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Lithium: a light element in the form of a mineral/ore that is essential to produce glass, aluminum products and lithium-ion batteries. These innovative modern assets power everything from our consumer electronics and electric vehicles to backup power storage for electricity grids, industries and communities. Global demand for lithium is expected to quadruple by 2030, and virtually all lithium today is produced outside of North America.
Lithium compounds are found in certain rocks or brine (highly salted water unsuitable for drinking or agriculture).
Today, most of the world’s lithium comes from Western Australia, South America and China. It is recovered through hard rock mining or large brine evaporation ponds.
ExxonMobil's project would be one of the first to produce lithium from deep brines, using a modern process that is more efficient and with significantly fewer environmental impacts than traditional mining.
Lithium is a key component for modern-day living, having applications in electric vehicle batteries, electronics, aluminum products, glass, ceramics, lubricants and more. Global demand for lithium is expected to quadruple by 2030, and virtually all lithium today is produced outside of North America. To meet projected growth in demand, the world will need a lot more lithium.
“Lithium is essential to the energy transition, and ExxonMobil has a leading role to play in paving the way for electrification,” said Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “This landmark project applies decades of ExxonMobil expertise to unlock vast supplies of North American lithium with far fewer environmental impacts than traditional mining operations.” Read more in ExxonMobil’s press release.
After using conventional oil and gas drilling methods to access lithium-rich brine from reservoirs about 10,000 feet underground, the brine is transported to ExxonMobil’s production facility. ExxonMobil will utilize Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology to separate lithium from the brine. The lithium will then be converted on ExxonMobil’s DLE site to battery-grade material. The remaining brine will be re-injected into the underground reservoirs. The DLE process produces fewer carbon emissions than hard rock mining and requires significantly less land and water.
To learn more about this process, visit ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions.
DLE is a series of technical processes that will enable ExxonMobil to extract lithium from the brine liquid quickly and efficiently.
DLE is not a new technology, but recent advancements have made it better and market economics have improved. DLE is not unique to ExxonMobil nor to North America – it is being advanced in several other parts of the world with brine resources.
To learn more about this process, visit ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions.
In early 2023, ExxonMobil acquired the rights to 120,000 gross acres of the Smackover formation in southern Arkansas – considered one of the most prolific lithium resources of its type in North America.
Work has begun for the company’s first phase of North America lithium production – the first lithium well drilled by ExxonMobil was announced on Nov. 13, 2023.
ExxonMobil has a long-standing history and experience in safely putting up large-scale projects. The appraisal well drilling campaign has been underway since November 2023 and will continue throughout 2024. We are planning on commercial production to begin in 2027 and aim to become a leading supplier of lithium. By 2030, ExxonMobil aims to be producing enough lithium to supply the manufacturing needs of approximately a million electric vehicles (EVs) per year. That’s more than the total number of EVs sold in the U.S. in 2022. By scaling up lithium production in North America, ExxonMobil can enhance the security of supply for the auto and battery makers investing in the U.S., as well as the jobs they support.
Our initial focus is southwest Arkansas for several reasons: first, the region has the potential to produce large volumes of lithium, and second: due to the area’s long history as an oil, gas and bromine producer, its geology is well-known and there is an established regulatory structure that allows for timely permitting.
Southwest Arkansas is well-suited to serve auto and battery manufacturers in North America as they build out the electric vehicle supply chain.
We are actively leasing brine rights from mineral owners in our project area to enable the development of the lithium resource underlying the subject land.
Under the existing regulatory framework in Arkansas, an operator applying for the formation of a brine unit must have 75% of the brine rights (acres) leased within the proposed unit boundary. (For more information, please visit the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment and reference the Oil and Gas Commission.) Leasing with our company, Saltwerx, can help speed up brine development through the successful formation of brine units.
To talk with our team about working with us on leasing brine rights, contact us.
To discuss leasing brine rights to Saltwerx, or for other inquiries, reach out to us through our Contact Us form, so our dedicated team can discuss with you.