E3 might get some PR from this, IO investment is mentioned. The largest U.S. oil company said it would use conventional oil and gas drilling methods to access lithium-rich saltwater from reservoirs about 10,000 feet underground and then use direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to separate lithium from the saltwater.
Ammann did not disclose how much Exxon intends to invest in the lithium business, or when it might become profitable.
The company's majority-owned Canadian affiliate, Imperial Oil, also has invested in a lithium-extraction pilot project in Alberta, Canada.