Manitoba Geological Survey, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

M.P.B. Nicolas

Lithium in groundwater in sedimentary rocks, southwestern ManitobaMGS

manitoba

geological

survey

1928

This poster was presented at:Manitoba Mines and Minerals Convention 2017Winnipeg, MB, CanadaNovember 15–16, 2017

Winnipeg

Portage la Prairie

Brandon

Steinbach

Selkirk

Dauphin

The Pas

LakeWinnipeg

Lake Manitoba

Lake Win

nip

egosis

Cedar

Lake

Sask

atc

hew

an

U.S.A.Canada

Manito

ba

A

B

C

D

E

F

Sandilands region

Interlake reg

ion

Wekusko Lakepegmatitefield

Tanco

F.L.-W.H.L.

pegmatites

Legend

Cretaceous

Jurassic-Triassic

Devonian

Silurian

Ordovician-Cambrian

Precambrian

Li sample areas

Oil fields

Saline springs

Oil wells

Hydrologic divide

A

Groundwater monitoring wells

Li-bearing pegmatites

Cross Lakepegmatites

km

8-32-1-25W1Jurassic aquiferLi: 3.97 ppm

5-9-2-25W1Jurassic aquifer

Li: 0.258 ppm

13-31-9-27W1Souris Valley aquifer

Li: 7.32 ppm

3-12-11-27W1Praire Evaporite

(salt solution)LI: <1.8 ppm

Area FCambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 5–19 ppb

Area BCambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 0.01–170 ppb

Area DCambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 2–80 ppb

Area ECambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 6–20 ppb

Area ACambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 0.054–1.15 ppb

Area CCambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 0.03–30 ppb

River lot in south WinnipegCambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 3.44 ppm

Twp 14–15 Rge 3–6E1Cambro-Ordovician aquiferLi: 2–3.23 ppm

SE-12-25-20W1Belly River aquifer?

Li: 1.18 ppm

NW-8-12-24W1Belly River aquifer?

Li: 0.706 ppm

River lot in north WinnipegCarbonate rock aquiferLi: 3.84 ppm

Twp 3, Rge 4–5W1Jurassic aquiferLi: 0.761–1.56 ppm

Twp 6–7, Rge 1E–2WOrdo-Silurian aquiferLi: 0.488–1.4 ppm

German Creek salt flat

McArdle salt flat(Red Deer River salt flat)

Winnipegosis salt flat

Saline springsLi content pending

Freshwater aquifer (TDS < 2000 ppm)

Saline to brackish water aquifer(TDS 2000 to <35000 ppm)

Brine aquifer (TDS >35 000 ppm)

Salt solution

Salinity scale

Image source: www.jdfinely.com

Surficial

Belly River

Newcastle

Mannville

Jurassic

WatrousFrobisher

AlidaTilston

Souris Valley

Bakken

Birdbear

Duperow

Manitoba

Prairie Evaporite

Winnipegosis

Ordo-Silurian

Yeoman

Cambro-Ordovician

Red River Fm.

Lodgepole Fm.Mission Canyon Fm. (MC-1 Mb.)

Mission Canyon Fm. (MC-3 Mb.)

Kisbey Sandstone

Swan River Fm.

Amaranth Fm.

Odanah Mb.

Winnipeg Fm. sandand Deadwood Fm.

Interlake Gp. andStonewall Fm.

Winnipegosis Fm.

Souris River Fm. andDawson Bay Fm.

Duperow Fm.

Birdbear Fm.

Bakken Fm. and Torquay Fm.

Melita Fm. andReston Fm.

Newcastle Mb.

Surficial sediments

Millwood Mb.Pembina Mb.Gammon Ferruginous Mb.Boyne Mb.Morden Mb.Assiniboine Mb.Keld Mb.Belle Fourche Mb.Westgate Mb.

Skull Creek Mb.

Success Fm.Waskada Fm.

Prairie Evaporite

Ashern Fm.

Stony Mountain Fm.

Turtle Mountain Fm.Boissevain Fm.Coulter Mb.

Li: 7.32 ppm

Li: <1.8 ppm

Li: 0.540–0.300 ppb (fresh)Li: 0.958–3.230 ppm (saline)Li: 0.857–3.440 ppm (brine)

Li: 0.706–1.18 ppm

Li: 0.761–1.560 ppm (saline)Li: 0.258–3.970 ppm (brine)

Li: 0.780 ppm (saline)Li: 3.890 ppm (brine)

Li: 0.488–1.4 ppm (saline)

Carb

on

ate

ro

ck a

qu

ifer

(east)

Carb

on

ate

ro

ck a

qu

ifer

(east)

LithiumConcentrations

HydrostratigraphySouthwest Manitoba

LithostratigraphicEquivalencies

Fresh water aquifer

Saline to brackish water aquifer

Brine aquifer

Aquiclude

Salt (halite, potash, carnallite)

Legend

Saline springs

Oil-producing horizon

Ba�eries (39%)

Ceramics and glass (30%)

Lubrica�ng greases (8%)

Air treatment (3%)

Con�nous cas�ng mold flux powders (5%)

Polymer produc�on (5%)

Other (10%)

References

Ferguson, G., Betcher, R.N. and Grasby, S.E. 2005: Water chemistry of the Winnipeg Formation in Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 4933, 37 p.

