Pakistan has made an important scientific discovery. The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) has confirmed the presence of lithium in underground salty water, known as formation water or geothermal brine, in Sindh.
This is the first time such a finding has been reported in the country. The lithium was found during advanced testing of a high-temperature geothermal well under OGDC’s pilot geothermal programme. Laboratory analysis showed that the lithium levels are similar to those in some of the world’s leading geothermal brine projects in Europe and North America.
Lithium is a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and many modern technologies. Global demand for it is rising quickly as countries move toward cleaner energy.
OGDC said further technical studies will now be carried out to check the size of the resource and whether it can be extracted commercially. Experts note that extracting lithium from geothermal brines is generally more environmentally friendly than traditional mining methods.
If the resource proves viable, the discovery could help Pakistan enter the global critical minerals market, attract foreign investment, and support local industries linked to clean energy and advanced technology.
