[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":702},["ShallowReactive",2],{"ticker-data":3,"story-article/millennial-lithium-bidding-war-shows-scramble-for-argentinian-lithium":550},[4,52,82,112,148,186,229,261,297,336,378,419,460,490,520],{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":8,"today":9,"last":10,"percentageChange":11,"yearToDate":12,"yearOnYear":13,"oneYearIndexTrend":14,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-14","2wk","Updated every 2 weeks","Lithium",317.07,322.34,-1.64,35.66,90.62,[15,16,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45],{"date":5,"value":9},{"date":17,"value":10},"2026-09-30",{"date":19,"value":20},"2026-09-16",354.99,{"date":22,"value":23},"2026-09-02",385.07,{"date":25,"value":26},"2026-08-19",372.67,{"date":28,"value":29},"2026-08-05",367.54,{"date":31,"value":32},"2026-07-22",388.26,{"date":34,"value":35},"2026-07-08",399.4,{"date":37,"value":38},"2026-06-24",410.62,{"date":40,"value":41},"2026-06-10",427.77,{"date":43,"value":44},"2026-05-27",449.85,{"date":46,"value":47},"2026-05-13",451.12,"/lithium/prices",null,false,true,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":53,"today":54,"last":55,"percentageChange":56,"yearToDate":57,"yearOnYear":58,"oneYearIndexTrend":59,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Carbonate",256.83,278.71,-7.85,1.12,46.89,[60,61,62,64,66,68,70,72,74,76,78,80],{"date":5,"value":54},{"date":17,"value":55},{"date":19,"value":63},300.39,{"date":22,"value":65},306.07,{"date":25,"value":67},297.22,{"date":28,"value":69},296.63,{"date":31,"value":71},309.38,{"date":34,"value":73},317.2,{"date":37,"value":75},330.54,{"date":40,"value":77},346.5,{"date":43,"value":79},358.35,{"date":46,"value":81},350.28,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":83,"today":84,"last":85,"percentageChange":86,"yearToDate":87,"yearOnYear":88,"oneYearIndexTrend":89,"url":48,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Lithium Hydroxide",292.05,311.1,-6.12,43.7,92,[90,91,92,94,96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110],{"date":5,"value":84},{"date":17,"value":85},{"date":19,"value":93},339.85,{"date":22,"value":95},352.45,{"date":25,"value":97},341.12,{"date":28,"value":99},337.87,{"date":31,"value":101},354.36,{"date":34,"value":103},364.06,{"date":37,"value":105},376.67,{"date":40,"value":107},393.29,{"date":43,"value":109},411.01,{"date":46,"value":111},408.51,{"publishedDate":5,"updateFrequency":113,"updateFrequencyText":114,"label":115,"today":116,"last":117,"percentageChange":118,"yearToDate":119,"yearOnYear":120,"oneYearIndexTrend":121,"url":147,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1wk","Updated every week","Cobalt",171.41,173.83,-1.39,-27.13,-1.06,[122,123,125,126,129,131,133,136,138,141,142,145],{"date":5,"value":116},{"date":124,"value":117},"2026-10-07",{"date":17,"value":117},{"date":127,"value":128},"2026-09-23",175.44,{"date":19,"value":130},178.66,{"date":22,"value":132},189.92,{"date":134,"value":135},"2026-08-26",192.6,{"date":25,"value":137},199.83,{"date":139,"value":140},"2026-08-12",217.25,{"date":28,"value":140},{"date":143,"value":144},"2026-07-29",221.25,{"date":31,"value":146},224.44,"/cobalt/prices",{"publishedDate":149,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":150,"today":151,"last":152,"percentageChange":153,"yearToDate":154,"yearOnYear":155,"oneYearIndexTrend":156,"url":185,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-21","Nickel",107.13,114.04,-6.06,-11.27,-0.65,[157,158,159,161,164,166,168,170,173,176,179,182],{"date":149,"value":151},{"date":124,"value":152},{"date":127,"value":160},116.1,{"date":162,"value":163},"2026-09-09",119.13,{"date":134,"value":165},119.61,{"date":139,"value":167},121.04,{"date":143,"value":169},121.19,{"date":171,"value":172},"2026-07-15",122.66,{"date":174,"value":175},"2026-07-01",125.61,{"date":177,"value":178},"2026-06-17",131.5,{"date":180,"value":181},"2026-06-03",134.65,{"date":183,"value":184},"2026-05-20",135.83,"/nickel/prices",{"publishedDate":17,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":189,"today":190,"last":191,"percentageChange":192,"yearToDate":193,"yearOnYear":194,"oneYearIndexTrend":195,"url":228,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"1mo","Updated