A Breakthrough in the Production of Lithium is Expected From Associated Formation Water in the Russian Federation in 2-3 years
Meanwhile, the interest of the world’s oil companies in the extraction of a scarce chemical element is also directed to geothermal brines.
Lithium production at the Kovykta gas condensate field may begin in the next 2-3 years. This will happen in case of successful introduction of industrial technology for extracting this alkali metal from bottom waters. This was stated by the head of Rosnedra Evgeny Petrov in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Lithium is critical for the production of batteries for electronics and electric vehicles. It is also needed in metallurgy and oil refining, as well as for the production of glass and ceramics. Now lithium carbonate is mainly imported to Russia by Rosatom.
“It is during this period that the industrial production of lithium will begin at the Polmostundrovsky deposit (Murmansk region), the license for which was issued at the beginning of this year. In the same period, we expect the start of lithium production at the Zavitinskoye deposit (Transbaikalia),” he said.
In February 2022, Gazprom, the Irkutsk Oil Company (INC) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade signed a roadmap for the implementation of a lithium mining project at the Kovykta deposit in the Irkutsk region from formation brines.
The Kovykta gas condensate field is the largest field in the East of Russia in terms of gas reserves and belongs to the unique category. It is the base field for the Irkutsk gas production center being formed by Gazprom and the resource base for the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The official launch of commercial gas production took place in December 2022.
Meanwhile, the production of lithium is attracting interest from the world’s major oil and gas companies in the hope of a technological breakthrough in the production of the metal needed for electric vehicle batteries, Interfax quotes an article in the Financial Times.
Exxon Mobil, Schlumberger, Occidental Petroleum and Equinor are exploring the use of their skills in pumping, processing and re-injecting underground fluids such as oil and water to process lithium from unconventional sources (brines), which will help reduce the projected world shortage of the metal.
“Whether it’s BP, Shell, Eni, Exxon or Equinor, they’re all looking at it,” said Vulcan Deputy CEO Chris Moreno.
The involvement of large oil producers in the production of lithium can give automakers confidence. In the coming years, car companies will need huge amounts of lithium to electrify cars as Western countries ban sales of new gasoline and diesel vehicles and China’s use of electric vehicles skyrockets.
The interest of oil companies extends beyond the brine produced as a by-product of oil production. Equinor said it is closely following technology and market developments to extract lithium from geothermal brines, another renewable energy area oil companies want to invest in.
ExxonMobil recently paid about $100 million to acquire a lithium brine site in Arkansas. Equinor owns a stake in lithium developer Lithium de France, while Occidental has invested in technology group TerraLithium.
The other day, Devon news agency reported that the Canadian company Volt Lithium has found an inexpensive way to extract valuable metal from reservoir brine not in a year, but in an hour, while twice as much. It was obtained from salt solutions with a low concentration. With this method, old oil fields can be turned into a metal mining operation.