Grasby, S.E. and Betcher, R.N. 2002: Regional hydrogeochemistry of the carbonate rock aquifer, southern Manitoba; Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 39, p. 1053–1063.

Hem, J.D. 1985: Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water; U.S. Geological Survey, Water Supply Paper 2254, 264 p.

Jensen, G.K.S. 2012: Initial results of a Brine Sampling Project: investigating the mineral potential of brines in southeastern Saskatchewan; in Summary of Investigations 2012, Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Economy, Miscellaneous Report 2012-4.1, Paper A-8, p. 8.

Jensen, G.K.S. 2016: Results from the 2016 field season for the Brine Sampling Project: investigating the mineral potential of brines in Saskatchewan; in Summary of Investigations 2016, Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Economy, Miscellaneous Report 2016-4.1, Paper A-3, p. 7.

Nicolas, M.P.B. 2017: Preliminary investigation of the potential for lithium in groundwater in sedimentary rocks in southwestern Manitoba; in Report of Activities 2017, Manitoba Growth, Enterprise and Trade, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. – .

Palombi, D.D. 2008: Regional hydrogeological characterization of the northeastern margin in the Williston Basin; M.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, 196 p.

Palombi, D. and Rostron, B.J. 2013: Regional hydrogeological characterization of the northeastern margin of the Williston Basin; Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, Open File OF2011-3, set of 55 1:3 000 000 scale maps.

United States Geological Survey 2002: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, digital elevation model, Manitoba; United States Geological Survey, URL <ftp://edcsgs9.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/srtm/>, portions of files N48W88W.hgt.zip through N60W102.hgt.zip, 1.5 Mb (variable), 90 m cell, zipped hgt format [March 2003]

United States Geological Survey (USGS), 2017: https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/lithium/mcs-2017-lithi.pdf [November 2017]

Introduction

Saline groundwater in continental sedimentary basins are generated from

evaporitic concentration and/or halite dissolution, where the former is a primary

process and the latter is a secondary (diagenetic) process. Both these mechanisms

provide opportunities for trace elements to accumulate, potentially reaching economic

concentrations. In Manitoba, the mineral potential of brines remains largely under

explored and little understood. One example of a trace element under explored and

with good potential is lithium. Production of lithium from these deep saline waters in

continental sedimentary basins is currently the most common and cost-effective

source of this element.

Southern Manitoba has a complex groundwater aquifer system, with salinities

ranging from brines in the deeper aquifers to freshwater in the shallower and eastern

aquifers (Figure 1). Manitoba's oil and gas operations produce large quantities of

these brines, which contain a wide range of trace elements. Although very limited

preliminary results indicate that the lithium concentrations in Manitoba's brines are

low, extrapolation of better, more comprehensive results from Saskatchewan

suggests that there is potential for lithium concentrations to be higher than currently

recorded in Manitoba and that more work needs to be done to evaluate the deeper

aquifers.

This project seeks to evaluate the current level of knowledge of lithium

concentration in the deep brines, as well as the freshwater aquifers, to develop a

better understanding of the mineral potential of brines in southern Manitoba. Nicolas

(2017) reports on these most recent findings, and a summary is presented here.

Figure 2: Regional geological map with digital elevation model of southern Manitoba showing hydrological divide (follows the 2000 mg/L total dissolved solids

contour) with the location of saline springs and freshwater recharge regions from Grasby and Betcher (2002); areas A through F group multiple water sampling

points (data from Ferguson et al., 2005); oil wells and groundwater monitoring wells with Li analyses are shown. Digital elevation model from United States

Geological Survey (2002). Abbreviation: F.L.–W.H.L., Falcon Lake–West Hawk Lake.

Figure 1: Hydrostratigraphy of southwestern Manitoba, modified from Palombi (2008), with equivalent

southwestern Manitoba lithostratigraphic units. Red star indicates formation consisting dominantly of

raw salt dominated by halite, potash and carnallite. Yellow star indicates formation with saline springs

at surface. Horizons with oil production in Manitoba are indicated by green drops. The carbonate-rock

aquifer range is as defined by Grasby and Betcher (2002). Aquifer-salinity changes are indicated by

colour gradients where full-height boxes indicate salinity changes occur east- and northward, half-

height boxes indicate salinity changes occur northward only. Salinity ranges are based on the

classification of Hem (1985), and the total dissolved solids mapping of Palombi and Rostron (2013).

