Like a multinational company, MGX Minerals Inc. is active on many fronts at the same time and is broadly positioned in the green tech energy markets of the future. While the company is focused on the commercial deployment of its first rapid lithium extraction system for oil and gas producers in Canada, MGX is also working on developing its own petrolithium production project in Utah.
Today‘s landmark announcement explains that the first commercial-scale rapid lithium extraction plant is nearing completion, with delivery and deployment expected in January 2018. This system, called NFLi-5, can process up to 750 barrels per day (120 cubic meters) and serves as the commercial platform for the next system already in fabrication, which has a capacity 7,500 barrels per day. That‘s big.
It was also announced today that a detailed 3D seismic survey is about to be completed on its Petrolithium Project in the Paradox Basin, Utah. This survey will assist in outlining subsurface geological formations and structures favorable for accumulations of oil and gas as well as lithium brine bearing formations. The project is located next to the Lisbon Valley Oilfield (also within the Paradox Basin), where about 140 wells are located that produced in excess of 50 million barrels of oil with historical brine content of up to 730 ppm lithium. That‘s big.
In 2011, the Paradox Basin has been noted by the USGS as having one of the largest undeveloped oil and gas fields in the United States. It has been suggested that the Paradox Basin unconventional oil and gas development has been hindered by high total dissolved solids and water handling challenges and costs. So the project relies heavily on MGX-PurLucid‘s patented and patent-pending water handling and rapid lithium extraction technology capable of processing complex brines in conjunction with oil and gas development that produces a clean water by-product aimed at mitigating water handling and disposal cost and providing an innovative clean water solution to the oil and gas industry.
MGX-PurLucid‘s technology has been extensively tested in pilot plant phase since July 2017 on all types of lithium bearing brine throughout MGX‘s extensive project portfolio including high hydrocarbon evaporator blowdown (EBD) wastewater from SAGD oilsands production, traditional oil and gas wastewater, traditional lithium brine, and high magnesium wastewater concentrate from mine tailings among other sources throughout North America. As MGX‘s Paradox Petrolithium Project advances, systems will be deployed for hydrocarbon separation and mineral extraction.
Integrated Petrolithium Engineering
According to today‘s news:
Initial engineering studies have been completed by SigmaCubed of Denver/Colorado modelling of simultaneous (brine / oil and gas) production scenarios aimed at drawing brine and oil from a single well. Reservoir simulations were run for the different scenarios to determine the sensitivity of the results to the input assumptions. There are three main variables – lateral horizontal length (feet), net reservoir height (feet) and permeability (millidarcies).
A base case was run for a vertical well. Production rates (BWPD) were then calculated for different combinations of these three variables. For the purposes of this study, a 1,500-psi pressure differential drawdown at the perforation interval was assumed. A pressure drawdown across perforations can be achieved by various different production methods (i.e. rod pump, gas lift, hydraulic pump, jet pump, etc.).
The study found that it did not matter how the pressure differential is achieved, reservoir conditions will ultimately determine production volumes. Also, for the purposes of this study, the tubing size was limited to one case (2 7/8” O.D.) primarily because the 2 7/8” tubing x 5 1/2” production casing configuration is one of the most common wellbore configurations utilized by the petroleum industry. Upon reviewing the results of this study, it become increasingly apparent of the multitude of variable combinations resulting from the study of just one tubing size.
The results of this study can be ratioed up or down to obtain relative production volumes for 2 3/8” or 3 1/2” tubing strings. Produced water density, oil API gravity and water oil ratios were found to have negligible effects on total production volumes. The biggest effect these variables had would be in the fluctuation of the producing fluid level in the wellbore. For the purposes of this study, a full column of 100% petroleum brine water weighing 11.0 ppg was assumed.
Additional engineering work will focus on the effect of large diameter casing and related costs on a per barrel basis starting with 7 ½” and consideration of techniques and scale currently utilized in geothermal brine wells.
Bottom Line
As the first commercial petrolithium system nears completion to be integrated into the infrastructure of existing oil and gas producers, MGX plans to subsequently install multiple of such systems across North America and globally. That‘s big.
Moreover, MGX is so certain its technology works that the company is already developing its own Petrolithium Project in Utah. The main points from today‘s news: Land survey for massive 3D seismic survey is almost done. Initial well engineering is done. Plant is almost done.
