Iran just hit the LITHIUM Jackpot!

Indus

Lifer
May 11, 2002
16,013
11,134
136

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
35,746
10,048
136
Always time for a good old fashion invasion....
(They are aiding Russia)
(They are going to produce nuclear weapons, imminently)

Sort of feels like we are not going to stop them from doing anything they want. But they are definitely in China's pocket, not ours. We're going to need an Arab ally that has nuclear weapons, to serve as a check against this rising regional power. Iran cannot be allowed to be the only ones with a blank check.
 

gorobei

Diamond Member
Jan 7, 2007
4,012
1,515
136
zeihan covered it
the lithium is up in a remote region over the mountains. the transport costs to move the ore down to the industrial area would eat up any profit, and the cost to build an ore refining/extraction much less having the technical knowledge/equipment is too expensive for iran to do without outside help/investment. and this is assuming the iranians arent lying about the accessibility and concentration of the deposits.

there are other nations with lithium deposits in similar situations; the actual funding, building, and transport economics are the hurdle.


i would assume that by the time they might be able to get something built with maybe china's help, sodium and other battery chemistry tech will ease demand causing the price of lithium to fall. CATL's Na batteries and some of the lithium-sulfur startups are claiming to be close to getting to scale production.
 

feralkid

Lifer
Jan 28, 2002
16,855
4,967
136
Always time for a good old fashion invasion....
(They are aiding Russia)
(They are going to produce nuclear weapons, imminently)

Sort of feels like we are not going to stop them from doing anything they want. But they are definitely in China's pocket, not ours. We're going to need an Arab ally that has nuclear weapons, to serve as a check against this rising regional power. Iran cannot be allowed to be the only ones with a blank check.



Ah, Jeez...not this shit again.

beer-1018173_5a00a_hd.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: hal2kilo and Oric

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,216
17,892
126
just build desalination plants. as you produce fresh water, the by-product is lithium sodium. Lithium is like 0.2PPM of seawater.


The Iranian find would make it equal Chile in terms of reserves.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Leeea and hal2kilo

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,515
17,017
136
How is this not a good thing? When countries have natural resources that the world wants doesn’t that mean they need to play nice on the international stage? They don’t have any leverage to otherwise, right?
 
  • Like
Reactions: WelshBloke

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,163
136
Oil, Lithium, what's the difference? Both have, or soon will become political and that means bad news for us U.S.
I'm kinda sad. I was hoping Fusion would make both oil and lithium moot and an unnecessary evil. Face it folks, we're just born at the wrong time. Please clone me 1000 years from now. ;)
 

Indus

Lifer
May 11, 2002
16,013
11,134
136
Oil, Lithium, what's the difference? Both have, or soon will become political and that means bad news for us U.S.
I'm kinda sad. I was hoping Fusion would make both oil and lithium moot and an unnecessary evil. Face it folks, we're just born at the wrong time. Please clone me 1000 years from now. ;)

Actually I kind of forsee the US not liking China making inroads in its backyard (South America), so it'll definitely be a problem for China eventually.

The find in Iran can also be stopped if shipping by sea unless China finds a way to make transports go through Pakistan.

So there will definitely be wars this century over food (Ukraine), water (Crimea) and Lithium (Iran, South America).

We had better do our best to stay ahead of the curve!
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
35,746
10,048
136
How is this not a good thing? When countries have natural resources that the world wants doesn’t that mean they need to play nice on the international stage? They don’t have any leverage to otherwise, right?

Play nice with who?
They can sell those resources to fellow countries in Asia.
Having resource / money does not mean Iran needs to suddenly change or play nice with us.
 

JTsyo

Lifer
Nov 18, 2007
12,032
1,132
126
Does it matter if China buys it? If they are getting their supply from Iran then there's less demand for the other sources and prices should drop.
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,515
17,017
136

Seriously. The last thing the people of Iran need is a foreign threat their government can point to as the reason for all their troubles. Iran and its people have a history of some form of democracy and it needs to be encouraged and fed, not suffocated and isolated only to be saved by an authoritarian regime.

Just a reminder, Iran agreed to the nuclear treaty and it wasn’t Iran that broke that agreement. While it would be foolhardy to trust them completely, there should be some good faith given to it and it most certainly should happen before its relationship with the Saudi’s is cemented.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Leeea and hal2kilo

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
20,980
16,227
136
If the Iranian people manage to topple their government and put something sane in its place, Iran should be in a pretty comfortable position due to this discovery in a few years time?