Economic Considerations

Saltwater production and disposal from oil wells is a constant issue for the

petroleum industry and is one of the dominant reasons for marginal well

abandonment. The mineral potential of these brines may serve as an excellent

economic opportunity for the operators to improve their profits and extend the life of

marginal oil wells, taking advantage of the array of infrastructure already in place for

these operations.

Future Work

In the next phase of the project, archival data will continue to be searched and

compiled, while infill sampling of brine from existing oil-well operations, as well as

from the saline springs, will be collected, as needed or available, for analyses of a

range of trace elements and evaluate their mineral potential.

Southern Manitoba Hydrogeology

The regional flow system in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) is

characterized by influx of freshwater from the topographic highs in the northwestern

United States, at the western edge of the WCSB, with a regional movement of

formation water to the northeast resulting in a western regional-scale updip flow of

saline water into Manitoba. These waters partially or completely dissolve the Prairie

Evaporite in its path, further increasing the salinity of the groundwater. In Manitoba, a

hydrologic divide separates saltwater from freshwater. Saline springs occur west of

this divide, where deep basinal waters flow updip to the surface (Figure 2).

In the east, the regional flow trend is reversed along the eastern erosional edge

of the basin in the Interlake and Sandilands regions, where freshwater flows from east

to west (Figure 2; Simpson et al., 1987; Betcher et al., 1995). This eastern freshwater

system is referred to as the carbonate-rock aquifer and consists of gently west-

dipping, carbonate-dominated strata spanning from the Red River Formation up to the

Recent studies in Saskatchewan report higher lithium concentrations (Jensen,

2012, 2016) in deeper horizons than those tested in Manitoba and the regional

groundwater flow is to the east and northeast (Figure 2), therefore there is the

possibility that higher Li concentrations can also be found in Manitoba. The highest

lithium concentrations in Saskatchewan are derived from brines evolving from

evaporitic concentration mechanisms (Jensen, 2012), with Devonian-aged aquifers

measuring the highest values.

Lithium Uses and Demand

Ÿ Lithium is used in a wide range of products, with the top three uses

(Figure 3) being in batteries (improves battery chemistry), ceramics

and glass (for strength and resistance to temperature change), and

in lubricating greases (to enhance heat resistance; USGS, 2017).

Ÿ Increasing demand for lithium for use in cell phones, laptops and

electric/hybrid car batteries is currently driving the market.

Ÿ Less than 1% of Li is recycled, therefore a steady supply of primary

lithium is required.

Figure 3: Lithium by end use (USGS, 2017).

Souris River Formation, and includes minor shales and evaporites (Grasby and Betcher, 2002). A major

hydrological divide separates these two regional groundwater-flow systems (Figure 2; Grasby and Betcher, 2002).

In southwestern Manitoba there are up to 16 separate regional aquifers, as defined by Palombi (2008), all with

varying salinities (Figure 1). In the west, the Jurassic and Paleozoic aquifers are dominantly brines, with total

dissolved solids (TDS) levels >35 000 mg/L; in the east, the Paleozoic aquifer, referred to as the carbonate-rock

aquifer (Grasby and Betcher, 2002), is dominantly freshwater, with a TDS level <2000 mg/L. Narrow transition

zones of saline to brackish water occur between these two end members; saline water has TDS levels between 10 000 and 35 000 mg/L, and TDS levels of brackish water range from 2000 to 10 000 mg/L. Figure 1 shows the

variation in salinity from west to east.

Lithium Concentrations

The hydrogeochemistry of the saltwater is variable, depending on the source formation and location within the

basin, which is itself related to the generative mechanism for these brines, whether it is by evaporitic concentration

or halite dissolution. The concentration of lithium in Manitoba's groundwater is variable, with values from brines in

the oil wells ranging from 0.258 to 7.32 ppm; values from freshwater to brackish water wells ranging from 0.01 ppb

to 0.3 ppm; and values from shallow saline waters to brines in monitoring wells ranging from 0.488 to 3.84 ppm

(Figure 1; Nicolas, 2017). Despite the small number of results from deep brines, lithium concentrations in

Manitoba's groundwater are low, with overall higher concentrations in the deep Jurassic and Paleozoic brines of

southwestern Manitoba's oil region. Shallower brines and saline waters measured from the groundwater monitoring

wells have slightly lower values for lithium, compared with the brines derived from deep oil wells (Figure 2).

Freshwater-dominated Cambro-Ordovician aquifers along the eastern erosional edge of the Williston Basin have

extremely low lithium concentrations.