231 Critical Mineral Resources and Recovery in the Americas: Emerging Methods in Exploration and Sustainable Extraction (Posters)

This session explores the role of critical minerals in technology and the low-carbon economy, focusing on geological discoveries, sustainable extraction methods, and recycling to support secure, environmentally responsible mineral supply chains in the Americas.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, Hall 1

Quantitative Evaluation Pathways for Emerging Technologies in Reactive Reservoirs

Paper number: 231-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

The rapidly advancing energy and computational technologies will require us to rethink the way we extract resources from the subsurface. Mafic-ultramafic reservoirs present the opportunity to utilize their reactivity to unlock new critical mineral resources, store CO2 permanently as stable carbonate minerals, stimulate geologic hydrogen, etc., by using the Earth as a Reactor. In this study, we present characterization methodologies that evaluate these assets for their applications across subsurface technologies. Samples from various mafic-ultramafic sites across the United States such as Hawai’i, Duke Island, Kenai Chrome, Eklutna, Josephine Ophiolite, Twin Sisters Dunite, etc., were evaluated. We have developed a variety of analytical techniques to determine the mineralogical, geochemical, and petrophysical properties of these samples. Recognizing secondary mineral phases and critical mineral concentrations are key metrics for understanding the overall resource potential of these samples. Alteration products, such as serpentine and brucite, control reactivity and surface area in these rock types. The information gained provides insight into fluid-rock interactions in the crust and how we may apply these new technologies in the subsurface.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413104

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