To complexed for me to write it down in my words, so I will provide the below information about Paradox and North American brines.
This is the most interesting part of the article about Paradox, note that it says at depth. Journal of Geochemical Exploration
Volume 257, February 2024, 10738 Geochemical characteristics of Li-enriched brines
The highest Li+ concentrations in formation waters come from sedimentary basins containing remnant saline fluids at depth, derived from evaporation of seawater in the geologic past, and extensive evaporite and organic-rich shale deposits (Fig. 1, Fig. 3). High Cl− and Br− concentrations, and low Cl−:Br− mass ratios of saline fluids at depth in the Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Williston, and Paradox basins (Fig. 5a) are consistent with their origin as evaporated paleo-seawater, as shown in previous
Here is the entire journal that is very recent information. Geological controls on lithium production from basinal brines across North America
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Median Li concentration (5 mg/L) does not allow for economically viable production.
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Highest Li (>65 mg/L) is in sedimentary basins with extensive evaporites.
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Interaction with Li-enriched organic-rich shales may increase brine Li concentrations.
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Estimated Li production rates are influenced more by permeability than concentration.
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Ability to produce sufficient volumes of brine will limit Li production from some strata.
Abstract
With increasing lithium (Li) demands for electric car batteries and grid storage, additional Li beyond traditional continental brines and hard-rock sources might be necessary. Elevated Li concentrations have been reported in select oil field brines. Li could be extracted from the large volumes of saline fluids produced by oil and gas wells or from new wells dedicated to Li production. However, the spatial distribution of Li+ concentrations, the rates at which fluids can be produced in areas with elevated Li+ concentrations, and potential sources of Li enrichment are not well characterized. To help identify additional sources of Li, this study investigates the concentration, origin, and potential production rates of Li from sedimentary basin brines across North America. New Li data from brines in various stratigraphic units in the Paradox Basin are combined with existing datasets from the basin and others across North America. New Li analyses of organic-rich shales in the Paradox Basin are also examined to provide insights into the origins of Li. Results from this study show the median Li+ concentration in oil and gas produced waters across North America is ~5 mg/L; these generally low concentrations are unlikely to support Li production. However, higher Li+ concentrations (>65 mg/L) are found in select basins and strata containing deep saline fluids, associated with evaporation of paleo-seawater and precipitation of halite and potash salts, that have not been flushed by meteoric recharge. High Li content of organic-rich shales (range: 20–440 ppm; median: 60 ppm) interbedded with evaporites in the Paradox Basin suggest fluid-rock interactions with diagenetically-altered shales and organic matter are one potential source of Li-enrichment in basinal brines. Observed fluid production and injection rates indicate that Li production will likely be highest in sandstone and carbonate formations with relatively high permeability. Potential Li production rates can vary by orders of magnitude even within these strata due to heterogeneity in both Li concentrations and permeability, as well as recovery efficiencies between 40 and 70 % with current technology. Targeted Li production wells, rather than relying on existing oil and gas wells, would likely be necessary to produce brines at sufficient volumes to support Li production at these low concentrations. Co-recovery of other critical elements or combination with other subsurface developments, such as geothermal energy production, may make Li production from sedimentary basin fluids more viable.
Introduction
Lithium (Li) is critical to achieving a sustainable energy transition (Greim et al., 2020). Demand for Li for electric car batteries and grid storage has increased dramatically with the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels to decrease carbon dioxide emissions (Barbot et al., 2013; Bradley et al., 2013; Can Sener et al., 2021; Daitch, 2018; Martin et al., 2017; Seip et al., 2021; Tabelin et al., 2021; Verma et al., 2016). Most of the Li production today comes from pegmatites (e.g., Greenbushes pegmatite in Western Australia) and continental brines (e.g., associated with salars in the “Li triangle” in Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia) (Benson et al., 2017). Li-rich clays in Nevada are currently being explored as another potential major Li source (Cough, 2021). Brines co-produced with oil and gas in sedimentary basins (“oil field brines” have also been proposed as a potential Li source (Can Sener et al., 2021; Seip et al., 2021; Tahil, 2008; Verma et al., 2016); however, there have been few systematic studies to date on Li+ concentrations and potential production rates from oil-field and other, non-hydrocarbon associated sedimentary basin brines (Dugamin et al., 2021).
Large volumes of brines (2.8 × 109 m3 in 2017) are produced from sedimentary basins during oil and gas production (Clark and Veil, 2009; Veil, 2015, Veil, 2020). Although recovery from Li brines are well under 70 % with existing technologies (Tran and Luong, 2015), there is considerable interest in extracting Li from these produced waters. Previous studies of Li in sedimentary basin brines have focused on the Smackover Formation in the Gulf Coast region (including Gulf Coast, East Texas and Arkla basins) where Li+ concentrations reach 1700 mg/L, although average values are much lower (174–187 mg/L; Bradley et al., 2013; Collins, 1979; Daitch, 2018; Tahil, 2008).
