Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

2026

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Economics

First Advisor

George Langelett

Abstract

The increasing demand for lithium in the battery manufacturing industry, boosted by the growth of electric vehicles and smartphones, has led to concern over its sustainable supply chain in the United States. Historically, South Dakota has played a significant role in U.S. lithium production. The recent surge of interest in lithium exploration in South Dakota, specifically Black Hills, underscores the importance of evaluating the feasibility of lithium mining in Black Hills. This research aims to study the economic feasibility of a lithium mining operation in Black Hills, South Dakota. Our specific objective is to estimate cut-off grade using Lane’s model that would maximize profit for lithium mining in South Dakota and evaluate the profitability of lithium mining in South Dakota. The knowledge generated from this study is expected to aid the decision-making process in the lithium mining sector, specifically in the Black Hills, South Dakota, potentially reshaping the domestic supply chain of critical minerals in the United States. This study contributes to the mining literature by applying Lane’s algorithm to cut-off grade optimization to a lithium mining context and provides a framework to evaluate profitability for lithium mining projects in South Dakota.

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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Included in

Economics Commons

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Rights Statement

In Copyright