High Oil Price Lithiums Greatest ally, page-46

Lepidolite, as an alternative to Spodumene, is counter intuitive....it's economics are made ever more marginal as the price of Spodumene comes down, because Lepidolite has, so far, proven less efficient to produce (both economically and technically) and therefore a much riskier proposition. It only rates a mention on the same page as Spodumene (and suitable brine) because of the recent spate of spectacular lithium prices. It is the spectacular lithium price that has emerged it as a viable consideration. A cheaper lithium price (such as has been postulated) "kills off" Lepidolite. Mineral Economics 101. I find it baffling that major financial analysts could miss such a basic economic mantra. In my view it would ONLY be a continuation (and expectation) of spectacularly high lithium prices that would make Lepidolite investment worthwhile by comparison with those for well endowed Spodumene (or suitable brine) deposits.