every month","Natural Graphite",78.45,80.18,-2.16,-3.84,-4.03,[196,197,199,202,205,208,211,214,217,220,223,226],{"date":17,"value":190},{"date":198,"value":191},"2026-08-28",{"date":200,"value":201},"2026-07-31",80.66,{"date":203,"value":204},"2026-06-30",82.87,{"date":206,"value":207},"2026-05-29",82.99,{"date":209,"value":210},"2026-04-30",82.93,{"date":212,"value":213},"2026-03-31",82.39,{"date":215,"value":216},"2026-02-27",81.92,{"date":218,"value":219},"2026-01-30",81.69,{"date":221,"value":222},"2025-12-31",81.58,{"date":224,"value":225},"2025-11-28",81.35,{"date":227,"value":225},"2025-10-31","/natural-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":17,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":230,"today":231,"last":232,"percentageChange":233,"yearToDate":234,"yearOnYear":235,"oneYearIndexTrend":236,"url":260,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Anode Coke",86.15,81.86,5.24,15.73,19.78,[237,238,239,241,242,244,246,248,250,252,254,257],{"date":17,"value":231},{"date":200,"value":232},{"date":203,"value":240},80.54,{"date":206,"value":240},{"date":209,"value":243},84.01,{"date":212,"value":245},79.79,{"date":215,"value":247},75.72,{"date":218,"value":249},74.61,{"date":221,"value":251},74.44,{"date":227,"value":253},72.75,{"date":255,"value":256},"2025-09-30",71.92,{"date":258,"value":259},"2025-08-29",71.46,"/synthetic-graphite/prices",{"publishedDate":262,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":263,"today":264,"last":265,"percentageChange":266,"yearToDate":267,"yearOnYear":268,"oneYearIndexTrend":269,"url":296,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-15","Anode",80.45,80.24,0.27,1.81,3.2,[270,271,273,275,276,278,281,284,287,289,291,293],{"date":262,"value":264},{"date":272,"value":265},"2026-09-15",{"date":274,"value":265},"2026-08-17",{"date":171,"value":265},{"date":277,"value":265},"2026-06-15",{"date":279,"value":280},"2026-05-15",79.16,{"date":282,"value":283},"2026-04-15",81.98,{"date":285,"value":286},"2026-03-16",79.03,{"date":288,"value":286},"2026-02-16",{"date":290,"value":286},"2026-01-15",{"date":292,"value":286},"2025-12-15",{"date":294,"value":295},"2025-11-17",77.79,"/anode/prices",{"publishedDate":298,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":299,"today":300,"last":301,"percentageChange":302,"yearToDate":303,"yearOnYear":304,"oneYearIndexTrend":305,"url":335,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-08-01","Cathode",73.32,77.21,-5.04,14.41,55.07,[306,307,308,311,314,317,320,323,325,327,329,332],{"date":298,"value":300},{"date":174,"value":301},{"date":309,"value":310},"2026-06-01",80.32,{"date":312,"value":313},"2026-05-01",81.71,{"date":315,"value":316},"2026-04-01",77.27,{"date":318,"value":319},"2026-03-01",81.99,{"date":321,"value":322},"2026-02-01",80.5,{"date":290,"value":324},72.79,{"date":292,"value":326},64.08,{"date":294,"value":328},62.01,{"date":330,"value":331},"2025-10-15",53.51,{"date":333,"value":334},"2025-09-15",49.5,"/cathode/prices",{"publishedDate":337,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":338,"today":339,"last":340,"percentageChange":341,"yearToDate":342,"yearOnYear":343,"oneYearIndexTrend":344,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2025-03-31","Lithium ion Batteries",74.53,71.3,4.53,-1.6,-20.88,[345,346,348,351,354,357,360,363,366,368,371,374],{"date":337,"value":339},{"date":347,"value":340},"2025-02-28",{"date":349,"value":350},"2025-01-31",71.45,{"date":352,"value":353},"2024-12-31",75.74,{"date":355,"value":356},"2024-11-29",76.98,{"date":358,"value":359},"2024-10-31",77.34,{"date":361,"value":362},"2024-09-30",77.43,{"date":364,"value":365},"2024-08-30",80.56,{"date":367,"value":207},"2024-07-31",{"date":369,"value":370},"2024-06-28",87.2,{"date":372,"value":373},"2024-05-31",90.7,{"date":375,"value":376},"2024-04-30",93.2,"/battery-gigafactory/prices",{"publishedDate":379,"updateFrequency":6,"updateFrequencyText":7,"label":380,"today":381,"last":382,"percentageChange":383,"yearToDate":384,"yearOnYear":385,"oneYearIndexTrend":386,"url":418,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"2026-10-08","Black