What T5 Smackover Partners does

T5 Smackover Partners is a privately held, vertically integrated energy company founded in 2025 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company is a subsidiary of T5 Holdings, LP, the family office of serial technology entrepreneur Bruce Thompson, who has redeployed capital from successful automotive-technology exits (American Auto Exchange, RedBumper, NewCarIQ, CarOffer) into the development of integrated geothermal power and critical-minerals production from the East Texas Smackover Formation. Operating across Franklin, Titus, and Hopkins Counties on approximately 10,000 acres in Phase 1, T5 targets EV manufacturers, battery producers, utilities, and defense/industrial buyers of critical minerals with a domestic supply alternative positioned against current U.S. lithium import dependence.

The company's core platform combines Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) with modular Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) geothermal turbines in a closed-loop brine reinjection architecture. Smackover Formation brines contain lithium concentrations of approximately 800 parts per million, materially above the global average of approximately 100 ppm and among the highest reported globally. The integrated process is reported to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate at >90% recovery, baseload geothermal electricity with a stated utilization rate exceeding 75% (versus 30% for wind and 15% for solar), ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure along the I-30 corridor, mobile dispatchable power storage of 75-100 MW, and secondary minerals including bromine, potassium, magnesium, and strontium. Phase 1 targets approximately 5,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate per year with stated long-term targets of 35,000-50,000 tons LCE annually.

T5 Smackover Partners monetizes output through binding offtake agreements and planned power purchase arrangements. A binding five-year offtake agreement with Glencore Ltd., signed in June 2026, covers 100% of Phase 1 lithium carbonate output at approximately 5,000 metric tons per year, totaling approximately 25,000 metric tons, with Glencore providing global commodity marketing. Technology and validation partners include Gradient Geothermal (supplying the patented HXC Geothermal System), W.D. Von Gonten Engineering (third-party resource validation), and Hamilton Clark Sustainable Capital (strategic advisory). Leadership comprises Founder/CEO Bruce Thompson, Co-Founder/President Cole Fisher (formerly Global Director of Decarbonization at GE Vernova), and CFO Stacy McEntee, with operational leadership drawn primarily from upstream oil-and-gas backgrounds.

Name

T5 Smackover Partners

Legal name

T5 Smackover Partners, LLC

Website

https://t5smackover.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

T5 Smackover Partners is a Texas-based, privately held energy company developing integrated geothermal baseload power and direct lithium extraction from the Smackover Formation, targeting 35,000-50,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent annually for EV, battery, and utility customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lithium Extraction and Geothermal Power Generation

NAICS

Geothermal Electric Power Generation (221116), Electric Power Generation (22111)

akta.pro primary industry

Lithium Mining & Brine Extraction (IMAKAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery-Grade Chemical Processing (LiOH/Li2CO3, Ni/Co Sulfates, Mn Sulfate) (IMAKAFAI), Battery Raw Materials Mining & Refining (Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Graphite) (EUAFABAA)

Keywords

• Direct lithium extraction
• Geothermal power generation
• Lithium carbonate production
• Critical minerals extraction
• Renewable baseload power

Headquarters

HQ city

Plano

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Lithium Carbonate Production and Sales: Production and sale of battery-grade lithium carbonate extracted from geothermal brines via Direct Lithium Extraction. Phase 1 production estimated at approximately 5,000 metric tons per year over a 5-year term with Glencore offtake agreement covering 100% of Phase 1 output. Long-term production targets of 35,000-50,000 tons LCE annually.
2. Geothermal Baseload Power Generation: Generation and sale of renewable baseload geothermal electricity using modular ORC turbines. Power generation designed to supply businesses and communities with scalable clean power operating 24/7 with utilization rates exceeding 75%.
3. Secondary Minerals (Bromine, Potassium, Magnesium, Strontium): Extraction and potential sale of secondary critical and strategic minerals including potassium, magnesium, strontium, and bromine from Smackover Formation brines. Anticipated as world-class deposits across company acreage.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

T5 Smackover Partners is a vertically integrated energy company that develops geothermal power generation and direct lithium extraction (DLE) projects in the East Texas Smackover Formation. The company extracts battery-grade lithium carbonate and other critical minerals (bromine, potassium, strontium, magnesium) from geothermal brines while simultaneously producing renewable baseload electricity, selling these outputs to EV manufacturers, battery companies, and utilities through long-term offtake agreements.

