Volt Lithium to Launch Mobile Direct Lithium Extraction Unit in North Dakota’s Bakken Basin
Volt Lithium Corp. ansition to LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners has announced the final assembly and imminent deployment of its proprietary mobile Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) unit in North Dakota’s Bakken region. The commissioning of this system is scheduled for the latter half of June 2025. This strategic field deployment, in partnership with Wellspring Hydro, is supported by US$2.5 million in funding from the North Dakota Industrial Commission’s Clean Sustainable Energy Authority and Renewable Energy Program.
Volt Lithium Mark Watson, President and CEO of Wellspring, stated, “Wellspring and the State of North Dakota are excited to begin field operations with Volt. Volt stands as the only DLE company to have received funding from the State of North Dakota to date. Based on the strong extraction results demonstrated at Volt’s R&D Facility in Calgary, there is confidence that the proprietary technology will perform well in real-world field conditions.”
The rebranding of Volt Lithium to LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners Inc. reflects the company’s evolving strategy to work collaboratively with U.S. oilfield infrastructure operators. The goal is to extract lithium from the abundant produced water streams associated with oil and gas production—a method offering both economic and environmental advantages.
Key Project Highlights:
- Volt’s proprietary DLE system is engineered to adapt to diverse brine chemistries, making it viable across various North American basins.
- Strategic positioning in both the Permian and Bakken basins, which together account for over 60% of U.S. onshore oil production.
- Estimated lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) production potential: 170,000 tonnes per year in the Permian and 50,000 tonnes per year in the Bakken.
- Lithium concentrations in the Bakken brine are three times higher than those in the Permian.
- Active production of lithium chloride and conversion to high-purity lithium carbonate for potential commercial offtake.
- Rapid deployment and scaling: from lab-scale production in 2024 to a 10,000+ barrels/day DLE system in 2025.
Volt’s Proprietary Process and Operating Model
Volt’s DLE units are uniquely designed to be integrated with existing salt-water disposal (SWD) infrastructure in oilfields. This approach eliminates the need for costly and resource-intensive greenfield development. By leveraging the SWD partner’s facilities, Volt minimizes capital expenditures and operational disruptions, accelerating the path to production.
Key benefits include:
- Capital Efficiency: Avoids expenses related to new drilling, land acquisition, and pipeline construction.
- Operational Efficiency: Taps into lithium-rich brine already being processed by oilfield operators.
Volt Lithium These efficiencies have allowed Volt to scale its operations significantly. After launching lab-scale production in Calgary in 2024, Volt scaled to full field operations in the Permian Basin, achieving the capacity to process over 10,000 barrels of brine per day within six months.
The Bakken deployment aims to demonstrate the technology’s versatility and confirm that Volt’s DLE process is effective across both low-concentration, high-volume brines and high-concentration resources. This basin-agnostic approach provides flexibility and strengthens Volt’s market positioning.
Strategic Position in North America’s Oil and Lithium Landscape
Volt Lithium is now strategically active in the two most prolific U.S. oil-producing regions—the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico, and the Bakken in North Dakota. These basins not only dominate oil production but also generate vast volumes of produced water that can be harnessed for lithium extraction.
- Permian Basin:
- Produced water volume: ~19 million barrels/day.
- Lithium concentration: ~30 ppm.
- LCE potential: ~170,000 tonnes per annum.
- Bakken Basin:
- Produced water volume: 1.6 to 2 million barrels/day.
- Lithium concentration: ~90 ppm.
- LCE potential: ~50,000 tonnes per annum.
Volt’s internal lab analyses indicate that Bakken brines offer significantly higher lithium grades, further improving project economics.
Commercial Pathway and Market Integration
Volt Lithium is converting lithium chloride produced in the Permian into high-purity lithium carbonate and distributing samples to potential buyers. These samples meet specifications required by premium offtake partners. The company’s commercial readiness is advancing in tandem with operational milestones, creating a strong foundation for revenue generation.
Scalability and Deployment Progress
Volt Lithium Since deploying its first DLE field unit in the Permian in September 2024, Volt has rapidly advanced to a Generation 5 system by February 2025. This unit, now the largest operational DLE system in North America, handles over 10,000 barrels per day. The Bakken unit, built on the same modular technology, represents the next step in Volt’s geographic expansion strategy.
Final Assembly and Stakeholder Engagement
Volt Lithium is currently finalizing assembly of its Bakken unit for commissioning in late June 2025. The unit will process brine from Bakken wells, validating its performance in one of the largest brine-producing areas in the continental U.S.
During the commissioning and operational phases, Volt Lithium and Wellspring Hydro plan to host various stakeholders, including:
- State of North Dakota officials
- North Dakota State Senators
- Commerce and trade leaders
- Financial sector representatives
- Key investors and industry partners
These engagements are designed to demonstrate the scalability, economic feasibility, and environmental benefits of Volt’s lithium extraction technology.
CEO Commentary
“Our modular, fast-deploying DLE platform is receiving strong attention from industry and government stakeholders. The successful deployment of our technology in the Bakken, following our Permian achievements, showcases our ability to adapt across oilfield environments. Volt is now well-positioned to meet increasing demand for domestic lithium production and to build long-term partnerships in major U.S. oil basins,” said Volt’s CEO.
