Cauchari-Olaroz: a lithium operation in Argentina
Cauchari-Olaroz is a brine operation producing lithium in the Salar de Olaroz and Salar de Cauchari, Jujuy province, Argentina, operated by Minera Exar. The sources report 34,100 t lithium carbonate for CY2025; the basis is the whole operation. In lithium content, whole-operation output for CY2025 is about 6,400 tonnes (derived here, not printed by the source): about 2.2% of world lithium output in 2025 and about 28% of Argentina's; it is one of 8 operations on this site whose output can be stated in lithium content.
Who owns and operates it?
| Owner | Interest | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium Argentina | 44.8% | 31 December 2025 |
| Ganfeng Lithium | 46.7% | 31 December 2025 |
| JEMSE | 8.5% | 31 December 2025 |
How much does it produce?
| Period | Output | Basis | Where in the source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CY2025 | 34,100 t lithium carbonate | Whole operation | Item 4B, 'Summary of aggregate annual production (lithium carbonate)' table, Cauchari-Olaroz 2025; same figure in Ganfeng AR PDF p.50 · Lithium Argentina AG (SEC EDGAR) |
| CY2024 | 25,400 t lithium carbonate | Whole operation | Item 4B, 'Summary of aggregate annual production (lithium carbonate)' table, Cauchari-Olaroz 2024 · Lithium Argentina AG (SEC EDGAR) |
Between CY2024 and CY2025 the reported figure rose by 34.3%, in the same unit and on the same basis.
How the lithium-content figure is worked out. 34,100 tonnes of lithium carbonate times 0.1878 tonnes of lithium per tonne of carbonate (the factor Albemarle states in its 10-K) is about 6,400 tonnes of lithium. World mine production of lithium in 2025 was 290,000 tonnes (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026); Argentina produced 23,000 tonnes.
Status: operating, as of 23 March 2026.
How does it compare?
Other lithium operations on this site: Greenbushes, Pilgangoora, Wodgina, Kathleen Valley, Salar de Atacama (SQM), Salar de Atacama (Albemarle), Goulamina, Qarhan salt lake (Qinghai Salt Lake Industry). See where lithium comes from for the country totals, the country page for Argentina.
Sources
- Lithium Argentina AG (SEC EDGAR): Form 20-F for fiscal year ended 31 December 2025 (filed 23 Mar 2026) (annual report (20-F), CY2025). Opened 3 November 2026; used: cover; Item 4A; Item 4B 'Summary of aggregate annual production' table; Cauchari-Olaroz ownership paragraph.
- U.S. Geological Survey: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Lithium (government statistical summary, 2025 (world and country mine production)). Opened 3 November 2026; used: world and country mine production table.
Method and limits
- Reported, not estimated. Output is the figure the operator or owner published, in the unit it used. This site does not estimate output where none is published.
- Shares. A share divides output in lithium content by the USGS world or country total for 2025. Where the operator's year is a fiscal year or the unit is a concentrate or a carbonate equivalent, the share is approximate or not given.
- Whole operation or owner's share. The basis column says which. A joint venture's output is never counted twice.
- Partial list. Only operations with a published figure are listed, so the rank is among those on this site, not among every lithium mine. Shares of a country's output mix periods and bases, so treat them as indicative.
- Made with AI assistance, checked against sources. The facts were gathered from the documents above by AI-assisted research and re-checked against those documents by a second, independent pass; the page text is generated from the data. No professional review took place. How the site is made. To report an error, contact us; fixes are logged on the corrections page.