Galvanic secures concentrated lithium brine resource in Southern Arkansas

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An Oklahoma-based company is challenging the widely accepted notion that America must rely on other nations for its supply of lithium -- a critical component for batteries used in electric vehicles and countless electronic products.

Galvanic Energy LLC has secured a footprint of 100,000 acres in a continuous trend overlying Southern Arkansas' Smackover Formation. Galvanic's acreage contains enriched concentrations of lithium and bromine dissolved in brine, providing a significant addition to the domestic inventory of economically recoverable lithium for battery production.    

"For decades, America's leaders have promoted a national goal of energy independence," said Brent Wilson, Galvanic's president and chief executive officer. "Given the United States' current reliance on a foreign lithium supply chain, this resource has the potential to bring that goal into clearer focus, as it greatly expands the possibility of American self-reliance for lithium."

Galvanic estimates resources in place of 4 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), which is enough to power more than 50 million electric vehicles. The inferred resource estimate makes this prospect the largest brine lithium prospect in North America.

Historical brine analyses in this region, from three separate studies, indicate significant resource potential for lithium and bromine, with average concentrations of 325 ppm and 4,000 parts per million (ppm), respectively.

Reviving a local economic engine

Producing lithium will provide further opportunities for growth in a region that already has a robust industry for the extraction of bromine, which is commonly used in the production of flame-retardant materials.

The Smackover in Southern Arkansas produces 40 percent of the world's bromine. Albemarle Corp. and Lanxess Corp are the primary bromine producers, with operations near Galvanic's acreage position. Lithium extraction is currently being developed by Standard Lithium in cooperation with Lanxess.

With a historically stable bromine market and recent opportunities for bromine use in energy storage systems, along with the upside of lithium production, Galvanic is well positioned to provide a domestic source of lithium and bromine for decades to come.

Lithium is required for most electronic devices, including smartphones and laptops, and it is the primary source for batteries in electric vehicles. However, lithium production is relatively rare in the U.S., prompting the federal government to label it as a critical mineral in 2018. 

Unlike conventional lithium mining methods, which require open-pit mines or large evaporation ponds, brine mining operations, such as in the Smackover, use a closed-looped system with a very small, distributed footprint. Brine is pumped out of the earth, elements of interest are extracted, and brine is returned to the Smackover Formation.

Galvanic Energy is committed to environmental stewardship and the growth of the American economy. For more information, visit galvanicenergy.com.

SOURCE Galvanic Energy

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