ExxonMobil to launch lithium production for EVs

ExxonMobil announced Monday it will launch production of lithium for electric vehicles by 2027, with plans to become a leading producer of the commodity by 2030.

The company is in the development phase of a mining operation in Arkansas, USA, where it acquired around 486 square kilometres on the prolific Smackover formation earlier this year.

ExxonMobil plans to extract lithium-rich saltwater in a conventional drilling operation, then extract the lithium using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology and convert it to battery-grade material onsite. Produced saltwater will then be reinjected into the subsurface reservoirs.

“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,” Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, said.

Output from the operation will be sold under the Mobil Lithium brand, with the company emphasising Mobil’s long history of “deep technical partnership” with the automotive industry.