Expert spotlight: Stephanie Lollar - a “landman” pivots to lithium

We’re building a new lithium business in Arkansas.
Getting agreements with mineral owners is essential.
Our team has ties to the area and is rooting for its success.

Expert spotlight

3 min read

• July 12, 2024

Someday, if you’re driving an electric vehicle powered by Mobil^TM Lithium, you’ll have Stephanie Lollar to thank.

That’s because Stephanie and her team are playing a key role in our plan to produce lithium from saltwater brine in the Smackover formation deep under southwest Arkansas. Lithium is a key component of the rechargeable batteries that power EVs and consumer electronics.

As Commercial and Land Advisor for our Low Carbon Solutions business, Stephanie oversees all commercial-related land work, which includes working with mineral owners to secure the leases that will allow us to develop and produce lithium from saltwater brine.

Stephanie’s job – in the past referred to as a “landman” – can be challenging.

There are thousands of mineral owners to contact – from large companies (timber’s a big industry in the area) to individuals who may have inherited ownership via an estate – whether they’re aware of it or not. Identifying heirs can require a lot of digging – into deed, probate and court records at county courthouses, and even searches on social media and genealogy websites.

But Stephanie’s loving it. Because after two decades working oil and natural gas shale plays throughout the U.S., she’s in the unexpected position of applying her skills to lithium in Arkansas – a state she considers a “home away from home.”

Deep ties to the state

While Stephanie grew up in Texas and now lives outside Houston, her ties to Arkansas run deep.

As a child, she went to summer camps there, and traveled around the state to watch her uncles play football and baseball for Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia – not far from our lithium acreage position.

Stephanie herself is a 2004 graduate of OBU, where she played NCAA Division II basketball (go Tigers!) and was a member of the Chi Delta social club. And in college, she got to know many of her fellow classmates – including one who would go on to become the state's current governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Today, Stephanie’s a mother of three girls who just celebrated her 20-year anniversary with her husband, Dustin (also an OBU graduate who works at ExxonMobil) and has many friends and family in Arkansas. She recently was part of the team representing ExxonMobil at the Magnolia Blossom Festival, a popular community event.

Positive impact

One of the best parts of her job, Stephanie says, is meeting with mineral- and land-owners and working together to meet everyone’s needs.

Stephanie’s thrilled to be helping the state she’s so fond of. “We’re putting money back into Americans’ pockets, and that money will get spent in local stores, businesses – it goes directly into the local economy,” she said.

“I love being able to make a positive impact in these wonderful communities in southwest Arkansas.”

ExxonMobil recently completed our appraisal drilling program in the southwest part of the state. We also recently signed our first potential customer: battery maker SK On, who is in discussions with us to buy up to 100,000 metric tons of lithium from Arkansas for use at its battery-making facilities in the U.S.

Click here to learn more about our activities in Arkansas.

_{*Photo credit: Ouachita Baptist University/Tyler Rosenthal}