Mass",37.11,38.95,-4.72,-14,18.31,[387,388,390,393,396,399,402,405,408,411,414,416],{"date":379,"value":381},{"date":389,"value":382},"2026-09-24",{"date":391,"value":392},"2026-09-10",42.03,{"date":394,"value":395},"2026-08-27",43.88,{"date":397,"value":398},"2026-08-13",42.33,{"date":400,"value":401},"2026-07-30",43.42,{"date":403,"value":404},"2026-07-16",46.74,{"date":406,"value":407},"2026-07-02",46.01,{"date":409,"value":410},"2026-06-18",49.57,{"date":412,"value":413},"2026-02-12",47.34,{"date":415,"value":410},"2026-01-29",{"date":290,"value":417},43.15,"/recycling/black-mass-prices",{"publishedDate":262,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":420,"today":421,"last":422,"percentageChange":423,"yearToDate":424,"yearOnYear":425,"oneYearIndexTrend":426,"url":459,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"Rare Earths",172.08,171.72,0.21,20.59,30.21,[427,428,430,433,436,439,442,445,448,451,454,457],{"date":262,"value":421},{"date":429,"value":422},"2026-10-01",{"date":431,"value":432},"2026-09-03",170.83,{"date":434,"value":435},"2026-08-20",169.63,{"date":437,"value":438},"2026-08-06",172.28,{"date":440,"value":441},"2026-07-23",173.94,{"date":443,"value":444},"2026-07-09",171.69,{"date":446,"value":447},"2026-06-25",168.55,{"date":449,"value":450},"2026-06-11",165,{"date":452,"value":453},"2026-05-28",163.89,{"date":455,"value":456},"2026-05-14",172.63,{"date":209,"value":458},175.6,"/rare-earths/prices",{"publishedDate":198,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":461,"today":462,"last":463,"percentageChange":464,"yearToDate":465,"yearOnYear":466,"oneYearIndexTrend":467,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM Mid-Nickel",152.7,162.48,-6.02,17.38,53.11,[468,469,470,472,474,476,478,480,482,484,486,488],{"date":198,"value":462},{"date":200,"value":463},{"date":203,"value":471},171.08,{"date":206,"value":473},173.65,{"date":209,"value":475},164.53,{"date":212,"value":477},157.28,{"date":215,"value":479},151.44,{"date":218,"value":481},144.5,{"date":221,"value":483},130.09,{"date":224,"value":485},124.6,{"date":227,"value":487},122.35,{"date":255,"value":489},103.5,{"publishedDate":198,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":491,"today":492,"last":493,"percentageChange":494,"yearToDate":495,"yearOnYear":496,"oneYearIndexTrend":497,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"NCM High-Nickel",144.45,149.67,-3.49,26.69,49.06,[498,499,500,502,504,506,508,510,512,514,516,518],{"date":198,"value":492},{"date":200,"value":493},{"date":203,"value":501},157.37,{"date":206,"value":503},160,{"date":209,"value":505},149.53,{"date":212,"value":507},141.97,{"date":215,"value":509},136.99,{"date":218,"value":511},129.81,{"date":221,"value":513},114.02,{"date":224,"value":515},109.17,{"date":227,"value":517},109.02,{"date":255,"value":519},99.44,{"publishedDate":198,"updateFrequency":187,"updateFrequencyText":188,"label":521,"today":522,"last":523,"percentageChange":524,"yearToDate":525,"yearOnYear":526,"oneYearIndexTrend":527,"url":377,"subscription":49,"isProtected":50,"hasAccess":51},"LFP",229.17,218.34,4.96,49.35,83.44,[528,529,530,532,534,536,538,540,542,544,546,548],{"date":198,"value":522},{"date":200,"value":523},{"date":203,"value":531},239.1,{"date":206,"value":533},258.32,{"date":209,"value":535},239.37,{"date":212,"value":537},213.01,{"date":215,"value":539},204.49,{"date":218,"value":541},218.06,{"date":221,"value":543},153.45,{"date":224,"value":545},134.02,{"date":227,"value":547},118.22,{"date":255,"value":549},111.93,{"id":551,"uuid":552,"name":553,"slug":554,"full_slug":555,"content":556,"relatedArticles":700,"relatedVideos":701},112473199255363,"bb212559-a0e4-4206-8c0a-f7244f2a5f8c","Millennial