Codelco’s board approved tender to initiate the explorations of its lithium reserves in order to know its real potential.

After the investigation, Codelco would open a new tender for the extraction of the mineral. And according to El Mercurio, the strategy seeks companies able to assigned “venture capital”.

Regarding to this, its director Oscar Landerretche pointed out that Codelco owns only 18% of the salt flat of Maricunga and the total of Pedernales.

However, according to sources inside the company, the idea doesn’t count with the total support of Codelco, because the lithium market still being small and isn’t generating big surplus.