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Released September 26, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey say they believe recovering the lithium often associated with the water left over from oil and gas production could be an important part of the energy transition.
"Produced water" refers to water that comes out of the well during the oil and gas production process. This water exists naturally underground and often is rich in heavy metals, organic compounds and mineral salts.
This brine also could hold lithium deposits, which would support industries tied to the energy transition, such as electric-vehicle and battery manufacturers.
"Every state, and every country, has legacy waste from extractive industries," said Sarah Ryker, an associate director for energy and minerals at the USGS. "A key question is how much of that waste could be put to use to strengthen energy and mineral supply chains."
Included in the circular economy, produced water can be utilized as an irrigation source for non-edible crops. Mining for the lithium-rich mineral spodumene, meanwhile, can be energy-intensive, expensive and detrimental to local air and water quality.
"Producing lithium from brines is typically less expensive and energy intensive than mining hard rock, but still requires considerable infrastructure including a large network of evaporation pools," the USGS explained.
Much of the brine comes out of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. The Permian is the largest inland crude oil producer in the U.S., and USGS believes more than 15,000 tons of lithium could be recovered from its produced water each year. That's five times more than current consumption levels.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) (Spring, Texas) already is in the game, trying to pull lithium from acreage in the Smackover formation in Arkansas, where the brine is believed to be highly rich in lithium. Branded as Mobil Lithium, production at the facility is expected to begin in 2027.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project and Plant databases can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
SLB (NYSE:SLB) (Houston, Texas), for its part, is testing a proprietary method, dubbed differentiated direct lithium extraction (DLE), at a test plant in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Most methods for producing lithium rely on evaporation to get the material out of a brine solution. DLE, by contrast, draws from lithium-rich solutions, reducing water requirements and lessening the environmental impact.
Furthermore, SLB says its method is a staggering 500 times quicker than conventional methods. Operating at 10% of the size of a comparable commercial-scale plant, SLB, formerly Schlumberger, said Clayton Valley had a recovery rate of 96% lithium from brine solutions. Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
Demand for lithium is accelerating as the global economy embraces cleaner forms of energy. USGS found lithium mine production increased tenfold over the decade ending in 2023, reflecting the growing appetite for the elemental metal.
"I think lithium recovery from energy wastewaters has real potential," said Madalyn Blondes, a research geologist at USGS. "The data are showing that there are high concentrations of lithium in places across the country where it could be a really important resource. And the infrastructure to produce it is already there."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
"Produced water" refers to water that comes out of the well during the oil and gas production process. This water exists naturally underground and often is rich in heavy metals, organic compounds and mineral salts.
This brine also could hold lithium deposits, which would support industries tied to the energy transition, such as electric-vehicle and battery manufacturers.
"Every state, and every country, has legacy waste from extractive industries," said Sarah Ryker, an associate director for energy and minerals at the USGS. "A key question is how much of that waste could be put to use to strengthen energy and mineral supply chains."
Included in the circular economy, produced water can be utilized as an irrigation source for non-edible crops. Mining for the lithium-rich mineral spodumene, meanwhile, can be energy-intensive, expensive and detrimental to local air and water quality.
"Producing lithium from brines is typically less expensive and energy intensive than mining hard rock, but still requires considerable infrastructure including a large network of evaporation pools," the USGS explained.
Much of the brine comes out of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. The Permian is the largest inland crude oil producer in the U.S., and USGS believes more than 15,000 tons of lithium could be recovered from its produced water each year. That's five times more than current consumption levels.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) (Spring, Texas) already is in the game, trying to pull lithium from acreage in the Smackover formation in Arkansas, where the brine is believed to be highly rich in lithium. Branded as Mobil Lithium, production at the facility is expected to begin in 2027.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project and Plant databases can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
SLB (NYSE:SLB) (Houston, Texas), for its part, is testing a proprietary method, dubbed differentiated direct lithium extraction (DLE), at a test plant in Clayton Valley, Nevada. Most methods for producing lithium rely on evaporation to get the material out of a brine solution. DLE, by contrast, draws from lithium-rich solutions, reducing water requirements and lessening the environmental impact.
Furthermore, SLB says its method is a staggering 500 times quicker than conventional methods. Operating at 10% of the size of a comparable commercial-scale plant, SLB, formerly Schlumberger, said Clayton Valley had a recovery rate of 96% lithium from brine solutions. Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
Demand for lithium is accelerating as the global economy embraces cleaner forms of energy. USGS found lithium mine production increased tenfold over the decade ending in 2023, reflecting the growing appetite for the elemental metal.
"I think lithium recovery from energy wastewaters has real potential," said Madalyn Blondes, a research geologist at USGS. "The data are showing that there are high concentrations of lithium in places across the country where it could be a really important resource. And the infrastructure to produce it is already there."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
