hridge2020
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For Most EV's the white Gold is lithium.
Drilling for ‘white gold’ is happening right now at the Salton Sea
A drill rig operated by Controlled Thermal Resources seeks out a superheated underground reservoir near the southern shore of the Salton Sea. The company plans to build a combined geothermal energy and lithium plant.
Barely a mile from the southern shore of the Salton Sea — an accidental lake deep in the California desert, a place best known for dust and decay — a massive drill rig stands sentinel over some of the most closely watched ground in American energy.
There’s no oil or natural gas here, despite a cluster of Halliburton cement tanks and the hum of a generator slowly pushing a drill bit through thousands of feet of underground rock. Instead, an Australian company is preparing to tap a buried reservoir of salty, superheated water to produce renewable energy — and lithium, a crucial ingredient in electric car batteries.
The $500-million project is finally getting started after years of hype and headlines about the Imperial Valley someday becoming a powerhouse in the fight against climate change. The developer, Controlled Thermal Resources, began drilling its first lithium and geothermal power production well this month, backed by millions of dollars from investors including General Motors.
If the “Hell’s Kitchen” project succeeds — still a big “if” — it will be just the second commercial lithium producer in the United States. It will also generate clean electricity around the clock, unlike solar and wind farms that depend on the weather and time of day.
“We know we can do it. Now it’s a matter of how well can we do it,” said Jim Turner, Controlled Thermal’s chief operating officer.
Other than that unexpected hitch, the operation was going smoothly. The drill had reached a depth of about 900 feet, on its way to a reservoir that seismic surveys showed would begin at about 4,000 feet, with temperatures of at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
The briny water is rich with lithium and other valuable minerals. Controlled Thermal is eager to reach that lucrative deposit.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll finish [drilling] before 40 days. But you don’t know until you actually get down there,” Turner said.
Jim Turner is chief operating officer of Controlled Thermal Resources.
There are already 11 geothermal power plants in the area, churning out emissions-free energy for California and Arizona. They take advantage of a natural geothermal hot spot, where heat from the Earth’s core radiates outward and warms water trapped in underground rock formations.
Energy companies drill down and bring the superheated water to the surface, where the drop in pressure causes it to “flash” from a liquid to a gas, creating bursts of steam that can turn turbines and generate electricity.
At the end of the process, the brine is injected back underground, replenishing the reservoir. The main byproduct is water vapor.
The technology is expensive, and for years development had ground to a halt. But now California is swimming in cheap solar and wind power, and officials are scrambling for clean-energy resources that can be counted on 24/7, especially after sundown.
California’s first new geothermal plant in nearly a decade recently started construction in Mono County. The Imperial Irrigation District, meanwhile, has agreed to buy most of the 50 megawatts of power that Controlled Thermal would initially generate.
Source
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Lithium Mining in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts
News articles are asking if lithium is the new gold rush in Nevada and California. Some have said that the desert is where a new lithium rush is beginning to turn into a stampede. A stampede is the uncontrolled act of mass impulse by a crowd of people running in panic. What could go wrong with that?
To make things even more interesting is the allegation that those responsible with protecting and administrating public desert lands may be too friendly with those wishing to exploit public lands for profit. And environmental reviews which use to take years to complete are now completed in one year.
This project looks at what is occurring as interest in lithium mining increases. The only lithium mine in production in North America is in Silver Peak, Nevada. One pilot lithium processing plant is at the site of an existing borax mine in Boron, California. There are many sites in the exploration stage. Some sites are more advanced than others and have completed extensive field testing and technical reports. Others have mining claims and a website.
Source
Drilling for ‘white gold’ is happening right now at the Salton Sea
A drill rig operated by Controlled Thermal Resources seeks out a superheated underground reservoir near the southern shore of the Salton Sea. The company plans to build a combined geothermal energy and lithium plant.
Barely a mile from the southern shore of the Salton Sea — an accidental lake deep in the California desert, a place best known for dust and decay — a massive drill rig stands sentinel over some of the most closely watched ground in American energy.
There’s no oil or natural gas here, despite a cluster of Halliburton cement tanks and the hum of a generator slowly pushing a drill bit through thousands of feet of underground rock. Instead, an Australian company is preparing to tap a buried reservoir of salty, superheated water to produce renewable energy — and lithium, a crucial ingredient in electric car batteries.
The $500-million project is finally getting started after years of hype and headlines about the Imperial Valley someday becoming a powerhouse in the fight against climate change. The developer, Controlled Thermal Resources, began drilling its first lithium and geothermal power production well this month, backed by millions of dollars from investors including General Motors.
If the “Hell’s Kitchen” project succeeds — still a big “if” — it will be just the second commercial lithium producer in the United States. It will also generate clean electricity around the clock, unlike solar and wind farms that depend on the weather and time of day.
“We know we can do it. Now it’s a matter of how well can we do it,” said Jim Turner, Controlled Thermal’s chief operating officer.
Other than that unexpected hitch, the operation was going smoothly. The drill had reached a depth of about 900 feet, on its way to a reservoir that seismic surveys showed would begin at about 4,000 feet, with temperatures of at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
The briny water is rich with lithium and other valuable minerals. Controlled Thermal is eager to reach that lucrative deposit.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll finish [drilling] before 40 days. But you don’t know until you actually get down there,” Turner said.
Jim Turner is chief operating officer of Controlled Thermal Resources.
There are already 11 geothermal power plants in the area, churning out emissions-free energy for California and Arizona. They take advantage of a natural geothermal hot spot, where heat from the Earth’s core radiates outward and warms water trapped in underground rock formations.
Energy companies drill down and bring the superheated water to the surface, where the drop in pressure causes it to “flash” from a liquid to a gas, creating bursts of steam that can turn turbines and generate electricity.
At the end of the process, the brine is injected back underground, replenishing the reservoir. The main byproduct is water vapor.
The technology is expensive, and for years development had ground to a halt. But now California is swimming in cheap solar and wind power, and officials are scrambling for clean-energy resources that can be counted on 24/7, especially after sundown.
California’s first new geothermal plant in nearly a decade recently started construction in Mono County. The Imperial Irrigation District, meanwhile, has agreed to buy most of the 50 megawatts of power that Controlled Thermal would initially generate.
Source
_____________________________________________________________________
Lithium Mining in the Mojave and Great Basin Deserts
News articles are asking if lithium is the new gold rush in Nevada and California. Some have said that the desert is where a new lithium rush is beginning to turn into a stampede. A stampede is the uncontrolled act of mass impulse by a crowd of people running in panic. What could go wrong with that?
To make things even more interesting is the allegation that those responsible with protecting and administrating public desert lands may be too friendly with those wishing to exploit public lands for profit. And environmental reviews which use to take years to complete are now completed in one year.
This project looks at what is occurring as interest in lithium mining increases. The only lithium mine in production in North America is in Silver Peak, Nevada. One pilot lithium processing plant is at the site of an existing borax mine in Boron, California. There are many sites in the exploration stage. Some sites are more advanced than others and have completed extensive field testing and technical reports. Others have mining claims and a website.
Source
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