SLB Announces Major Breakthrough in Eco-Friendly Lithium Production

On September 10, 2024, SLB announced a major advancement in sustainable lithium production with the successful demonstration of its innovative solution at its plant in Clayton Valley, Nevada. This breakthrough technology aims to accelerate the availability of responsibly sourced lithium for the market. SLB's proprietary solution integrates its expertise in subsurface operations with advanced surface engineering, including Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. This method allows for lithium extraction at a pace 500 times faster than traditional techniques while requiring just 10% of the land area.

Operating on a scale roughly one-tenth that of a commercial facility, the Clayton Valley plant achieved an impressive lithium recovery rate of 96% from brine. SLB's approach is a comprehensive, end-to-end process that combines advanced impurity treatment with concentration technologies to produce high-purity lithium carbonate or hydroxide. Compared to other DLE methods, SLB's solution is notably more efficient, using less water, energy, and fewer chemical reagents.

Gavin Rennick, President of SLB’s New Energy business, emphasized the importance of accelerating lithium production while minimizing environmental impact. He stated, “Lithium is crucial for electrification, and it’s imperative to ramp up production in an environmentally responsible way. Our Clayton Valley demonstration plant validates our integrated approach, which is designed to deliver lithium at scale in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible. This breakthrough paves the way for the deployment of commercial-scale facilities that will support the electrification economy.”

Traditionally, lithium extraction from brine has relied on evaporation, a method that demands extensive land use and results in substantial water loss. This process also leaves behind salt and other by-products that can harm local ecosystems. SLB’s method addresses these issues by reducing water consumption and returning the processed brine with a lower lithium concentration back to its source, thereby mitigating environmental impact.

The SLB solution accelerates the entire lithium extraction and conversion process, from brine extraction to the production of technical-grade lithium carbonate, in a matter of hours. In contrast, traditional evaporation techniques can take up to 18 months and often achieve recovery rates below 50%.

SLB's technology is versatile and can be tailored to produce various lithium products, including lithium chloride, carbonate, and hydroxide, used in applications ranging from smartphones and short-range electric vehicles to long-range EV batteries. With the successful demonstration of this solution, SLB has reached key technical milestones under its agreement with Pure Energy Minerals Ltd. and may opt to acquire full ownership of the Clayton Valley Project.