Gazprom to develop lithium at major East Siberian gas field
Gazprom has partnered with East Siberian oil producer Irkutsk Oil (INK) to exploit lithium at one of its largest gas fields in the region, the companies said on February 3.
Lithium is a critical resource in various industries, including for the production of batteries for electronic equipment and electric cars. But Russia does not produce any lithium, even though it has identified over a dozen deposits, relying completely on imports.
Gazprom and INK agreed on an action plan with Russia's industry ministry on developing lithium compounds from formation brines found at the Kovyktinskoye field in the Irkutsk region. INK will bring to the table the technology it has developed for processing lithium-containing associated water it has developed at its own oil and gas deposits in Irkutsk.
Kovyktinskoye holds 1.8 trillion m3 of gas, according to Gazprom. It is due to come on stream in a few years, delivering gas to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline.
Gazprom also signed an agreement with the ministry on developing the Russian lithium industry, committing to develop domestic technologies and equipment, and draw up proposals for state measures to support projects.
"According to expert estimates, demand for lithium will continue soaring in the coming years," Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller said in a statement. "And it is commonly known that Russia imports all the lithium consumed nationwide. That is why it is especially important to develop domestic technological expertise in this field."