Proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction technology independently validated on Gulf oilfield brine — recovering lithium from produced water at industry-leading efficiency with a fraction of the environmental footprint.
HELiX has developed a proprietary sorbent-based Direct Lithium Extraction process — the HELiXDLE system — that selectively recovers lithium from oilfield produced water. Using its proprietary HELiXSORB extraction media, the technology achieves exceptional lithium selectivity even in the presence of high concentrations of competing ions including sodium, magnesium and calcium.
Unlike conventional DLE technologies optimised for lower-contaminant brines, HELiXDLE has been independently validated on actual Gulf oilfield brine submitted by the prospective JV partner — demonstrating real-world performance on the most demanding feedstock in the sector.
The high contaminant rejection capability produces a higher purity lithium eluate output, reducing downstream refining costs to battery-grade product. The same brine stream also contains commercially valuable co-products including bromine, magnesium and potassium — potential additional recovery streams at near-zero marginal cost.
The system is compact and self-contained — deployable at any oilfield site using existing produced water infrastructure, with no greenfield construction required. This compresses the timeline from investment to first production to 12–24 months.
The technology is scalable across different geographies and brine compositions. It is the most efficient and sustainable method of extracting lithium compared to existing alternatives, directly addressing the supply gap against ever increasing global demand for battery-grade lithium.
Lithium is the critical mineral at the heart of the global energy transition. It is the primary input to lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage systems and portable electronics. Global lithium demand is projected to grow 3-4x by 2030, driven by accelerating EV adoption and the transition to renewable energy.
Conventional lithium production relies on two methods: hard rock mining (primarily in Australia) and evaporation ponds (primarily in South America). Both are slow, environmentally intensive and geographically constrained. Hard rock mining requires large-scale open pit operations. Evaporation ponds consume vast quantities of water, occupy thousands of hectares and take 5-10 years from investment to first production.
Direct Lithium Extraction is an emerging technology that selectively recovers lithium directly from brine — bypassing evaporation ponds entirely. DLE processes are faster, more efficient, environmentally lighter and can operate on brine sources that conventional methods cannot economically process.
The problem: global lithium supply cannot keep pace with demand using conventional methods alone. DLE is widely recognised as the technology that will close this gap — and oilfield produced water represents one of the largest untapped lithium-bearing brine sources on the planet.
Why produced water matters: the global oil and gas industry generates billions of litres of produced water daily — a high-salinity brine that is currently managed as a costly waste stream. This water contains dissolved lithium alongside other commercially valuable minerals. Converting this waste into a critical battery material represents one of the most significant supply chain opportunities in the energy transition.
| Parameter | Hard Rock Mining | Evaporation Ponds | HELiXDLE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery Rate | 50–70% | 30–50% | 95–98%+ |
| Time to Production | 3–5 years | 5–10 years | 12–24 months |
| Processing Cycle | Batch processing | 12–34 month evaporation cycle | Continuous · hours to days |
| Feedstock Cost | High (mining) | Low (brine pumping) | Zero (waste stream) |
| Water Consumption | Very High | Extreme | Minimal |
| Land Footprint | Large (open pit) | Very Large (ponds) | Minimal |
| Environmental Impact | Significant | Significant | Minimal |
| OPEX (at eluate stage) | $3,000–6,000/t | $3,000–5,000/t | <$1,000/t |
| Capital Intensity | Very High | High | Low (JV-funded) |
| ESG / Sustainability | Challenging | Challenging | Strong |
Most DLE technologies are tested on idealised or low-contaminant brines. HELiXDLE has been independently validated on actual Gulf oilfield brine — one of the most challenging feedstocks in the sector — submitted by the prospective JV partner.
Oilfield produced water is a waste stream that operators currently manage at cost. HELiX monetises this waste stream — no feedstock procurement, no water rights, no additional environmental permitting for a new extraction source.
The Gulf JV partner contributes site, infrastructure and project finance. HELiX contributes technology and receives contracted income from day one. No capital burden on HELiX for the commercial plant construction.
Compact, self-contained deployment on existing oilfield infrastructure compresses timelines to 12–24 months — versus 5–10 years for evaporation ponds and 3+ years for greenfield DLE facilities.
No evaporation ponds, no toxic tailings, no additional water consumption, minimal land footprint. The process treats a waste stream and returns water to the oilfield system — a genuinely sustainable lithium source.
The scalable design and feedstock compatibility across different brine compositions enables rapid deployment across additional Gulf and international oilfield locations — each new JV generating the same contracted revenue structure.
HELiX is in advanced discussions with a major Gulf National Oil Company for a commercial Joint Venture deployment. The Gulf partner has submitted proprietary brine from its operating oilfields for independent laboratory testing — a clear signal of senior-level commercial intent requiring internal board-level approval.
The JV structure is asset-light: the Gulf partner contributes site, existing oilfield infrastructure and sovereign-backed project finance for the commercial plant. HELiX contributes its proprietary DLE technology and operational management — receiving contracted income through multiple revenue streams commencing at JV signing, before a tonne of lithium is produced.
The commercial plant is funded at the JV level — non-recourse to HELiX. The equity raise funds the pilot plant validation, not the commercial plant. This is the structural distinction that makes HELiX genuinely asset-light throughout.
HELiX is currently raising a Series A to fund pilot plant construction and validation — the critical milestone that independently validates the technology at commercial scale and triggers Gulf JV execution.
The raise is structured in two milestone-gated stages, with Stage 2 conditional on successful pilot validation. This structure protects investors by ensuring capital deployment is tied to demonstrated technical performance.
Qualified investors may request the full information package — including the detailed financial model, cap table, technology documentation and JV commercial structure — following execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
Contact us to request the full information package. Detailed financials, valuation and cap table are available following NDA execution.
HELiX welcomes enquiries from qualified investors and strategic partners. Full investment documentation is available to qualified parties following NDA execution.
Qualified investors may request access to the complete information package — including the detailed financial model, cap table, technology documentation and company background — following NDA execution.
▸ Request Information PackageOr email us directly: investors@helixmt.com
This website does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Information is provided for qualified parties only and subject to NDA.