News Presentation Flashcards
In late April of this year…
In late April of this year researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the National Energy Technology Laboratory published their findings summarizing analysis performed using waste management compliance data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
This analysis found that…
This analysis found that the wastewaters produced by fracking natural gas wells in the Marcellus Shale area contain very high concentrations of lithium. The extraction of this lithium is projected to be able to supply 30-40% of US demand for the mineral. This is important because the US government has deemed lithium a “critical mineral”. This is a specific designation that indicates they want to have fully domestic production by 2030.
When we look forward to the exploitation of this opportunity…
When we look forward to the exploitation of this opportunity we find several potential issues. First, there is negative public opinion surrounding fracking because it is a water-intensive process that can cause earth tremors. Plus, the final product of fracking is a fossil fuel which are not popular in the public eye.
Second, the water in these operations…
Second, the water in these operations is typically processed very minimally so it can be reused but extracting the lithium will require a more energy intensive process and the injection of more freshwater to replenish the amount lost during extraction. Environmental concern should be lessened as this is a proposal for a way to extract value from the byproduct of fracking that already exists, not introducing new sites.
Another issue is the fact that a typical Marcellus well…
Another issue is the fact that a typical Marcellus well has an 80% decline in the production of water within its first 2 years. This means new wells need to be created to supplement the old ones that aren’t as productive so lithium yields are stable.
It has been found that the wells in…
It has been found that the wells in the southwest of the region produce more water than those in the northeast, making them a larger potential source to begin extraction operations. However, the southwest wells also contain higher concentrations of other minerals such as magnesium than the northeast. Removing lithium from water where the relative concentration is lower is a more expensive process so there are pros and cons associated with each region.
The rock of the Appalachians, and in particular the Marcellus Shale…
contains ancient volcanic ash rich in lithium, this study was only done on Pennsylvania data but it is predicted that similar concentrations of lithium may be found in mining wastewater in neighbouring states like Ohio and Virginia. If this is the case, there is potential for the creation of thousands of jobs, and furthering the US goal of lithium independence. There are also further environmental assessments being performed by the researchers to determine the true costs of the extraction process.
