Produced water is currently a disposal cost. The lithium in it has never been a revenue line. M.L.E. processes it at the wellhead — adding extraction output to energy operations without interrupting hydrocarbon production.
100–500
ppm Li typical range in produced water
Billions
of barrels of produced water managed globally each year
$0
Revenue operators currently earn from lithium in produced water
0
Disruption to hydrocarbon production from M.L.E. deployment
Produced water is the water that comes to the surface alongside oil and gas during extraction. It is a byproduct that operators in the US Gulf states and other producing regions spend heavily to manage — injecting it underground, treating it, or disposing of it through licensed facilities.
The same produced water commonly carries 100 to 500 ppm of dissolved lithium — a concentration range that M.L.E. can recover economically, particularly at high throughput volumes.
No other extraction technology changes the economic calculus of produced water faster. M.L.E. drops a modular skid into existing water handling infrastructure, begins recovering lithium, and leaves hydrocarbon operations entirely unchanged.
Produced water from oil & gas operations can contain 20-500 mg/L lithium. With over 3 billion barrels of produced water generated annually in the U.S. alone, the recoverable lithium value represents billions of dollars in untapped revenue for operators.
Add a revenue stream to existing energy operations
Produced water becomes a dual-output stream: managed water out, purified lithium permeate out. A new revenue line attached to an existing operating cost.
Process at the wellhead — eliminating disposal logistics
Modular skid integration at the point of production. No additional transport, no centralized treatment facility needed to recover the lithium value.
Validate lithium reserves on assets you already control
Continuous recovery data builds a lithium production record on existing acreage — potentially creating a standalone mineral interest that underlies the energy asset.
No interruption to hydrocarbon production
M.L.E. operates in parallel with the produced water handling system. No well shut-ins, no production pauses, no upstream changes required.
Relevant Operators
Oil and gas operators in the US Gulf Coast, Permian Basin, and other high-volume producing regions. Particularly compelling where produced water volumes are large and disposal costs are significant.
Deployment Model
Modular skid integration with existing produced water handling infrastructure. Priced per cubic meter of feed processed. Operator retains ownership of recovered lithium output.
Operators who process lithium through M.L.E. can optionally integrate D.C.M. to convert purified lithium directly into battery-ready cathode material on-site, capturing additional margin across the supply chain.
Learn about D.C.M. →Share your water chemistry and volumes. We model lithium recovery potential and revenue before any lab work or commitment.
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