Experts say that petrol-lithium is the future of the lithium market, and new extraction technology by E3 Metals Corp, International Battery Metals and MGX Minerals is set to launch within the next 12 months. This industry game-changer will not only help meet overwhelming demand in the lithium market, but will also pair up with magnesium-extraction technology to produce saleable magnesium hydroxide.
Looking to the future of lithium
Mackie Research Capital Managing Director Jovan Stupar says that E3 Metals Corp, International Battery Metals and MGX Minerals are the only businesses currently working on the petrol-sourced solution to the lithium supply problem.
“The technology is in the process of being developed, but there’s no commercial solution to it right now,” said Stupar. “We’re betting on these three companies. Because there is going to be so much demand for lithium and different uses, the market is just going to keep on growing.”
Petrol-lithium is the solution to time and space concerns in the market as well. Solar evaporation, the classic lithium-extraction method, takes at least 18 months and requires hundreds of acres of land—it also means low mineral recovery rates of under 50 per cent. By working with existing oilfields like those in Alberta, the new petrol-lithium process will actually save the acres of land typically needed for traditional forms of lithium mining.
Reservoir testing
“Right now, we’re trying to secure reservoirs so that this new technology can be utilized,” said Stupar, stressing that E3, MGX and International Battery Metals are all separately working on the process. “It’s not really a race to see who is going to get there first because the market is so huge. But each one of them will have a place to prove their technologies because they all work.”
Lithium in brine is plentiful in various reservoirs in Alberta and the U.S., and each reservoir has to be tested to determine what metals are available before petrol-lithium extraction is put into effect within the next year.
A public forum presented by Business in Vancouver and Mackie Research will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver on November 29, and will discuss both magnesium extraction as well as petrol-lithium extraction. Speakers from 3 Metals Corp, International Battery Metals and MGX Minerals will address reasons to invest in petrol-lithium as plans to launch speed ahead.
Extracting petrol-lithium from oil and gas production will mean that North America will be able to provide higher quantities of lithium to the booming market very soon, despite high-magnesium levels in brines.
Magnesium extraction
MGX, in particular, has been using magnesium-reducing technology for the last 20 years, which greatly aids the lithium extraction process. North America often has brines with high levels of magnesium content—commonly referred to as ‘hard’ water—whereas South American brines are the most successful in the industry because they typically have low magnesium levels.
“Magnesium is not usable in batteries, so it must be extracted before you can get to the next step in the process,” said Stupar.
MGX technology has been tested on bulk U.S. lithium brine samples with high magnesium levels (76,000 mg/L), and the pre-treatment process removed the magnesium to non-detectable levels. This will be crucial in the petrol-lithium process, allowing for quicker extraction.
By cleansing oil and gas water of magnesium, companies are also able to extract the saleable form magnesium hydroxide and prevent drinking water contamination. International Battery Metals CEO John Burba, who has 37 years of experience in extractive metallurgy, is a leading expert in the field of magnesium levels and lithium-extraction and will speak on the company’s progress at the forum.
