LSU Researcher Tests Louisiana’s Lithium Potential
A Louisiana State University professor is working to determine how much lithium may be lurking in produced waters from oil and gas wells in the Smackover Formation beneath north and northwest Louisiana.
While Arkansas has already reported some of the highest lithium concentrations in North America from its stretch of the Smackover, Louisiana’s side of the state line remains largely untested — and potentially pivotal.
What’s Happening
According to the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate, Ipsita Gupta, an associate professor at the LSU Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, is working to collect and analyze brine samples under a $261,000 grant funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Geothermal. The work focuses on produced water — the salty byproduct that comes up with oil and gas — rather than drilling new lithium-specific wells.
Her goal: Establish a scientific baseline for how much lithium is actually present in Louisiana’s portion of the formation.
The Intrigue
Gupta told the Advocate she’s curious about why Arkansas wells, just across the border, are showing higher lithium concentrations. For example:
Samples from Claiborne Parish show concentrations of 37 to 95 mg/L.
In Arkansas, lithium concentrations are 400 mg/L and higher.
Understanding the variation could determine whether Louisiana becomes a serious lithium contender.
More: Read the full Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate report.
