The funds will be invested in a project at a salt flat called Salar de Hombre Muerto, located in the border between the northern Salta and Catamarca provinces.
Rio will evaluate the potential commercial deployment of its Nuton copper heap leaching technologies developed to deliver increased copper recovery from mined ore.
Under the agreement, Imagine Lithium will grant a total of 3 million common share purchase warrants to the First Nations groups, with each receiving 1 million warrants.