The OGDC lithium discovery came from formation water taken from a high-temperature geothermal well in Sindh, company officials said.
Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) detected the mineral during advanced geochemical analysis as part of its pilot geothermal programme. Officials described the result as Pakistan’s first such finding.
The officials said the measured concentrations were comparable to those of higher-tier lithium-bearing geothermal brines reported in projects under commercial development in Europe and North America. They did not disclose the concentrations or identify the well’s location within Sindh.
OGDC plans an expanded evaluation programme to determine the resource’s scale and commercial viability. The work will include detailed brine chemistry profiling, resource confirmation studies and assessments aligned with international standards.
The studies will examine the regional extent, continuity and economic potential of the lithium-bearing formation. OGDC’s technical teams are also working with international consultants on the next exploration and evaluation phase, the officials said.
Read: OGDCL Discovers New Oil and Gas Reserves in Kohat
Formation water is salty underground water trapped in rock formations, sometimes alongside oil, gas or trace minerals. It becomes produced water when brought to the surface during oil and gas operations.
Energy companies are assessing geothermal brines as a lithium source because extraction could be paired with geothermal power generation. Lithium is widely used in electric-vehicle batteries, grid-scale storage systems, consumer electronics and specialised industrial applications.
Any economic benefit from the OGDC lithium discovery will depend on whether further studies confirm a commercially recoverable resource. A viable domestic supply could support battery manufacturing, clean-energy investment and Pakistan’s participation in critical-mineral supply chains.
