Association Need Help? 850-547-0102 - Ronnie 19 FEBRUARY 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Using Gas and Oil Technology for Lithium Production Adapted from Information by Exxon Mobil Corporation Exxon Mobil Corporation announced plans to become a leading producer of lithium, a key component of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Work has begun for the company’s first phase of North America lithium production in southwest Arkansas, an area known to hold significant lithium deposits. The product offer will be branded as Mobil™ Lithium, building on the rich history of deep technical partnership between Mobil and the automotive industry. “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.” In early 2023, the company acquired the rights to 120,000 gross acres of the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas - considered one of the richest lithium resources of its type in North America. “South Arkansas is our state’s allaround energy capital, producing oil, natural gas, and now thanks to investments like ExxonMobil’s and their combination of skills and scale, lithium,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “My administration supports an all-of-theabove energy strategy that guarantees good, high-paying jobs for Arkansas - and we’ll continue to cut taxes and slash red tape to make that happen.” This region in Arkansas has a history as an oil and natural gas producer, and the region’s geology is well understood. After using conventional gas and oil drilling methods to access lithium-rich saltwater from reservoirs about 10,000 feet underground, ExxonMobil will utilize direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to separate the lithium from the saltwater. The lithium will then be converted on-site to battery-grade material. The remaining saltwater will be re-injected into the underground reservoirs. The DLE process produces fewer carbon emissions than hard rock mining and requires significantly less land. “This project is a win-win-win,” Ammann added. “It’s a perfect example of how ExxonMobil can enhance North American energy security, expand supplies of a critical industrial material, and enable the continued reduction of emissions associated with transportation, which is essential to meeting society’s net-zero goals.” Demand for lithium is expected to quadruple by 2030, and virtually all lithium today is produced outside of North America. The company expects to begin lithium production by 2027 and by 2030, the company is planning to produce enough lithium to supply the manufacturing needs of well over a million EVs per year. Local contractors performed geotechnical ground surveys to help prepare for the lithium project. G&O eranhenderson@gmail.com New & Used Tricones PDCs Drag & Claw Bits Drill Collars Bit Tipping Subs & Stabilizers HDD Bits & Reamers DTH Hammer & Bits Custom Fabrication Junk Mills / Fishing Tools Rod Henderson 661-201-6259 Eran Henderson 661-330-0790
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