- 01LSC-3a indicated 64L/s capacity, above Lionheart’s 40L/s assumption.
- 02Test validates sandstone reinjection, a key development-plan assumption.
Vulcan Energy (ASX: VUL) has successfully tested its first sandstone reservoir matrix reinjection well at Project Lionheart in Germany, validating a central assumption of the planned lithium development.
The LSC-3a well demonstrated an interpreted injection capacity of approximately 64 standard litres per second (L/s) under planned operating conditions, exceeding the 40L/s assumed for matrix injectors.
The result provides direct field evidence supporting Lionheart’s proposed combination of sandstone matrix and fault-zone reinjection wells, rather than relying solely on historical fault-zone operations.
Completed by Vulcan’s in-house drilling business Vercana, LSC-3a is the seventh well in a planned 28-well development program and the third new well tested in the current campaign.
Reservoir Capacity Confirmed
Drilled in September and tested in early October, LSC-3a followed an initial pilot hole that confirmed a higher-permeability reservoir interval previously encountered in two nearby wells.
Vercana then drilled a geosteered horizontal section to a total measured depth of 3,743 metres, maximising contact with the target sandstone interval.
During testing, the well achieved a measured surface injection rate of approximately 35L/s at 69 bar gauge wellhead pressure and a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius.
Interpretation using downhole pressure and temperature measurements alongside wellbore modelling indicates the higher 64L/s capacity at planned conditions of 70 bar gauge and 65 degrees Celsius.
The distinction between the measured test rate and modelled operating capacity is important, with Vulcan expecting some variation as its wider drilling program progresses.
Development Design Concept
Lionheart’s development concept pairs wells producing hot lithium-rich brine with injectors returning cooled lithium-depleted liquid to the underground reservoir.
Reinjection into the sandstone matrix could help move brine through a wider portion of the formation, supporting reservoir pressure and potentially improving lithium recovery.
Vulcan reports that production and injection results from the three newly drilled wells have so far met or exceeded the assumptions underpinning its field development plan, while updated seismic imaging, drilling, core analysis, and logging have also increased confidence in the continuity of the higher-permeability reservoir interval and the placement of future wells.
“The successful reinjection into the reservoir matrix at LSC-3a represents an important de-risking milestone as this is a key assumption underpinning our base case Field Development Plan,” managing director Cris Moreno said.
“Every milestone we deliver reduces risk and moves us closer to first commercial production—we remain firmly focused on execution and on delivering a new local, low-cost, battery-grade lithium supply chain from Europe, for Europe.”
Additional Wells Planned
The latest results will feed into Vulcan’s integrated geological and dynamic reservoir models and inform the design and execution of the subsequent LSC-4 and LSC-5 reinjection wells.
The company is examining whether more precise well placement and revised development sequencing can further reduce subsurface uncertainty and improve project value during construction.
Located in the Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field between Germany and France, Lionheart is designed as an integrated lithium and renewable energy operation.
Its previously established production target is 24,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide monohydrate annually, alongside 275 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity for internal use and 560GWh of heat for local consumers.
Those targets, based on the 2023 Bridging Engineering Study and an estimated 30-year project life, remain forward-looking and dependent on the underlying development assumptions.
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