 1.92 Mt @ 1.03% Li2O | ||
| Seadog (Finniss) | 1.41 Mt @ 1.81% Li2O |
| Region | Name | Exploration results | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Creek Orogen | Finniss | BP33: 90.17 m @ 1.80% Li2O Ah Hoy: 40 m @ 1.42% Li2O Seadog: 8 m @ 1.3% Li2O | Core Lithium Ltd |
| Lei | 50 m @ 1.83% Li2O | Lithium Plus Minerals Ltd | |
| Perserverence | 19 m @ 1.58% Li2O | ||
| Enterprise | 5 m @ 1.13% Li2O | Charger Metals Ltd |
More information
- Lithium opportunities factsheet NT_Feb 2024
- Lithium GEMIS search
- Rawlings (2019). Update on the Finniss lithium project. AGES 2019 Proceedings.
- Rawlings (2017). Lithium-rich pegmatites of the Bynoe field. AGES 2017 Proceedings.
- Frater (2005). Tin-tantalum pegmatite mineralisation of the Northern Territory. NTGS Report 16.
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