MMRI is collaborating with the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) in order to provide geologic mapping insight towards future extraction of lithium from the Smackover Formation within Mississippi. The Smackover Formation, which extends in an arc from Texas to Florida, is already being commercially utilized for lithium extraction within Arkansas. This collaboration is an important first step towards critical mineral mining and extraction in Mississippi. For more information, please see the Ole Miss News article or the MDA 2026 Mississippi Natural Resources Summit: Critical Minerals in the State summary.
Graphic by John McCustion/University Marketing and Communications