Maximum potential Li production rates at the wellhead from Smackover Formation brines have been estimated to range from 2.0 × 104 to 5.5 × 104 tons per year (tpy) lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), which is approximately equal to 4.0 × 103 to 1.1 × 104 tpy of Li (Tahil, 2008; Verma et al., 2016). Potential Li production rates from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico and oil fields in California has been estimated to reach as high as 4.7
×
104 tpy (Can Sener et al., 2021). Whether these Li production rates are possible in a broad range of sedimentary basins is unclear because of the wide range of Li+ concentrations (Blondes et al., 2018) and ability to produce sufficient volumes of brines (Ferguson and Ufondu, 2017).
Here, we provide an overview of the potential to produce Li from sedimentary basin brines across the United States and the Williston Basin in Canada. We identify sedimentary basins and specific geologic units within the basins that contain high Li+ concentrations from the USGS National Produced Waters Geochemical Database (Blondes et al., 2018). New geochemical analyses of Paradox Basin formation waters, and recently published analyses of Williston Basin brines (Mowat, 2023) are used to supplement these existing data. We compare major ion chemistry and Br− to seawater evaporation trajectories (McCaffrey et al., 1987) to identify processes that lead to elevated Li+ concentrations. New geochemical analyses of organic-rich shales within the Paradox Basin help constrain Li sources. Potential Li production rates are estimated from using solute concentrations and observed rates of fluid production and injection. Access through your organization
Paleozoic sedimentary basins often contain highly saline fluids (brines; >35,000 mg/L salinity; Hanor, 1989) that came from evaporation of paleo-seawater and/or the dissolution of marine evaporite deposits. Brines derived from evaporation of seawater tend to be enriched in Na+, Cl−, and Br− with relatively low Cl−:Br− ratios. These brines are often enriched in Ca2+ and depleted in Mg2+ and K+ from fluid-rock reactions, such as albitization, dolomitization and illitization, respectively (Kharaka Formation water analysis and data compilation
To evaluate the concentration of Li+ in sedimentary basin brines across North America, formation water data were compiled from the USGS National Produced Waters Geochemical Database (Blondes et al., 2018), coupled with additional published sources (Blondes et al., 2020; Gallegos et al., 2021; Hite, 1964; Mayhew and Heylmun, 1965; Mowat et al., 2021; Mowat, 2023; Peterman et al., 2017; Phan et al., 2016; Rowan et al., 2011; Tasker et al., 2020), as summarized in Supplemental Table S1. To augment Distribution of lithium and geochemical relationships
The median Li+ concentration of formation waters in sedimentary basins across the United States and the Williston Basin in Canada is ~5 mg/L, with 5th and 95th percentiles of 0.2 mg/L and 97 mg/L, respectively. There are numerous sampling points (Fig. S1) and basins with average Li+ concentrations exceeding 65 mg/L (Fig. 1), but the concentrations often vary over five orders of magnitude. In general, Li+ concentrations increase with total dissolved solids (TDS; Fig. 2). Li+ values >100 mg/L Geochemical characteristics of Li-enriched brines
The highest Li+ concentrations in formation waters come from sedimentary basins containing remnant saline fluids at depth, derived from evaporation of seawater in the geologic past, and extensive evaporite and organic-rich shale deposits (Fig. 1, Fig. 3). High Cl− and Br− concentrations, and low Cl−:Br− mass ratios of saline fluids at depth in the Gulf Coast, Appalachian, Williston, and Paradox basins (Fig. 5a) are consistent with their origin as evaporated paleo-seawater, as shown in previous Conclusions
Lithium concentrations in sedimentary basin formation waters are typically too low (median value of 5 mg/L) to support production of Li with current technology, indicating a need to better understand the factors leading to high Li+ concentrations. Elevated Li+ concentrations (>65 mg/L) are found in sedimentary basins containing remnant seawater associated with evaporite deposits and organic-rich shales. Brines with high Li+ concentrations typically have low Cl−:Br− ratios, indicating an CRediT authorship contribution statement
Mohammad Marza: Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing – original draft. Grant Ferguson: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. Jon Thorson: Formal analysis, Resources, Writing – review & editing. Isabel Barton: Investigation, Writing – original draft. Ji-Hyun Kim: Formal analysis, Investigation. Lin Ma: Formal analysis. Jennifer McIntosh: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. Acknowledgements
Funding was provided from the NSF EAR SMRFS project (2120733), CIFAR Earth4D: Subsurface Science and Exploration Program, and W.M. Keck Foundation. McIntosh is a fellow of the CIFAR Earth4D: Subsurface Science and Exploration Program. Funding was also provided by the Global Waters Futures. Marza was supported by a doctorate fellowship from Kuwait University. The United States Geological Survey Core Research Center, Denver, Colorado, is acknowledged for their generous assistance in providing the
have also been proposed as a potential Li source (Can Sener et al., 2021; Seip et al., 2021; Tahil, 2008; Verma et al., 2016); however, there have been few systematic studies to date on Li+ concentrations and potential production rates from oil-field and other, non-hydrocarbon associated sedimentary basin brines (Dugamin et al., 2021).
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