Pakistan discovers lithium in underground brine

Islamabad – Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has achieved a major scientific milestone by confirming the presence of lithium in underground formation water (brine) in Pakistan for the first time. The concentration is reported to be comparable to that found in some of the world’s well-known lithium-bearing geothermal brines.

According to sources, the discovery was made during advanced geochemical analysis of formation water obtained from a successfully tested high-temperature geothermal well under OGDCL’s pilot geothermal program.

Senior OGDCL officials told The News that this is the first discovery of its kind in Pakistan. With this achievement, Pakistan has joined the list of countries exploring geothermal brine as a potential source of lithium.

Lithium is considered a critical mineral in the global transition to clean energy. It is an essential component in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, large-scale energy storage systems and a wide range of advanced technologies.