Occidental Petroleum’s move into the lithium extraction space highlights the increasing interest among oil and gas companies in diversifying into critical minerals, particularly in response to the growing demand for lithium-ion batteries.
Oil and gas companies are turning their attention to lithium extraction from brines
Companies like E3 Lithium and Imperial Oil in Canada, Occidental Petroleum, and ExxonMobil in the US are investing in technologies to extract lithium from brine. This shift is driven by the increasing demand for lithium, particularly for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and national initiatives to secure domestic sources of battery metals.