CURRENT STATE’S CONDITION OF LITHIUM ORE DEPOSITS IN UKRAINE

The paper presents a description of three lithium ore deposits — Shevchenkivske, Polokhivske and the Dobra site. They are the most promising among others in terms of the economic feasibility of their development. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. The Shevchenkivske deposit is located in Pryazovsky, and the other two — in the Ingulsk’s megablocks. On the first, the main ore mineral is spodumene, on the second — petalite, on the Dobra site the mixed type is spodumene-petalite. All three deposits are covered by a rather thick layer of sedimentary rocks and weathering crust (up to 100 m). They are located in the steppe zone with a predominantly flat topography. The deposits were discovered at the end of the twentieth century as a result of large-scale regional geological research. They have different degrees of geological study. A common drawback is the lack of core material. Lithium ore reserves and resources up to a depth of 500 m from the day surface are estimated at the specified deposits. Taking into account the constantly growing demand for lithium, investing in the development of these deposits in Ukraine is a promising business.