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Oregon May Be Sitting on One of the World’s Biggest Lithium Deposits but Who Really Benefits if It Becomes a Mine? Top Stories By Lucille McNamara On Dec 13, 2025 Last updated Dec 13, 2025 FILE - McDermitt Caldera high desert on the Oregon Nevada line. September, 2023 A massive deposit of lithium, which could overtake the giant South American ‘Lithium Triangle,’ has been identified in Malheur County, Oregon. Tidings Data Snapshot Identified lithium resources : share of world total Lithium Triangle : 56.0M tons / about 49% Australia : 8.7M tons / about 8% China : 6.8M tons / about 6% Rest of world : about 44.0M tons / about 38% Total shown : about 115.5M tons Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 : Lithium (identified resources by country) Dailytidings.com This discovery could be the largest single deposit of lithium worldwide, with estimates exceeding the trillions of dollars generated by the Bolivia, Argentina, Chile triangle. Yesterday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced the expansion of lithium exploration in southern Malheur County. Oregon’s Lithium Jackpot Raises a Bigger Question About Who Actually Benefits in Malheur County Now, the question on many lips is who will benefit from the rich returns of this discovery if the area in Malheur County becomes a lithium mine. The monetary value of a lithium mine runs into trillions of dollars and will attract massive investments. The scarcity of lithium makes it a strategic resource, rather than an asset with a single fixed value. Australian-based HighTech Minerals has been given the go-ahead by BLM to explore the land for development as a lithium mine. HighTech will oversee the intensive drilling exploration by Jindalee Lithium in Malheur County for the next five years. The Malheur County Exploration Land Will Undergo Major Disturbance The BLM public lands, bordering Nevada, will undergo major disturbance of up to 73 acres created by 168 exploration drill sites across 7,200 acres, including construction of 22 miles of new access routes and equipment storage facilities. What was approved Maximum described by BLM Project area 7,200 acres of public lands Exploration drill sites 168 sites Total surface disturbance Up to 73 acres New access routes 22 miles Annual drilling window July 1 to November 30 Duration Up to five years Reclamation timing After each drill season Exploration drilling will take place annually for the next five years between July and November. BLM says disturbed areas of land will be reclaimed after each drilling session. Subsurface hydrological, geophysical, and Geochemical data could be collected during drilling activities. BLM’s Acting Malheur Field Manager, Tara McLain, says the approval represents a significant step forward to achieving the nation’s energy goals and reducing dependence on critical minerals from foreign sources. Lithium was placed on the Department of the Interior’s list of critical minerals in 2017. Presently, the U.S. Depends on Imported Lithium For its Needs The United States relies heavily on imported lithium to manufacture lithium-ion batteries that are vital to national security and the transition to low-carbon transportation and energy storage. Tidings Data Snapshot Where lithium is used in the US Batteries 87% Ceramics and glass 5% Lubricating greases 2% Other uses combined 6% Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 : Lithium (end uses) Dailytidings.com If the area is mined, it is estimated that the mine will provide for the U.S.’s lithium needs for the next 63 years. Time will tell if the 31,700 people living in one of Oregon’s poorest counties will benefit from the proposed lithium mine. Currently, Malheur is home to a low median household income of just under $50,000 and an unemployment rate of 4%. Tidings Data Snapshot Malheur County : community baseline 32,315 Population estimate : July 2024 $49,902 Median household income : 2019 to 2023 19.7% Residents in poverty $23,814 Per capita income : 2019 to 2023 4.0% Unemployment rate : 2024 annual Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts / BLS local unemployment data (annual) Dailytidings.com Finally, the “unanswered question” on many lips is whether Malheur County and the state end up with refineries, manufacturing, and long-term jobs, or just hundreds of acres of disturbed land with exploration roads and truck traffic, while the real value flows elsewhere. Malheur County Share Twitter Facebook ReddIt WhatsApp Pinterest Email