Origin Of Lithium Research Articles

Origin of lithium in oilfield brines in continental petroliferous basin: Insights from Li and Sr isotopes in the Jianghan Basin, central China

Oilfield brines are a significant alternative lithium resource to meet the global demand in the next decades. However, their metallogenic characteristics and mechanism remain unclear. To constrain the source and enrichment process, this study presents chemical and multi-isotope data for oilfield brines from the Middle Eocene to Lower Oligocene Qianjiang Formation of the Jianghan Basin, central China. These formation water samples collected from 159 oil wells have salinities of 47–355 g/L and lithium contents of 5.36–150.00 mg/L. The good linear relationship between δD and δ18O values indicates that the salinities are achieved by dilution of the primary brine by meteoric water. Waters from the lower of the Qianjiang Formation have higher δD and δ18O values and 87Sr/86Sr ratios than those from the upper, in conjunction with the low correlation between the δD and δ18O value and the salinity and between the Sr content and the 87Sr/86Sr ratio, indicating the impact of associated water-rock interactions. Moreover, contributions from diagenetic processes of dolomitization, dissolution of evaporites and albitization are also indicated by the high Cl/Br mass and Na/Cl molar ratios and the Ca excess and Na deficit. Chemical geothermometers give reservoir temperature values of 118 °C and 138 °C on average for the oilfield brines from the upper and lower formation, respectively. The binary linear relationships between Li contents and TDS values and Br contents imply specific enrichment processes in addition to evapo-concentration. Variations in δ7Li values (+10.6‰–+21.3%) and 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.709479–0.711516) were used to trace the process of Li enrichment in oilfield brines. The lower δ7Li values with more enriched Li in comparison to Na indicate a significant lithium input from clastic host rocks, which is also confirmed by the fact that more radiogenic waters have relatively lower δ7Li values. Overall, these results suggest that Li enrichment in the Qianjiang oilfield brines was generated by the interaction of Li-bearing minerals in the clastic host rocks with water formed by original evaporitic brines diluted by meteoric water. This work represents a significant role of lithium and strontium isotopic systematics in elucidating the Li origins of deep-seated oilfield brines in continental petroliferous basins.

Explosive lithium production in the classical nova V339 Del (Nova Delphini 2013).

The origin of lithium (Li) and its production process have long been uncertain. Li could be produced by Big Bang nucleosynthesis, interactions of energetic cosmic rays with interstellar matter, evolved low-mass stars, novae, and supernova explosions. Chemical evolution models and observed stellar Li abundances suggest that at least half the Li may have been produced in red giants, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and novae. No direct evidence, however, for the supply of Li from evolved stellar objects to the Galactic medium has hitherto been found. Here we report the detection of highly blue-shifted resonance lines of the singly ionized radioactive isotope of beryllium, (7)Be, in the near-ultraviolet spectra of the classical nova V339Del (Nova Delphini 2013) 38 to 48days after the explosion. (7)Be decays to form (7)Li within a short time (half-life of 53.22days). The (7)Be was created during the nova explosion via the alpha-capture reaction (3)He(α,γ)(7)Be (ref. 5). This result supports the theoretical prediction that a significant amount of (7)Li is produced in classical nova explosions.

Spallative origin of lithium in the weak G-band stars

The lithium abundances observed in weak G-band stars are similar to those found in normal G and K giants. The carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen abundances, however, are typical of material processed by the CNO cycle. A primordial or a thermonuclear origin of the lithium detected would set almost incompatible constraints on the mixing mechanisms and/or the mass loss. We show that a spallative (autogenetic) production of this element is possible and that it would remove these constraints.

A Possible Explanation for the Origin of Lithium, Beryllium, and Boron

A simple picture is outlined which can account for the new boron abandance in the meteorites (B/H ~ 10/sup -8/following Cameron et al.) together with lithium and beryllium. /sup 11/B, /sup 10/B, and /sup 7/Li are pro duced by large fluxes of low-energy particles (~ 10 MeV particles) accelerated by shock waves occurring in supernovae envelopes while /sup 6/Li and /sup 9/Be are produced by the high-energy cosmic rays impinging on the interstellar gas. (auth)

Observational Results Bearing on the Origin of Lithium and Beryllium

Observational Results Bearing on the Origin of Lithium and Beryllium