The Surprising New Source of Lithium for Batteries

Large troves of lithium will be needed to make the batteries for growing numbers of electric cars on the road. To find new supplies, companies and researchers are turning to an unexpected source: oil-and-gas reservoirs. 

These oil-and-gas sites harbor not only hydrocarbons, but also brine that contains metals including sodium, calcium and some lithium. When drillers poke holes into oil-saturated formations, the brine flows back to the surface along with the molecules that end up as fuel, and companies have been prompt to discard the earthy marinade. But now that the EV battery material has become a prized commodity, lithium companies are developing technologies to remove it from this brine—and oil-and-gas companies are also taking a second look.

The process, known as direct lithium extraction, could mark a new era for the industry, researchers and analysts say.