No one has ever done such a petrolithium project before, and it‘s at a very large scale. It‘s a multi-billion-dollar project of which MGX owns 75%. Considering total costs of about $8 millionrequired to achieve commercial production (based on the expectation of completion of 3D seismic survey and one horizontal well to be drilled) it does not surprise that MGX is advancing this project at full speed.
Simply put, they are doing what multinationals are doing: Diversifying strategically, becoming independent and the industry standard. MGX not only thinks big, they are going big.
Welcome aboard, shareholders – it‘s history in the making, at full speed.
Company Details
MGX Minerals Inc.
#303 - 1080 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2T1
Phone: +1 604 681 7735
Email: jared@mgxminerals.com
www.mgxminerals.com
Shares Issued & Outstanding: 77,782,417
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Canadian Symbol (CSE): XMG
Current Price: $1.07 CAD (14/08/2017)
Market Capitalization: $83 Million CAD
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German Symbol / WKN (Frankfurt): 1MG / A12E3P
Current Price: €0.73 EUR (14/11/2017)
Market Capitalization: €57 Million EUR
Previous Coverage
Report #32 “Backed by Private and Institutional Heavyweights: MGX cashes up for Lithium Extraction and Exploration“
Report #31 “MGX Revolutionizes the Lithium World - Commissions First Rapid Lithium Extraction System“
Report #30 “Full Steam Ahead: MGX Engages Senator Polanco (Ret.) to Head California Lithium Brine Strategy“
Report #29 “MGX to Target Geothermal Market for Extraction of Lithium and Gold“
Report #28 “MGX Minerals Commences Development of the World‘s First Petrolithium Field“
Report #27 “Canadian Government Backs MGX Minerals‘ Petrolithium Cleantech“
Report #26 “MGX Minerals Solves the Magnesium Problem of the Lithium Industry“
Report #25 “Hard-Rock Lithium Exposure for MGX“
Report #24 “One of the Largest Initial Oil Estimates in US History“
Report #23 “MGX starts Petrolithium pilot plant to deliver hard facts for strategic partners“
Report #22 “Time to bet: Sprott takes a position in MGX“
Report #21 “Petrolithium: First Come First Served“
Report #20 “Successful Independent Verification of the MGX Lithium Extraction Technology“
Report #19 “MGX to Drill the World‘s First PetroLithium Well in Utah“
Report #18 “MGX Reports Upgrading of Lithium Brine from 67 to 1600 ppm Lithium“
Report #17 “MGX technology nominated for prestigious Katerva Award, the Nobel Prize of Sustainability“
Report #16 “Unconventional oil play legend Marc Bruner to take MGX and PetroLithium to the next level“
Report #15 “Total Conviction: MGX forms PetroLithium Corp. to expand into the US oilfield brine markets“
Report #14: “MGX Extracts Lithium from Oil Wastewater - Begins Monumental Integration with Big Oil“
Report #13 "MGX Partners with Oil Major on Lithium Brine, New Energy Industry Facing Fundamental Shift“
Report #12 "Game Changing Potential: MGX Minerals‘ Pilot Plant for Rapid Production of Lithium Nears Completion“
Report #11 "MGX assays 34 g/t gold from surface sampling in British Columbia“
Report #10 “Official: MGX owns magnesium worth multi-billions of dollars and starts pilot plant shortly“
Report #9 “One of the world‘s largest lithium resources on the horizon?“
Report #8 “Ready for significant lithium brine work in Alberta“
Report #7 “At the forefront of Alberta‘s lithium brine riches“
Report #6 “Pioneering Lithium in Alberta: MGX Minerals Teams Up“
Report #5 “Time to Put a Lithium Production Process in Place“
Report #4 “MGX Minerals Taps Into Canada‘s Potentially Largest High-Grade Lithium Resources“
Report #3 “MGX Minerals Receives Mining Lease for 20 years (in British Columbia!)“
Report #2 “MGX Minerals Accelerates Towards Production“
Report #1 “MGX Minerals Plans To Enter The Magnesium Market“
Disclaimer: Please read the full disclaimer within the full research report as a PDF (here) as fundamental risks and conflicts of interest exist. The author hold a long position in MGX Minerals Inc. and is being paid a monthly retainer from Zimtu Capital Corp., which company also holds a long position in MGX Minerals Inc.