Just over a century ago, an oil discovery near El Dorado in south-west Arkansas sparked a drilling frenzy that played a part in establishing the country as a global energy superpower.
At its peak the town, which styles itself “Arkansas’ Original Boomtown”, hosted more than 50 oil companies and the Smackover was the world’s largest operational oilfield.
Production has fallen sharply over recent decades and prospectors are now drilling the Smackover for something new: lithium, a metallic element that is a key ingredient in the rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles, smartphones and defence equipment.
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