State Development Authority, UM Collaborate to Supply Nation's Energy

Much of Mississippi sits on the Smackover Formation, a geologic formation that is rich in lithium, a critical mineral and the backbone of modern energy storage. The development authority announced May 27 that it will partner with Ole Miss geologists to access and extract those critical minerals.

"Critical minerals are essential to America's economic strength, energy independence, and national security," Gov. Tate Reeves said. "This report gives Mississippi the framework to build out a new critical minerals industry in our state, and it aligns with the Trump administration's energy dominance agenda.

"Mississippi is once again proving to the world that we're not just attracting the industries of the future; we're building them. I'm excited about the opportunities this new industry can create for Mississippi and America."

The university's Mississippi Mineral Resource Institute will be instrumental in that effort, said John C. Higginbotham, Ole Miss vice chancellor of research and economic development.

"The Mississippi Mineral Resource Institute will provide the scientific foundation for how best to access the state's vast geological assets," he said. "This collaboration allows the institute and its leader, Dr. Leo Macelloni, to provide the geologic mapping expertise that will guide the extraction of these critical minerals.

"The benefits of this collaboration aren't just for the Smackover Formation region or for Mississippi; it's for the nation."

The state plans to prioritize direct lithium extraction, a method that has a smaller environmental footprint and procures lithium faster than other mining practices, Macelloni said. To access the lithium, however, officials first need to know where it is.

"What we have to do is find where the brine reaches the percentage that is viable and isn't obstructed," Macelloni said. "To do that, we have to have very sophisticated, very exact studies to locate where those formations are."

The institute can provide precise mapping that shows exactly where lithium-rich brines lie underground. That insight will inform policymakers and industry leaders as they decide how best to develop the state's critical mineral resources.

Macelloni and Thomas Oommen, chair and professor of geology and geological engineering, will also use this opportunity to train the next generation of geologists, he said.

"This partnership gives us, finally, the resources to do cutting-edge research and involve students in that work," Macelloni said. "The students will get to see how important this discipline is not just for our state, but for our nation."

Beyond mapping, collaborating with the university will help Mississippi compete for federal research funding through the U.S. Department of Energy, which devoted more than $1 billion to advance critical mineral and material supply chains last fall.

"Mississippi has the geology, the infrastructure and the expertise to compete in one of the most strategically important industries in the world," said Bill Cork, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority.

"Critical minerals are essential to advanced manufacturing, energy storage and national defense, and this report shows Mississippi is positioned to strengthen America's domestic supply chain while creating long-term investment, high-paying jobs and a powerful new engine for economic development."

The collaboration is only the beginning of the work to utilize resources Mississippi has beneath its soil. Other minerals and heavy metals, including those used in semiconductors and microchips, are available in the state.

"In the last few years, we have seen how important these resources are," Macelloni said. "There is no economy, no business that does not need these resources. It is the foundation of any kind of development, and we are the first brick of any economic success.

"Mississippi is very rich in these resources, and we have to invest in the resources we have."

Top: The Smackover Formation is a geologic formation that is rich in lithium, a critical mineral that is widely used in modern technology. A new partnership between the Mississippi Development Authority and the university seeks to identify these critical mineral brines for extraction, a collaboration that could positively impact the state. Graphic by John McCustion/University Marketing and Communications