DALLAS — As lithium’s importance grows, fueling everything from electric cars to advanced military technology, the demand for this vital resource is soaring, particularly in the mineral-rich regions of East Texas.

In Texas, major energy companies are not solely focused on oil extraction; they are also targeting lithium and other rare earth elements, marking a significant investment in what is being dubbed a contemporary gold rush.

Firms such as Chevron, Halliburton, and Exxon are in a competitive race to establish lithium mining operations in East Texas, a region where they have been extracting resources for over a hundred years.