The fascination with Arkansas’s diamond mines soon may be matched with interest in its bromine brines. A state-of-the-art facility is already extracting lithium—a critical mineral for the production of batteries and electronics—from bromine brines produced from the Jurassic Smackover Formation. As the demand for lithium continues its upward trajectory, there will be the prospect for additional development of the resource within Arkansas.

E&E Energy Administrator Lawrence Bengal said, “These are exciting times for our nation and our state as we work together to find energy solutions that are good for our economy and our environment. Some folks will tell you those goals are mutually exclusive, but I respectfully disagree. At E&E, we believe that the citizens of Arkansas deserve a robust economy and a beautiful, safe environment.” Geological Survey Director and State Geologist Scott Ausbrooks said, “Increased extraction of lithium from Smackover brines will require improved knowledge of host-rock geology, geochemistry, and its interconnectivity over a broader region of this formation.

The Arkansas Geological Survey (GS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center (LMG-WSC) are working on a collaborative project to better assess the lithium resources in southern Arkansas. This project brings together the GS geologists’ knowledge of the local geology and the USGS scientists’ expertise on brine water chemistry, evolution, and sampling procedures. Initial focus has been on compiling existing geological and geophysical datasets. Planned future activities include sampling and water chemistry analysis as well as airborne electromagnetic and radiometric surveys.”