SLB  expressed interest to start assessment of lithium potential and its extraction in Egypt, and to conduct new pilot tests in the Eastern Desert. This came during a meeting of SLB’s Head of Mining, Nicholas Lugansky, with Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting, Lugansky presented  SLB’s strategic shift toward mining since 2024, noting that the company applies its oilfield expertise and technologies to critical minerals exploration, particularly lithium, to support the global energy transition.

Badawi had a busy schedule during the forum meeting with executives of leading international mining companies.He also held talks with John Neill, Director of Government and Industry Partnerships at Australia’s Curtin University, and Morgan Bazilian, Director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines.

During the two meetings, discussions focused on cooperation with the two leading global universities in mining sciences to develop and upskill Egyptian human capital.

Badawi asserted that such partnerships with leading international universities and academic institutions play a vital role in enhancing the capabilities of Egyptian professionals in the mining sector and upgrading their skills in line with the latest global standards.

Badawi’s Riyadh meetings build on his 2025 Australia visit that strengthened mining investment and training cooperation.

During this visit, Egypt signed a Letter of Intent with Curtain University that laid the groundwork for two specialized training programs with the aim of equipping Egyptian mining professionals with skills in advanced geology, resource estimation, geotechnical integration, mining engineering, project economics, and data-driven optimization.