Lithium bidding war shows scramble for Argentinian lithium","millennial-lithium-bidding-war-shows-scramble-for-argentinian-lithium","article/millennial-lithium-bidding-war-shows-scramble-for-argentinian-lithium",{"_uid":557,"date":558,"tags":559,"editor":566,"content":576,"excerpt":679,"featured":50,"reporter":680,"_editable":684,"component":685,"seo_title":553,"categories":686,"visibility":692,"author_company":49,"featured_image":693,"seo_description":679,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":698,"formattedArticleDate":699},"6a7e16c6-6cc0-46b7-8f7f-3a240af2592c","2021-11-05 00:00",[560,563],{"slug":561,"name":562},"argentina","Argentina",{"slug":564,"name":565},"data-visualisation","Data Visualisation",[567],{"slug":568,"name":569,"content":570},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":571,"image":572,"bio":574,"linkedin":575},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":573},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/14738033ec/matthew-bird.jpeg","Matthew writes, edits and produces content for Benchmark Intelligence and Benchmark Source across the whole mine to grid supply chain. He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":577,"content":578},"doc",[579,586,591,596,601,606,611,616,621,626,631,636,641,646,651,656,661,666,671],{"type":580,"attrs":581,"content":582},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[583],{"text":584,"type":585},"A bidding war for the lithium producer Millennial Lithium is highlighting Argentina’s emergence as a key future supplier to the electric vehicle industry. ","text",{"type":580,"attrs":587,"content":588},{"textAlign":49},[589],{"text":590,"type":585},"Canadian miner Lithium Americas offered $400m this week in shares and cash for Vancouver-listed Millennial Lithium, the third offer for the company this year following one by China’s largest battery maker CATL and lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium. ",{"type":580,"attrs":592,"content":593},{"textAlign":49},[594],{"text":595,"type":585},"The deal comes amid a wave of investment in lithium assets in Argentina as the country looks set to produce almost as much lithium as its neighbor Chile by the end of the decade, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s Cameron Perks. ",{"type":580,"attrs":597,"content":598},{"textAlign":49},[599],{"text":600,"type":585},"Last month Chinese gold and copper miner Zijin Mining made a C$960 million all-cash offer to acquire Neo Lithium and its Tres Quebradas lithium project in Argentina, which is set to produce around 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent per year. ",{"type":580,"attrs":602,"content":603},{"textAlign":49},[604],{"text":605,"type":585},"Argentina could account for 14% of the global lithium market by 2031 from 8% today, almost equal to Chile’s share at 15%, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s Lithium Forecast.",{"type":580,"attrs":607,"content":608},{"textAlign":49},[609],{"text":610,"type":585},"The investment in Argentina comes despite an economic crisis in the country as the government grapples with annual inflation that is over 50%. ",{"type":580,"attrs":612,"content":613},{"textAlign":49},[614],{"text":615,"type":585},"Jon Evans, chief executive of Lithium Americas, said despite the macro economic uncertainties royalties for lithium exports in Argentina were still lower than in neighbouring Chile. In addition, Argentina’s provincial governments were supportive of the lithium industry as they are keen to get hold of foreign currency. ",{"type":580,"attrs":617,"content":618},{"textAlign":49},[619],{"text":620,"type":585},"“My belief is Argentina will be where the bulk of the investment goes because Chile is kind of a mess,” he said. “Argentina is open for business.” ",{"type":580,"attrs":622,"content":623},{"textAlign":49},[624],{"text":625,"type":585},"Renewed protests against the government in Chile this year have raised fears about politics in the country. Chile is in the process of