ExxonMobil has announced that it is drilling its first lithium well in Arkansas. This is part of the company’s aim to produce enough lithium to supply the manufacturing needs of over a million EVs per year. But why Arkansas? And how is the lithium acquired and processed? Read on for more about the ExxonMobil Arkansas lithium well.

Lithium Needs Will Quadruple by 2030

Lithium is an essential component of electric vehicle batteries, and a substantial amount is required to satisfy the anticipated demand. Demand is projected to surge fourfold by 2030. Currently, lithium production is primarily concentrated outside of North America. According to ExxonMobil the majority comes from western Australia, South America, and China. But ExxonMobil plans to become a leading supplier of lithium.

ExxonMobil Has a Significant History with Battery Technology

It’s worth noting that the company has a significant history with battery technology. ExxonMobil says that in the 1970s Dr. M. Stanley Whittingham was working at ExxonMobil’s Clinton, New Jersey, corporate research lab when he created the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Whittingham and his team discovered that holding lithium ions between plates of titanium sulfide allowed the ions to move back and forth between the positive and negative contacts, generating electricity. Rechargeable batteries had been around for decades when Whittingham proposed his version. However, the rechargeable batteries of the period were bulky lead-acid cells. Dr. Whittingham was the first to figure out how to make the highly reactive metal lithium hold energy at room temperature without the risk of explosion. Over time, researchers improved the design, resulting in the first commercial lithium-ion battery.

Local Arkansas contractors performing geotechnical ground surveys to help ExxonMobil prepare for its lithium activity.

Why Arkansas?

Southwest Arkansas is known for its oil and gas production. But there’s another resource. Its saltwater brine and its rich in lithium. In early 2023, ExxonMobil acquired the rights to 120,000 gross acres of the Smackover formation in southern Arkansas. This is a prolific lithium resource of its type in North America. ExxonMobil is working with local and state officials to enable the successful scale-up of Arkansas’ emerging lithium industry. The company says it can safely produce this lithium using many of the skills it has honed over decades, including geoscience, reservoir engineering and chemical processing. One of the benefits is that the lithium will strengthen supply security for the companies investing in EV and battery manufacturing facilities in North America.

How the Lithium Extraction Process Works

ExxonMobil will use conventional oil and gas drilling methods to access the lithium-rich saltwater from reservoirs. These reservoirs are about 10,000 feet underground and the salty water is unsuitable for drinking or agriculture. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology separates the lithium from the saltwater. The company notes that the DLE process produces fewer carbon emissions than hard rock mining and requires significantly less land. The lithium is then converted onsite to battery-grade material. After the conversion, the remaining saltwater will be injected back into the underground reservoirs. The final product will be branded as Mobil Lithium.

Essential to the Energy Transition

Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, says, “Lithium is essential to the energy transition, and ExxonMobil has a leading role to play in paving the way for electrification. This landmark project applies decades of ExxonMobil expertise to unlock vast supplies of North American lithium with far fewer environmental impacts than traditional mining operations. This project is a win-win-win. It’s a perfect example of how ExxonMobil can enhance North American energy security, expand supplies of a critical industrial material, and enable the continued reduction of emissions associated with transportation, which is essential to meeting society’s net-zero goals.”

Rémi Loiseau, Lithium Opportunity Manager, Global Projects: “Building our new lithium business will require experts in engineering, technology, project management, geoscience, drilling, operations, supply chains and more. That’s a great fit for us, because we have those fully integrated capabilities – and the people who can deliver them.”

South Arkansas is the State’s All-Around Energy Capital

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders says, “South Arkansas is our state’s all-around energy capital, producing oil, natural gas, and now thanks to investments like ExxonMobil’s and their combination of skills and scale, lithium. My administration supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that guarantees good, high-paying jobs for Arkansas – and we’ll continue to cut taxes and slash red tape to make that happen.”

First Lithium Production in 2027

ExxonMobil is targeting its first lithium production for 2027. And the company is analyzing growth opportunities worldwide. Furthermore, the company is planning to produce enough lithium by 2030 to supply the needs of over a million EVs per year. To make this happen, the company is in discussions with EV and battery manufacturers.

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil is an international energy and petrochemical company. ExxonMobil is also a global leader in integrated fuels, lubricants, and chemical production. The company also owns and operates the largest CO2 pipeline network in the United States. In 2021, ExxonMobil announced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emission-reduction plans for 2030 for operated assets, compared to 2016 levels. The plans are to achieve a 20-30 percent reduction in corporate-wide greenhouse gas intensity; a 40-50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas intensity of upstream operations; a 70-80 percent reduction in corporate-wide methane intensity; and a 60-70 percent reduction in corporate-wide flaring intensity.

Photos by ExxonMobil