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Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":682,"relatedVideos":683},112398875898523,"ef360a66-e6dc-4d3e-a692-8c7ec5f11a11","ExxonMobil enters synthetic graphite with Superior Graphite acquisition","exxonmobil-enters-synthetic-graphite-with-superior-graphite-acquisition","article/exxonmobil-enters-synthetic-graphite-with-superior-graphite-acquisition",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":556,"content":566,"excerpt":656,"featured":50,"reporter":657,"_editable":661,"component":662,"seo_title":543,"categories":663,"visibility":675,"author_company":49,"featured_image":676,"seo_description":656,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":680,"formattedArticleDate":681},"b521451e-4c67-4368-abe0-e914d8c8b1dc","2025-09-10 00:00",[550,553],{"slug":551,"name":552},"exxon","Exxon",{"slug":554,"name":555},"usa","USA",[557],{"slug":558,"name":559,"content":560},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":561,"image":562,"bio":564,"linkedin":565},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":563},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":567,"content":568},"doc",[569,576,581,593,598,603,611,618,633,638,643],{"type":570,"attrs":571,"content":572},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[573],{"text":574,"type":575},"Oil-major ExxonMobil is expanding its footprint in the battery supply chain after reaching an agreement to acquire Superior Graphite, in a deal that includes the latter’s planned 12ktpa synthetic graphite facility in Kentucky, where commercial production is slated for 2029.","text",{"type":570,"attrs":577,"content":578},{"textAlign":49},[579],{"text":580,"type":575},"Although it represents Exxon’s first direct foray into synthetic graphite production, the oil-giant is developing a proprietary technology to produce coke – the primary feedstock for synthetic graphite anode material – that aims to deliver up to a 30% higher battery capacity and faster charging time, as well as extended battery life. It plans to establish the first commercial-scale plant for the technology by 2028.",{"type":582,"attrs":583},"blok",{"id":584,"body":585},"22ae480e-65ed-40ba-b1f1-ea0f7f6d7273",[586],{"id":587,"_uid":588,"type":589,"_editable":590,"component":591,"fixed_height":592,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":592,"fixed_height_tablet":592},"25067469","i-02b77126-bcad-4e93-94db-5eca2dc5bb9a","visualisation","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-02b77126-bcad-4e93-94db-5eca2dc5bb9a\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","ContentFlourish","",{"type":570,"attrs":594,"content":595},{"textAlign":49},[596],{"text":597,"type":575},"US synthetic graphite anode demand is projected to quadruple by 2035, retaining a dominant share (+70%) of the market, according to the Benchmark Synthetic Graphite Forecast. This is underpinned by accelerating demand from the electric vehicle (EV) and stationary storage (ESS) sectors.",{"type":570,"attrs":599,"content":600},{"textAlign":49},[601],{"text":602,"type":575},"Yet the US supply pipeline is on track to meet little more than 10% of domestic demand by 2035 – underscoring both the opportunity for new market entrants in the region and the scale of required investment to close this supply gap.",{"type":582,"attrs":604},{"id":605,"body":606},"346c4078-da0a-44a0-8f2f-a81cc6dabd09",[607],{"id":608,"_uid":609,"type":589,"_editable":610,"component":591,"fixed_height":592,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":592,"fixed_height_tablet":592},"25066522","i-65618189-9183-43ad-91fe-368ded6badfb","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-65618189-9183-43ad-91fe-368ded6badfb\", \"id\": \"\"}-->",{"type":612,"attrs":613,"content":615},"heading",{"level":614,"textAlign":49},4,[616],{"text":617,"type":575},"Oil majors extend into battery supply chain",{"type":570,"attrs":619,"content":620},{"textAlign":49},[621,623,631],{"text":622,"type":575},"Oil-majors are increasingly leveraging technological expertise, while exploring opportunities for vertical integration via upstream oil refining facilities, to strategically position themselves in the battery supply chain. For these companies, commitments in the space represent relatively minor investments – compared to their balance sheets – ",{"text":624,"type":575,"marks":625},"but promise to unlock significant new resources for battery minerals like lithium",[626],{"type":627,"attrs":628},"link",{"href":629,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":630},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/publications/special-issues/1320373","url",{"text":632,"type":575},".",{"type":570,"attrs":634,"content":635},{"textAlign":49},[636],{"text":637,"type":575},"Several large oil refiners have expanded into synthetic graphite anode supply chains by establishing needle coke capacity. Sinopec and Phillips 66 are active producers, while Indian Oil Corporation, Imam Khomeini Shazand Oil Refinery, and Chevron have each announced plans to build new needle coke production facilities.",{"type":570,"attrs":639,"content":640},{"textAlign":49},[641],{"text":642,"type":575},"Meanwhile, Exxon is also progressing a 100ktpa LCE capacity direct lithium extraction (DLE) project at the Smackover formation in Arkansas, an area with a long history of oil extraction. The project will utilise conventional oil and gas drilling methods to access lithium-rich reservoirs underground, before DLE technology is used to separate lithium from saltwater.",{"type":570,"attrs":644,"content":645},{"textAlign":49},[646,648,654],{"text":647,"type":575},"Earlier this year, fellow US oil-giant ",{"text":649,"type":575,"marks":650},"Chevron entered the US lithium space through the acquisition of two direct lithium extraction (DLE)",[651],{"type":627,"attrs":652},{"href":653,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":630},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/chevron-enters-us-lithium-space-with-dle-acquisitions",{"text":655,"type":575}," leasehold positions from TerraVolta Resources and East Texas Natural Resources (ETNR), both located in the Smackover Formation.","Oil-major ExxonMobil is expanding its footprint in the battery supply chain after reaching an agreement to acquire Superior Graphite, in a deal that includes the latter’s planned 12ktpa synthetic graphite facility in Kentucky, where commercial production is slated for 2029. Although it represents Exxon’s first direct foray into synthetic graphite production, the oil-giant is developing […]",[658],{"slug":558,"name":559,"content":659},{"job_title":561,"image":660,"bio":564,"linkedin":565},{"filename":563},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"b521451e-4c67-4368-abe0-e914d8c8b1dc\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[664,666,669,672],{"slug":665,"name":261},"anode",{"slug":667,"name":668},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":670,"name":671},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":673,"name":674},"graphite","Graphite","private",{"id":49,"alt":592,"name":592,"focus":592,"title":592,"source":592,"filename":677,"copyright":592,"fieldtype":678,"meta_data":679,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/46d8b1ae4f/bm-exxon-mobil.jpg","asset",{"alt":592,"title":592,"source":592,"copyright":592},"Sep 10, 2025","10th September 2025",[],[],1781023382741]