Fort Worth-based company launches first lithium mining project in US in decades
A Fort Worth-based mineral company has announced the first new domestic lithium mining project in the United States in nearly half a century.
The project, led by the Fort Worth mineral company Element3, was announced Friday.
Element3 officials said the successful production of lithium will come from Permian Basin produced water in its lithium carbonate facility in Midland. It is the first-ever lithium carbonate produced at scale in commercial equipment in the Permian Basin.
The Permian Basin generates a billion gallons of oil and gas wastewater daily, making it one of the largest lithium resources in the United States.
“This is a watershed moment for innovation in critical materials, with Element3 taking a leadership position,” the company wrote in a news release. “The company transforms oil and gas infrastructure into a strategic critical mineral asset, supporting the current [Trump] Administration’s commitment to end American dependence on foreign adversaries for critical minerals.”