rewriting its Pinochet-era constitution and will have an election on November 21. ",{"type":580,"attrs":627,"content":628},{"textAlign":49},[629],{"text":630,"type":585},"“There’s a lot happening in Chile,” Albemarle’s chief executive Jerry Masters said this week. “So there’s definitely political risk in Chile.”",{"type":580,"attrs":632,"content":633},{"textAlign":49},[634],{"text":635,"type":585},"Chile and Argentina produce lithium from brines that are extracted and evaporated using sunlight, a process that emits less carbon dioxide than lithium mined in Australia. ",{"type":580,"attrs":637,"content":638},{"textAlign":49},[639],{"text":640,"type":585},"Production of lithium in Chile accounts for 1.9 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of lithium carbonate, compared to 13.3 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of lithium hydroxide produced from Australian spodumene that is refined in China, according to Benchmark’s Lithium ESG report. ",{"type":580,"attrs":642,"content":643},{"textAlign":49},[644],{"text":645,"type":585},"Millennial Lithium’s Pastos Grandes project in Salta province is 100 kilometres from Lithium Americas’ Cauchari-Olaroz project, which the company is developing with Ganfeng Lithium. The chemistry of the two brine projects is similar, Evans said. ",{"type":580,"attrs":647,"content":648},{"textAlign":49},[649],{"text":650,"type":585},"Ganfeng, which also owns 12.5% of Lithium Americas, said this week it did not participate in board discussions regarding Lithium America’s bid for Millennial Lithium. Ganfeng has majority control of the Cauchari project with a 51% stake. ",{"type":580,"attrs":652,"content":653},{"textAlign":49},[654],{"text":655,"type":585},"Cauchari is set to come into production in the second half of next year. ",{"type":580,"attrs":657,"content":658},{"textAlign":49},[659],{"text":660,"type":585},"Lithium Americas said it would pay the $400m to Millennial shareholders mostly in shares of the company and the remainder in cash. Shares in Lithium Americas have risen by 158% this year, valuing the company at $3.53 billion. ",{"type":580,"attrs":662,"content":663},{"textAlign":49},[664],{"text":665,"type":585},"Based on the company’s closing price on October 29, 2021, Millennial shareholders would own around 9.9% of Lithium Americas.",{"type":580,"attrs":667,"content":668},{"textAlign":49},[669],{"text":670,"type":585},"Millennial Lithium has said CATL has until November 16 to make a higher offer for the company. The battery company has made a number of investments into the lithium space this year, investing a total of $250 million buying equity in lithium companies, according to Benchmark calculations. CATL was also a 8% shareholder in Neo Lithium prior to its takeover by Zijin.",{"type":580,"attrs":672,"content":673},{"textAlign":49},[674],{"text":675,"type":585,"marks":676},"By Henry Sanderson",[677],{"type":678},"italic","A bidding war for the lithium producer Millennial Lithium is highlighting Argentina’s emergence as a key future supplier to the electric vehicle industry. Canadian miner Lithium Americas offered $400m this week in shares and cash for Vancouver-listed Millennial Lithium, the third offer for the company this year following one by China’s largest battery maker CATL […]",[681],{"slug":568,"name":569,"content":682},{"job_title":571,"image":683,"bio":574,"linkedin":575},{"filename":573},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"6a7e16c6-6cc0-46b7-8f7f-3a240af2592c\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[687,690],{"slug":688,"name":689},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":691,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":694,"name":694,"focus":694,"title":694,"source":694,"filename":695,"copyright":694,"fieldtype":696,"meta_data":697,"is_external_url":51},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/7da1373c25/bm-millenial-lithium.jpg","asset",{"alt":694,"title":694,"source":694,"copyright":694},"Nov 05, 2021","5th November 2021",[],[],1792773932245]