Russia’s Gazprom Neft and the Orenburg regional government have signed an agreement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum for a project to exploit regional lithium reserves.
The pilot phase of the project will begin in 2028 at the Orenburg oil and gas condensate field.
Gazprom plans to extract lithium, a strategically important metal, from rock formations and associated water at its oil and gas fields.
The largest lithium producers by volume today are Australia, Chile, China, and Argentina. Russia remains a predominantly import-dependent player in the market.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
