Volt Lithium Corp. is nearing the final assembly and deployment of its mobile direct lithium extraction (DLE) unit in North Dakota’s Bakken region, according to a June 11 press release.

Commissioning of the DLE unit is scheduled for June 2025. The initiative is in collaboration with Wellspring Hydro and is backed by $2.5 million in funding through the North Dakota Industrial Commission’s Clean Sustainable Energy Authority and renewable energy program.

The announcement reflects Volt’s strategy of extracting lithium from streams of produced water associated with oil and gas production, the company stated.

Volt’s field trial will be processing brine from the Bakken formation. The Bakken represents the second largest producer of brine in the continental U.S., processing up to 2 MMbbl of brine per day at lithium concentrations of up to 90 ppm, Volt said.

In September 2024, Volt deployed its first DLE field unit in the Permian Basin and subsequently scaled up to its Generation 5 unit in February 2025.

Generation 5 is the company’s largest operational DLE system located in the Permian, capable of processing over 10,000 bbl/d of produced water.

“Volt’s deployment of a second unit into the Bakken demonstrates the technology is capable of adapting to multiple types of oilfields and varying grades of lithium concentrations, positioning the company to meet growing market demand and expand across key American basins,” said Alex Wylie, president and CEO of Volt Lithium.

Additionally, the company plans to change its name to LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners, pending shareholder approval.

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