Have a nice weekend, everyone. 😊 I'm interested in your opinion on mineral mining, not much is said about it here...

I recently came across an interview with Musk where through his car company $TSLA, which is now experiencing green days, they discussed this indispensable raw material for the electrical industry.

Elon Musk described lithium as the "new oil" and pointed out that the lightweight metal element now forms a vital link in the automotive industry and supply chain. Lithium is an essential part of modern rechargeable battery technology and is found in everything from smartphones and tablets to laptops to electric bicycles and cars.

Most of the world's lithium is mined in Australia, Chile and China. China is also the dominant player in lithium-ion battery production, with a market share of around 80%. These are the facts behind Musk's more recent comments on the subject, which point to the need for more of the element. "Looking ahead a few years, the fundamental choke point in the progress of electric vehicles is the availability of lithium for batteries," he said.

Musk isn't just talking about the problem; Tesla is also fully committed to a new lithium refinery in Texas, a project estimated to cost $375 million and is scheduled to be operational in 2025. The refinery will make Tesla the largest lithium refiner in North America.

I personally have mining companies in my portfolio, but they are not focused on lithium. I have $RIO. It's a huge mining company that has several segments, from mining to processing to trading. And then kind of just an "experiment" and that's $WTI which is an oil and gas exploration, development and acquisition company. It focuses its operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

But I'm wondering if Lithium is really one of the elements of the future and so I'm interested in your opinion, overall, if anyone is in this sector and then if there's a favorite. I know that this sector carries its own risks in terms of ecology and politics. 😊