Product overview

T5 Smackover Partners operates as a vertically integrated energy platform that combines geothermal power generation with critical mineral extraction from the Smackover Formation in East Texas. The core offering consists of geothermal baseload power generation using modular Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbines and Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology that produces lithium carbonate as a value-add byproduct. Supporting infrastructure includes ultra-fast EV charging stations along the I-30 corridor and mobile grid-scale energy storage (75-100 MW). The company also extracts secondary minerals including bromine, potassium, strontium, and magnesium. Recent partnerships include Gradient Geothermal's HXC Geothermal System for phase one operations and a Glencore offtake agreement covering 25,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate over five years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lithium Carbonate Battery-grade lithium carbonate produced from Direct Lithium Extraction of geothermal brines in the Smackover Formation, intended for sale to EV manufacturers, battery producers, and energy storage companies through a 5-year binding offtake agreement with Glencore.
• Geothermal Baseload Power Clean, renewable, zero-emission baseload power generated from geothermal resources using modular Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbines and Gradient Geothermal's HXC system, operating 24/7 with greater than 75% utilization rate. Designed to supply businesses, utilities, and communities with scalable clean power.
• Ultra-Fast EV Charging Infrastructure Electric vehicle charging network designed to fully charge a passenger EV in approximately 5 minutes and an electric semi-truck in approximately 20-25 minutes, supporting commercial fleet operators and consumer EV drivers along the I-30 corridor in East Texas.
• Mobile Grid-Scale Energy Storage Mobile dispatchable power deployment of 75-100 MW capacity that can be rapidly redeployed to support emergency response, disaster recovery, and grid resiliency efforts for utilities and emergency management agencies.
• Secondary Critical Minerals Additional critical and strategic minerals extracted from Smackover Formation geothermal brines, including bromine, potassium, strontium, and magnesium deposits, intended for sale to defense contractors, industrial manufacturers, and advanced manufacturing companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000-50,000 tons LCE annual production capacity from initial project
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Gradient GeothermalcoreTechnology or Integration · 22 June 2026Contract for Gradient Geothermal to provide its patented HXC Geothermal System for T5's phase one integrated geothermal project in East Texas. The HXC system utilizes thermal energy from produced working fluid brine, providing integrated heat management and geothermal power generation. The collaboration supports both heat management and power generation from Smackover Formation's high-temperature geothermal brines.
• Glencore Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 June 2026Binding five-year offtake agreement for marketing of 100% of T5's Phase 1 lithium carbonate production estimated at approximately 5,000 metric tons per year, totaling approximately 25,000 metric tons over the contract term. Deliveries begin at first commercial production. Glencore provides access to its established global commodity marketing network and supply chain infrastructure. Partnership aims to position Texas as a national leader in geothermal energy and critical minerals production.
• W.D. Von Gonten EngineeringstrategicTechnology or Integration · 15 April 2026Resource report prepared by W.D. Von Gonten Engineering, one of the nation's leading petroleum engineering and reservoir characterization firms, providing technical validation of the company's Smackover Formation project resources and reserves.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Standard Lithium: Standard Lithium is developing Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) projects in the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas, targeting battery-grade lithium from brines — making it the closest geographic and technological peer to T5 Smackover's Smackover DLE operations.
• Prairie Lithium: Prairie Lithium is developing DLE technology targeting lithium from Saskatchewan and Smackover-style brines. Direct comparable as a North-American DLE-from-brine lithium developer with similar production economics.
• ioneer Ltd: ioneer is developing the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada using a sulfuric-acid DLE-style process targeting battery-grade lithium. Comparable to T5 Smackover as a US-focused, pre-revenue DLE lithium developer.
• Vulcan Energy Resources: Vulcan is developing integrated geothermal power and lithium extraction from brines in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany. Its combined geothermal + lithium DLE business model is directly comparable to T5 Smackover's integrated baseload power + DLE platform.
• EnergySource Minerals: EnergySource Minerals is extracting lithium from geothermal brine at the John L. Featherstone plant in the Salton Sea region using its proprietary DLE technology — a direct technological and use-case peer for T5 Smackover's geothermal-brine DLE.
• E3 Lithium: E3 Lithium is a Calgary-based DLE developer extracting lithium from Alberta oilfield brines. Closely comparable as a junior North American lithium developer using DLE on legacy subsurface brine resources.
• Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR): CTR operates the Hell's Kitchen geothermal + lithium project in California's Imperial Valley, using high-temperature brines for both baseload power and lithium extraction. Closely mirrors T5 Smackover's integrated heat-to-power + DLE approach.

Broad incumbents

• Albemarle Corporation: Albemarle is the world's largest lithium producer with brine, hard-rock, and conversion operations. A broad incumbent serving the same EV/battery-grade lithium end-market that T5 Smackover targets via its Glencore offtake.
• Livent (Arcadium Lithium): Livent (now merged into Arcadium Lithium) is a major fully-integrated lithium chemicals producer supplying battery-grade lithium compounds. Comparable as an incumbent in the same battery-grade lithium carbonate end-market served by T5 Smackover's production.
• Ormat Technologies: Ormat is a leading global geothermal power equipment supplier and IPP with hundreds of MW of operating geothermal capacity. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same geothermal-baseload power generation category that T5 Smackover's project feeds into.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about T5 Smackover Partners