Smackover Lithium Play - South Arkansas and East Texas

Excerpt:  "Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SLI) (NYSE American: SLI) (FRA: S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, is pleased to announce that, as part of its significant resource expansion work in the East Texas Smackover region, it has sampled, to the best of its knowledge, the highest confirmed lithium grade brine in North America, with a grade of 634 mg/L lithium. In Standard Lithium’s experience, the grade of lithium in brine used for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) has a meaningful impact on both capital expenditures and operating costs in connection with the extraction process, with a higher grade typically resulting in lower overall costs.

https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004817901?pro...

Views: 15709

Replies are closed for this discussion.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on August 29, 2023 at 5:19

You're welcome, Thomas.

Permalink Reply by William Arnold on June 23, 2023 at 8:49
Does the Haynesville Shale have lithium or does this just the Smackover have this?
Permalink Reply by Rock Man on June 23, 2023 at 9:01

I can't comment on lithium content in Haynesville Shale - but even if there are good concentrations of this mineral, one has to frac the section to get it - and then end up diluting any "native" water with frac fluid.

I would look at the Rodessa as a possible lithium water source based on its association with anhydrite beds.

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 23, 2023 at 9:03

The Haynesville Shale is dry as a bone, no liquids except far, far north and no much there.  The most water prone formation in NW LA and E TX is the Cotton Valley.  I have no idea whether there is any lithium in that formation water.

Permalink Reply by Rock Man on June 23, 2023 at 11:53

Technically, the Haynesville section has connate water in the formation is relatively low saturations (probably around 20-25% depending on petrophysical analysis approach).

This is immovable water for the most part - frac stimulation will liberate some of it to mix with post frac produced water.

Bossier section will have some associated formation water - both as immovable fluid in "shale" section and more movable water in siltstones and sandstones. But same situation as to post frac flowbacks - these water molecules will be mixed with the spent frac fluid water.

Not being picky here - just a geologist being a geologist!

LOL

Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 23, 2023 at 11:57

LOL!  That's what Keith pays you the big money for Rock Man!

Permalink Reply by Rock Man on June 23, 2023 at 11:11
Every operator should be getting detailed analyses on produced water- regardless of formation.

Exception is frac'd horizontal wells - too much frac fluid contamination.
Permalink Reply by Joe B. Lovelace on June 24, 2023 at 7:33

Attached are two articles.  The first is from https://oilprice.com/  "Direct Lithium Extraction Is The EV Industry’s Shale Boom"

It is not really "new" news but contains the following quote, "The industry is so close to a major leap forward," John Burba, who helped invent a prominent DLE technology and is IBAT's executive chairman, has told Reuters.

Dr. Burba is known as the "Godfather of Lithium".  Only by perhaps coincidence does he live in Atlanta, Texas a few miles north of Standard Lithium's brine extraction well.

Dr. Burba is developing a "portable" DLE construct which you can read about in the second attached article.

Attachments:
Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 24, 2023 at 7:49

Thanks, Joe. Dr Burba could enable small operators to go into the lithium extraction business.  As Rock Man has said, all operators with wells producing sufficient water volume should be testing their brine for lithium concentration.  If Dr. Burba's concept proves economic, I think it opens the lithium space to many independent operators or joint venture  deals  with financial investors.

Permalink Reply by Rock Man on June 24, 2023 at 13:38

Key as always is cost and economics.

Ideally this is a portable skid unit that can be easily moved to other locations as needed. May take the approach of "compressor rental" for this type of equipment.

Permalink Reply by Joe B. Lovelace on June 26, 2023 at 11:56

Should Big Oil Get into the Lithium Business? https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Should-Big...

Articles are becoming very frequent on the answer to this question. 

It is my understanding that Schlumberger is involved in the Brine Leases being taken in Northwest Cass County near Bryans Mill. East Texas Natural Resources (ETNR) is the lessee.

Attachments:
Permalink Reply by Skip Peel - Mineral Consultant on June 26, 2023 at 13:23

I think the obvious answer to the article's question is Yes.  Thanks, Joe.

RSS

© 2024   Created by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service