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Alberta on the cusp of another resource boom
Financial Post ^ | Monday March 27, 2023 | Diane Francis

Posted on 03/27/2023 10:30:08 PM PDT by canuck_conservative

Alberta’s Leduc geological formation contains an abundance of lithium, a critical and rare metal that is needed in batteries to power electric vehicles and cellphones.

Lithium has traditionally been extracted from “hard rocks,” but in Alberta, it exists in the brine, or water, left behind in oilfields across the province. Geologist Chris Doornbos started E3 Lithium, a TSX-listed geo-tech company that entered into a strategic partnership with Imperial Oil last year. And last week, the company announced some impressive test results.

“Our resource was upgraded (last week) to 16-million tonnes — 9.4 indicated and 6.6 measured resources of lithium carbonate equivalent,” said Doornbos in an interview with the Financial Post. “This is five times’ higher than the estimated lithium resources in the rest of Canada and potentially more than is found in all of North America.”

Like so many other discoveries, Doornbos came across lithium somewhat by accident. “I was looking for copper, but I examined the 2010 Alberta Geological Survey records, then we sampled water from aquifers in the old oilfields and found that lithium was plentiful in the brine water left behind oil production,” he said.

“As such, it is measurable and easily pumped to the surface for processing.... We will drill wells, pump water to the surface, to an extraction plant, then put the water back down.” ...

He estimates that the Leduc geologic region encompasses 10 to 15 per cent of the province. There are other lithium deposits in Canada, but most require traditional mining to produce.

“Alberta, if successful, will be its own lithium jurisdiction, paralleling the Lithium Triangle in South America and Australia’s hard-rock lithium mines,” said Doornbos. “Lithium is in demand for batteries because it conducts electricity easier than any other material. It is the lightest metal with the highest energy density.” ...

(Excerpt) Read more at financialpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alberta; leducformation; lithium; oilwells
fyi
1 posted on 03/27/2023 10:30:08 PM PDT by canuck_conservative
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To: canuck_conservative

You think Trueshit going to step it up for ALberta, without taking the wealth from us to give to Quebec?

Hohohoho


2 posted on 03/27/2023 10:44:40 PM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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To: canuck_conservative

IIRC, there’s an enormous amount of lithium ore buried under untouchable forest land in Maine.

And I believe I also recall hearing a couple of years ago that there is perhaps the world’s largest untapped pool of petroleum under the foothills and mountains of Colorada.

“Not in MY backyard” the greens will proclaim.

Or perhaps I’m just mistaken on both items. “I’m old,” and that’s my excuse if so...


3 posted on 03/27/2023 10:47:05 PM PDT by earglasses (I was blind, and now I hear...)
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To: earglasses

the Green River Shale is reportedly the world’s largest oil shale deposit

I think they mine that stuff in eastern Germany/Poland


4 posted on 03/27/2023 10:53:37 PM PDT by canuck_conservative
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To: Jonty30

Canadian conservatives often compare their country to a cow facing west. The cow is fed in the west, where the most valuable resources are, and milked in the east, where the government is.


5 posted on 03/27/2023 11:33:11 PM PDT by Berosus (I wish I had as much faith in God as liberals have in government.)
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To: canuck_conservative

Paging Elon Musk! Soon you won’t have to bow down to the CCP to keep your stash.


6 posted on 03/28/2023 12:00:54 AM PDT by JudyinCanada
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To: earglasses

Paging Eillis Wyatt.


7 posted on 03/28/2023 2:59:13 AM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure.)
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To: Jonty30
PM Blackface will not be leading the liberals in the next election.

He will be gone...soon...retiring to Beijing or Havana.

8 posted on 03/28/2023 3:19:46 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (Proud member of the control group)
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To: Former Proud Canadian

I would agree with you there, but we still have Toronto and Quebec, who will do everything they can to interfere with Alberta unless we agree to send more of our wealth to them.


9 posted on 03/28/2023 3:26:55 AM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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To: canuck_conservative

This is the stupidity of the folks worrying about there being enough Lithium for us to transition to a battery-driven society:

Our proven lithium reserves will EXPLODE as soon as we need to prove they exist.

As it already stands, we have enough Lithium to give a Tesla to every family on Earth. But what we have is what we’ve largely just incidentally found. The 11 pounds of lithium in a new Tesla costs $25, less than a single tank of gas. (In older models, it’s $130.) If you’ve seen insanely higher costs, they’re probably based on a “study” which presumed the entire battery pack was made of pure lithium.


10 posted on 03/28/2023 4:14:40 AM PDT by dangus ( )
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To: canuck_conservative

China negotiating a deal with Alberta in 3, 2, 1...


11 posted on 03/28/2023 5:29:53 AM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: canuck_conservative
The article has one benign photograph of Lithium Brine extraction.

Lithium Brine extraction requires hundreds of acres of brine ponds that leach the lithium out of rocks and soil by soaking it for months in multi-colored toxic chemicals.

The entire extraction process is hideous and filthy.

Trudeau did everything he could think of to stop petroleum extraction from oil sands, but now he has approved a lithium process that is ten times worse!

12 posted on 03/28/2023 6:39:50 AM PDT by zeestephen (43,000)
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To: Jonty30

*Canada-a cow facing west. The cow is fed in the west and milked in the east, where the government is.
Toronto and Quebec, who will do everything they can to interfere with Alberta unless we agree to send more of our wealth to them.*

Simple solution: Trump calls for an independent Quebec. The west falls to us. We have to do it. The Canadian’s won’t. They think they’re better than us.


13 posted on 03/28/2023 7:15:53 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: DIRTYSECRET

The Frogs will get a hard-on.


14 posted on 03/28/2023 7:18:46 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: canuck_conservative

Alberta bound, Alberta bound
It’s good to be Alberta bound


15 posted on 03/28/2023 7:19:14 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dangus

“give a Tesla to every family on Earth”

You better give me a free home electric system upgrade, a lifetime of spare batteries and a warranty that includes a replacement vehicle when the current one dies.

Otherwise I would not even take a “free” Tesla.


16 posted on 03/28/2023 7:19:40 AM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: cgbg

I could see them adopting the “Give away the razor, Sell the blades” model.

The car is relatively cheap, but you’ll pay monthly for the services.


17 posted on 03/28/2023 7:21:00 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Jonty30
Draw a line from Picton, Ontario to New Castle, Delaware.

Trade Canada everything north and east of that line for Alberta.

18 posted on 03/28/2023 1:39:09 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: Vigilanteman

Spin them off would be a good idea. They would get along very well with each other. I wish.


19 posted on 03/28/2023 1:58:57 PM PDT by Jonty30 (It is not how many that go into Mexico that counts. It is how many that return from Mexico.)
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To: canuck_conservative
Update...

Get ready for higher gasoline and diesel prices. The arson fires are hitting their mark in Alberta. That province will be brought to its knees for being too "independent"

20 posted on 05/08/2023 11:26:13 AM PDT by mewzilla (We will never restore the republic if we don't first secure the ballot box.)
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