Saltwerx
About us
Southwest Arkansas has a long history as an oil and gas producer. But deep underground is another valuable resource: brine that is rich in lithium. Brine is highly salted water unsuitable for drinking or agriculture. ExxonMobil can safely produce and refine this lithium-rich resource using many of the skills they’ve honed over decades, including geoscience, reservoir engineering and chemical processing.
Saltwerx LLC, an ExxonMobil affiliate, holds a substantial leasehold position throughout southwest Arkansas and is currently securing additional brine leases in the area to promote ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions’ plans to become a leading producer of lithium.
ExxonMobil’s lithium extraction projects and operations will support both the U.S. critical mineral supply and the economic development of southwest Arkansas.
Benefits to Arkansas
ExxonMobil’s project will help position Arkansas as an early leader in lithium development and Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) processing in North America, supporting a domestic supply of this critical mineral. Lithium, a mineral found in brine and hard rock sediments, was named a critical mineral by the Department of Energy in 2023, based on its importance to U.S. energy security. (Reference the Department of Energy, Efficiency & Renewable Energy – Critical Minerals and Materials.)
Beyond returning value to local mineral owners, lithium development can also attract new direct investment in Arkansas by bringing economic development and growth to the state, counties, and local communities, and good, new jobs to Arkansas.
And by expanding supply of lithium, Arkansas also can play an important role in enabling the continued reduction of emissions from transportation, a key element of U.S. and global climate goals.
Mineral leasing and surface use
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General questions about lithium
Find answers to general questions about lithium, including how it’s produced and transported.
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Questions about the benefits and location
Get answers on how Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) works and its significantly lower environmental impact.
Community
Building successful relationships within communities begins with a willingness to listen and create opportunities for a two-way dialogue. Learn more about ExxonMobil’s commitment to communities across the United States.
“South Arkansas is our state’s all-around energy capital, producing oil, natural gas, and now thanks to investments like ExxonMobil’s and their combination of skills and scale, lithium,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “My administration supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy that guarantees good, high-paying jobs for Arkansas – and we’ll continue to cut taxes and slash red tape to make that happen.” To read more, reference our press release.
Southwest Arkansas has a history as an oil and natural gas producer, and the region’s geology is well understood. ExxonMobil is working with local and state officials to enable the successful scale-up of Arkansas’ emerging lithium industry.
