35 APRIL 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Geothermal By-Product Becomes New Valuable Resource Adapted from Information by the U.S. Department of Energy According to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the California’s Salton Sea region could prove to be a valuable source of lithium. The analysis confirmed the area has significant potential as a domestic source of lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for stationary storage and electric vehicles (EV). In fact, with anticipated technological advances, the Salton Sea’s total resources could produce more than 3400 kilotons of lithium, enough to support over 375 million batteries for EV - more than all the vehicles currently on U.S. roads. Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy said, “This report confirms the once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a domestic lithium industry at home while also expanding clean, flexible electricity generation. Using American innovation, we can lead the clean energy future, create jobs, and a strong domestic supply chain, and boost our national energy security.” The United States currently has limited capabilities to extract, refine, and produce domestically sourced lithium, meaning nearly all lithium must be imported. Geothermal brines, a by-product of geothermal electricity generation, often have high concentrations of minerals like lithium and zinc. Although exact concentrations of the minerals depends on location and geology of the area, the use of direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines is promising. The Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) has about 400 megawatts (MW) of geothermal electricity generation capacity currently installed and is estimated to have the potential for up to 2950 MW. This leaves extensive room to increase geothermal electricity generation while accessing more of the region’s available lithium resources - enabling the country to meet or exceed global lithium demand for decades. The combined subsurface geology and geothermal activity in the Salton Sea’s KGRA result in high concentrations of lithium. In 2020, the California State Legislature established a commission to investigate and analyze eight topics related to lithium extraction in California. The commission’s final report notes the Salton Sea KGRA has potentially the highest concentration of lithium contained in geothermal brines in the world. Imperial Valley geothermal power plant near the Salton Sea photo by Jeremy Snyder courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. GEO 2024 Shallow Exploration Drillers Clinic April 29 - May 1, 2024 Branson, Missouri Monday, April 29 12:00pm - 5:00pm Vendor Set up and Registration Tuesday, April 30 7:00am - 8:00am Registration 8:00am - 5:00pm Conference Presentations Wednesday, May 1 8:00am - 4:00pm Conference Presentations Branson Convention Center & Hilton Hotel Join us in BRANSON!
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