MGX Minerals Engineering Partner
PurLucid Awarded C$8.2M to Manufacture and Deploy Wastewater
Treatment Systems Central to MGXs Petrolithium Recovery
Process
VANCOUVER, BC -- November 6, 2017 -- InvestorsHub NewsWire --
MGX Minerals Inc. ("MGX" or the "Company") (CSE: XMG / FKT: 1MG / OTCQB: MGXMF) is pleased to report
that engineering partner PurLucid Treatment Solutions ("PurLucid")
has been awarded a non-repayable contribution totaling up to C$8.2
million in government funding to support the commercialization of a
low energy water treatment system for the oil and gas industry.
Specifically, Sustainable Development Technology Canada ("SDTC")
and Emissions Reduction Alberta ("ERA") have agreed to fund up to
$3.2 million and $5 million, respectively. MGX currently owns a 34%
interest in Purlucid and has the right to acquire 100% through
successive future investments. Working with MGX, Purlucid invented
and filed patent applications for apparatus and methods for brine
treatment and selective lithium recovery that integrates with the
MGX Petrolithium Recovery Process, greatly reducing the cost of
recovery and enhancing the quality across the complex range of
brines received from oil and gas wells.
Utilizing its exclusively licensed pretreatment technology,
Purlucid will fabricate and deploy a commercial-scale unit within
an operating steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) facility in
Alberta. The project includes participants from oil production
companies, a University and a global information technology
company. The treatment system, proven in other applications, will
be capable of operating at high temperatures and pressures to
reduce energy loss while removing oil and mineral contaminants from
oilfield wastewater. Several process units in existing boiler feed
water treatment plants can be replaced with this single unit, not
just in oil production but across thermal industries. Utilizing MGX
resources, Purlucid will implement the lithium recovery process as
a separate but associated project as early as January 2018.
"Treatment of wastewater has always been a challenge and
significant cost to oil and gas producers; it is also essential to
implement petrolithium recovery." said Dr. Preston McEachern, CEO
and Founder of PurLucid. "We're grateful to receive support from
SDTC and ERA in the form of development contributions, to build the
first commercial system at an operating oil production facility in
Alberta and to demonstrate the large cost and energy savings that
can be achieved with these systems. It is exciting, as this opens
the door to further processing of the treated water for
petrolithium recovery."
The system will utilize a highly charged Replaceable Skin Layer
(RSL) membrane and High Intensity Froth Flotation (HiFF) system,
known as Nanoflotation, which collectively have demonstrated
performance superiority over other processes typically used to
remove contaminants. The technology allows high temperature water
treatment at 10-30 times the efficiency of existing ultrafiltration
systems and offers numerous environmental benefits, including
contaminant removal, mineral recovery, reduced energy demand,
smaller footprints and lower capital costs. The system is integral
to the highly efficient processing of petrolithium brines for
lithium recovery. The technology was a 2017 finalist for the Most
Disruptive Technology in the World award by Katerva.
Extending from success achieved with the Purlucid pilot
petrolithium recovery system deployed in August 2017, fabrication
of the first small commercial Purlucid lithium recovery system will
be completed in December 2017 and ready for use in 2018 on the
treated brines from the grant supported project and other MGX
brines successfully trialed with the bench-scale and pilot
systems.
About PurLucid
Purlucid is a water and wastewater treatment services company
comprised of seasoned professional staff from existing large oil
and gas service companies. Purlucid's distinct advantage over its
competitors is its expertise in the industry and its knowledge of
the changing market demand towards water reuse in addition to its
technology portfolio that reduces costs and energy consumption
while delivering high quality treated water. Purlucid has an active
research and development program and its CEO holds academic
positions at multiple Canadian universities where he promotes
advanced research in water treatment and environmental engineering.
Purlucid's technology development is supported by contract CTO
David Bromley, globally renowned for his expertise in water
treatment and contributor to several books on the topic. The strong
research-driven team at Purlucid developed a low energy lithium
recovery process and continues its innovation platform to further
advance mineral recovery as part of a water treatment
approach.
About SDTC
SDTC is an arm's-length foundation created by the Government of
Canada to promote sustainable development and support projects that
develop and demonstrate new technologies to address issues related
to climate change, air quality, and clean water and soil. SDTC
invests in Canadian companies that, through their innovative
technologies, contribute positively to Canada by creating quality
jobs, driving economic growth and protecting the environment. For
more information, please visit sdtc.ca.
About ERA
ERA works with industry, government and the innovation community
to invest in and advance the solutions Alberta needs to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and build a stronger, more diversified
economy. To date, ERA has committed to more than $340 million in
funding to over 120 projects with a total value of over $2.3
billion.
About MGX Minerals
MGX Minerals is a diversified Canadian resource company with
interests in lithium, magnesium and silicon assets throughout North
America. Learn more at www.mgxminerals.com.
Contact Information
Jared Lazerson
President and CEO
Telephone: 1.604.681.7735
Web: www.mgxminerals.com
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adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
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Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such
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that actual results may differ materially from those in
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