LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners has commenced lithium carbonate production from its automated continuous-flow refining unit at a field site in the Permian Basin, Texas. This achievement represents the first end-to-end conversion of oilfield brine into saleable lithium carbonate directly at a disposal well site. The modular refining unit, designed to deliver up to 10 tonnes per year of technical-grade and battery-grade lithium carbonate, integrates seamlessly with the company’s proprietary direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology and existing oilfield infrastructure.
Over the past 16 months, LibertyStream’s Generation 5 DLE system in Texas has processed up to 10,000 barrels of produced brine daily, generating a lithium chloride eluate. Since February 2025, the operation has treated more than 350,000 barrels of brine and executed over 2,500 real-time validation tests, underscoring the system’s reliability and scalability. The newly commissioned refining unit transforms the eluate into lithium carbonate that meets specifications required by industrial, electric vehicle and defense customers.
“Our team at LibertyStream has achieved a rare commercial milestone and we are firmly on the path toward expansion across critical U.S. oilfields in the Permian Basin in Texas and the Bakken in North Dakota,” said Alex Wylie, President & CEO of LibertyStream. “Our automated refining unit in the Permian Basin has now demonstrated that our technology and process -converting oilfield brine into high-purity lithium – has exceeded expectations.”
He emphasized the broader implications of this achievement: “This breakthrough positions LibertyStream to scale responsibly, supply critical lithium carbonate for domestic industrial customers and defence contractors, and create meaningful shareholder value as we replicate modules and secure long-term commercial contracts.”
Since the end of September, LibertyStream has bolstered its balance sheet with approximately $4.0 million in gross proceeds from non-dilutive grant funding and the exercise of options and warrants by institutional stakeholders. These funds will support near-term initiatives, including:
- Producing lithium carbonate batches for independent laboratory testing and validation;
- Confirming consistent product quality against customer technical specifications;
- Shipping bulk material with certificates of analysis for qualification testing.
Following successful customer qualification, LibertyStream plans to engage in offtake discussions aimed at scaling commercial operations in 2026 and supplying volumes to customers by 2027. In the interim, all lithium carbonate produced will be offered on the spot market.
Source: Business Wire
