Geology Seminar Series - Gavin Jensen: Lithium potential in Saskatchewan brines… “Why do you want the water; you know the money is in the oil right??”

Wed., Sep. 8, 2021 4:00 p.m.

Location: https://uregina-ca.zoom.us/j/95188968775?pwd=QS9hTUpLSVdaQm1aVnlobGZuQ01XQT09

Title: Lithium potential in Saskatchewan brines... "Why do you want the water; you know the money is in the oil right??"

Speaker: Mr. Gavin Jensen, Saskatchewan Geological Survey

Abstract:

In 2011 by the Saskatchewan Geological Survey commenced a brine sampling project, driven by the demand of lithium and other trace elements that could potentially be derived from basinal brines. Since 2011 the survey has sampled Paleozoic aged wells from southeastern and west-central Saskatchewan with the goal of developing a database of major and minor elements present in the formation waters in Saskatchewan.

This project’s goal is to determine the distribution and concentration of the major and minor elements present in subsurface brines in Saskatchewan. Typical brine analysis only measures for major elements; therefore, the data collected on the minor elements represent some of the first publicly available data for minor elements in the province.

This talk will illustrate the logistics and sampling process of obtaining a virgin formation water sample, discuss the results and brine evolution, as well as ongoing brine and core sampling.