Systems Thinking

Building and proving technological solutions for accelerated exploration

The key element in the energy transition may well be lithium, the one common element in the many forms of battery needed to replace fossil fuel sources. The difference in development times between battery factories (2 years), and mines (10 years), will be a serious problem in effecting a smooth transition to low-carbon energy systems. As the supply of key metals becomes steadily more restricted, rapid, accurate identification of new resources is essential.

Transition Elements is a young exploration and geotech company in the metals exploration space. We are pursuing projects in lithium exploration, both for resources and in software development. Our teamĀ“s decades of experience in exploration and software has taught us the power of geological modelling and the skills to build the right solution to a problem.

We anticipate that 2024 will see our application for a European exploration licence granted and work commence on data collection to validate our lithium brine exploration concept. Our initial field program will be tightly focussed on acquiring key data about source, brines and reservoir. One important spin-off of our preparatory work is our lithium systems modelling software, LiSys. LiSys applies our experience in exploring for subsurface fluid resources to lithium brine exploration, bringing a wealth of experience from oil exploration to bear on the problem of predicting the location of commercial accumulations.

We built LiSys to provide system model-derived answers to key questions about our prospect, how much does it hold and where? The software is available on a consultancy basis.



Lithium Systems Modelling

Commercial lithium brine accumulations result from the interaction and balance between water, lithium sources, and the physical environment. Inspired by the the petroleum systems thinking that transformed hydrocarbon exploration workflows, the lithium systems approach develops a genetic model for the deposit. The lithium systems model is a powerful predictive tool around which to quantify and plan a lithium project. Understanding deposit formation gives insights into the impact of production on the environment, and on the bottom line. With a quantified lithium systems models, you can plan your project. Deeper understanding builds a better plan.

SystemDiagram