T228 Science and Technology Advancement in Responsible Mining of Critical Minerals from Primary and Secondary Resources I

Wednesday, 25 September 2024
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
209B

UNCONVENTIONAL CRITICAL MINERAL RESOURCES IN MARCELLUS AND BAKKEN SHALE FORMATIONS

Paper number: T228-6
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:15 AM – 9:30 AM

Authors

Abstract

Decarbonization requires widespread deployment of key clean energy technologies over the coming decades to meet the climate goals. The demand for key critical minerals (CMs) in these technologies could grow over 450% by 2050. The U.S. now relies heavily on import. Many oil/gas bearing shales are known for their unusually high metal contents 1 and can be considered as a potential CM resource. To access this resource, often located at considerable depths, is technically challenging. Thanks to the advent of horizontal drilling and fracking technologies, this resource can possibly be accessed now. Additionally, when active oil and gas horizons intersect metal rich intervals, it is possible to harvest the metals in-situ post-hydrocarbon extraction simply by injecting metal solubilizing solutions and then pumping the metal-bearing solutions back to the surface for recovery. By using existing oil and gas wells and infrastructure the cost for metal recovery can substantially be reduced.

In this presentation we focus on Marcellus and Bakken shale, two of the major shale formations in US, to evaluate the distributions, contents and their host minerals for critical minerals. The work presented includes integrated material characterization and leaching tests to establish the technical basis for more effectively characterizing and assessing the mineralogy and quantities of CMs.

We have identified several metal-rich intervals from both Marcellus shale and Bakken shale. The main host minerals for CMs in Marcellus shale samples include barite, ankerite, calcite, pyrite and the shale in close contact with hydrothermal veins. The Ni, V and Mn contents in the studied shale samples are potentially economically viable. These findings allow us to direct us for future sample screening and selection and to build future strategies for recovery of these metals. In this presentation, we also discuss the unique dynamics of fluid flow in fracture networks in low-permeability deformable media and its implications to the in-situ leaching and extraction of CMs in shale formation.

SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525. This project is supported by the U.S. DOE FECM via FWP-23-025668. SAND2024-07692A

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-404380

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