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National Energy Technology Lab, University Of Pittsburgh Say Oil & Gas Wastewater Can Be Major Source Of Lithium For Rechargeable Battery Production

In the last week, the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh and Brandie Jefferson from the University of Pittsburgh published articles saying oil and gas wastewater can be a major source of lithium for rechargeable battery production.

Wastewater from both unconventional shale gas and conventional oil and gas wells could potentially be used for lithium production.

A recent Penn State study found there is not a lot of differences between conventional and unconventional wastewater, according to Dr. William Burgos. Read more here.

Using conventional wastewater in this way is certainly a much better option for public health and the environment than what many conventional well owners do now-- dump their wastewater indiscriminately on public roads. Read more here.

NETL Article

Produced water that returns to the surface as wastewater after oil and gas hydraulic fracturing processes in parts of Appalachia can be a source of lithium, a valuable chemical element used in consumer products, according to an important new report from NETL.

Lithium is used in rechargeable batteries for products from mobile phones, laptop computers, and digital cameras to electric vehicles, heart pacemakers, toys and clocks.

Justin Mackey, the lead investigator on the project, said “The drilling boom in Appalachia created large volumes of produced water that is considered a waste. We found that this fluid is significantly enriched with lithium compared to produced water from other shale formations.”

The NETL research suggests that Marcellus Shale production wastewater from the two Pennsylvania regions could meet 38–40% of current domestic lithium consumption.

The research shows that Marcellus Shale produced water has the capacity to provide significant lithium yields for the foreseeable future. Currently, domestic lithium consumption is estimated at 3,000 metric tons annually.

The NETL report, coauthored by Justin Mackey, Daniel J. Bain, Greg Lackey, James Gardiner, Djuna Gulliver and Barbara Kutchko, indicates that currently, 95% of the produced water being generated is reinjected during ongoing hydraulic fracturing operations.

Click Here to read the entire article.

University of Pittsburgh

A new analysis using compliance data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection suggests that if it could be extracted with complete efficiency, lithium from the wastewater of Marcellus shale gas wells could supply up to 40% of the country's demand.

Already, researchers in the lab can extract lithium from water with more than 90% efficiency according to Justin Mackey, a researcher at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, and his Ph.D. advisor Daniel Bain, associate professor of geology and environmental sciences at the University of Pittsburgh's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists lithium as a critical mineral (although, as Mackey was quick to point out, lithium is an element, not a mineral).

The designation means the U.S. government wants all lithium to be produced domestically by 2030, and so the search for sources has intensified. Currently, much of it is extracted from brine ponds in Chile. Then it's shipped to China, where it's processed.

There are lithium mining operations in the U.S., but Mackey said. "This is different. This is a waste stream, and we're looking at a beneficial use of that waste."

Finding lithium in the wastewater in Marcellus shale wasn't a surprise: Researchers had analyzed the water recycled in hydraulic fracking and knew that it picked up minerals and elements from the shale.

"But there hadn't been enough measurements to quantify the resource," Mackey said. We just didn't know how much was in there."

Click Here to read the entire article.

Related Articles - Lithium:

-- Eureka Resources Extracted 97% Pure Lithium Carbonate Used In Making Lithium-ion Batteries From Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN - 7.31.23]

-- University Of Houston: Shale Gas Wastewater Could Be Substantial Source Of Lithium [PaEN - 5.19.22]

Resource Links - Oil & Gas Wastewater:

-- Senate Hearing: The Case For An Immediate, Total Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: Penn State Expert: ‘No More Research That Needs To Be Done’ To Justify A Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: First-Hand Account Of Health, Environmental Impacts From Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater - ‘Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater 24-Hours A Day’ [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: 3.5 Million Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumped On PA Public Roads Since DEP’s ‘Moratorium’ On Dumping Started 6 Years Ago [PaEN]

-- Senate Hearing: DEP Still Evaluating The Data On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater; Asks Public To Report Road Dumping [PaEN]

-- Moody & Associates Study Finds Discharge Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater To The Ground Surface ‘Not A Viable Management Practice'; Supports Ban On Road Dumping; Onsite Disposal [PaEN]