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]
-- Two Months: Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Surround The Home Of A Senate Witness Who Opposes The Illegal Practice [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Rep. Vitali To Introduce Bill Banning The Disposal Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater By Dumping It On Public Roads; Rep. Causer To Introduce Bill Legalizing It [PaEN]
-- Illegal Wastewater Dumping Continues, Even On Mothers Day, Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners’ Campaign Of Intimidation Of Senate Witness; Now Dumping Before It Rains, On Paved Roads [PaEN]
-- DEP Imposed $2.2 Million In Penalties Against Shale Gas Drilling, Pipeline Companies In 2023 For Violations Dating Back To 2018 [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension May 30 Webinar On Landowner Role In Conventional Orphaned, Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- National Energy Technology Lab, University Of Pittsburgh Say Oil & Gas Wastewater Can Be Major Source Of Lithium For Rechargeable Battery Production [PaEN]
NewsClips This Week:
-- The Energy Age Blog: Shale Gas Violations Run Rampant In Pennsylvania, $2.2 Million In Penalties Assessed
-- The Energy Age Blog: EQT Corp. New Act 14 Notices Of New Wells From Sarah Shale Gas Well Pad In Union Twp., Washington County Headed To Library, South Park In Allegheny County
-- The Energy Age Blog: Path Of May 11 Tornado In Washington County Ended Between The McIntosh Natural Gas Compressor Station, EQT Sarah Shale Gas Well Pad
-- Marcellus Drilling News: ETF Trends: US LNG Gas Export Capacity To Rise 80% By 2028 [Even With Pause In Permits For New Export Facilities]
[Posted: May 14, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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