Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

One‐Pot
(Shake & Bake)
Methamphetamine Labs

What This Presentation Is…

• Brief overview of one‐pot methamphetamine labs

• Description of some of their hazards

• Lab identification

What This Presentation Is Not

• This is not training on how to take down and process 
a meth lab!
– To process a meth lab, you need a 40 hour Hazwopper 
class.  If your agency sends you out to process a meth lab 
without this training and you get injured, your agency has 
some real liability problems.
– First Responder training is an 8‐hour course.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 1

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

One‐Pot labs convert pseudoephedrine into 
methamphetamine

One‐Pot Labs
are a derivative 
of the Nazi method

Nazi Labs
• Three Key Ingredients
– Ephedrine/Pseudoephedrine

– Lithium metal (Photo Batteries) – Sodium metal works 
also, but is rarely used.

– Anhydrous Ammonia

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 2

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Law Enforcement Targets Anhydrous 
Ammonia

• Non‐approved Container Law

• Stake out CO‐OP fertilizer lots

• Tank Locks, Additives to Anhydrous to prevent 
synthesis, Dyes to Anhydrous tanks

DIY Anhydrous Ammonia

Ammonium Nitrate
or Ammonium Sulfate
+ Sodium Hydroxide (Red Devil Lye)
+ (a little) water
=  “Anhydrous” Ammonia

Ammonium Nitrate
Cold Packs (gets cold when mixed with water) Urea based
cold packs sort of work – but not very well.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 3

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ammonium Nitrate

Clandestine cooks
are starting to use
fertilizer sticks in
place of the cold
packs.

Obtaining Pseudoephedrine

Obtaining Pseudoephedrine
Some states are controlling and/or monitoring the sale of pseudoephedrine.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 4

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Preparing Pseudoephedrine Tablets

Tablets are ground up, 
and occasionally 
extracted with solvent.

Obtaining Lithium

Lithium is
removed from
readily
available
“Lithium”
batteries.

Obtaining Lithium

“Peeled” battery

Lithium is metal strip 
in front.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 5

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

One‐Pot Methamphetamine Production

Camp stove fuel is most 
common in Kansas.
Starting fluid is often 
used as a solvent for the 
reaction.
Starting fluid if very 
flammable.

One‐Pot/Shake & Bake

• All ingredients (including 
flammable solvents, 
lithium and a small 
amount of water are 
added to a single 
container
NOTE: Lithium reacts violently
when it comes into contact with
water

One‐Pot/Shake & Bake

• After reaction takes 
place, the 
methamphetamine 
will be in the liquid 
layer.
• The liquid is “gassed” 
to obtain 
methamphetamine.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 6

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

HCl Gas Generators

Salt and sulfuric acid 
drain cleaner are mixed 
to produce hydrogen 
chloride (HCl) gas.
“Ice‐melt” products are 
sometimes substituted 
for rock salt.

“One‐Pot Gassing”

HCl gas from gassing 
generator is bubbled through 
the solvent / 
methamphetamine solution 
to form methamphetamine 
crystals which …

“One‐Pot Gassing”

… falls to the bottom 
of the solution.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 7

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Methamphetamine Production

The solvent containing 
methamphetamine is 
filtered to recover the 
methamphetamine

One‐Pot Cook Video

NES / Tulsa PD
“Experiments”

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 8

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Pressure builds which limits reaction – until pressure is 
released.
NOTE:  Flashes of flame in right picture as lithium contacts water – insufficient 
oxygen to support flame.

Hot Lithium burns hole in bottom of plastic jar.  Once 
released, sufficient oxygen is present to support flame.

Hot Lithium burns hole in bottom of plastic jar.  Once 
released, sufficient oxygen is present to support flame.

Technically – this is not an explosion!

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 9

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

NES / Tulsa PD
“Experiments”

• Eight (8) cooks were conducted
– Four (4) cooks failed due to the reaction of lithium and water happening too 
close to the side of the bottle
– Of those four (4), three (3) burned through then had no additional flame/fire
– One (1) of those four (4) did continue to burn after the bottle had failed
• In this case, it was not immediately after the failure.
• In other states, cooks are using glass bottles and/or metal 
cans instead of plastic bottles ‐ these fail as well for the 
same reasons.

One‐Pot Hazards

• Pressurized Bottles
– Because  pressure shuts down the reaction – a bottle can 
look pretty tame, but when the lid is cracked open the 
reaction can start up again.
– Pressurized solvents can spray out of the bottle.
• This liquid can contain quite a bit of  ammonia.
• This liquid may contain lithium and water that can react and 
serve as an ignition source.

One‐Pot Hazards
(continued)

• Rolling or tilting the bottle can expose un‐reacted 
lithium to water which can burn through the side of 
the container – causing flame thrower effect.
• Dried reaction material is fine strongly basic powder 
that can easily become airborne.
• Tulsa seems to have a lot of fire problems.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 10

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Tulsa PD procedure
(this is a summary – check with them for specifics)

• Get the Fire Department on scene
• Wear appropriate safety gear
• Wait until bottle starts reacting.
• If necessary move bottle to safe area (outside)
– Place in fire resistant over pack and pour Vermiculite 
around it.
– Once in safe area – remove from over pack
• (working with over pack can produce chimney effect)

Tulsa PD procedure
• Loosen lid slowly – if reaction starts up – back off 
and wait.
– Repeat until cap is completely removed.
• Use razor knife to cut off the top of container.
• Scoop out floating lithium strips (don’t push 
them to the bottom).  Place in mineral oil.
• Pour off solvent.
• Dispose of sludge.

One Pot Lab Evidence

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 11

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

One Pot Lab Evidence

(one man’s trash…)

One‐Pot Lab Evidence

One Pot Lab Evidence

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 12

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Common Hazards Of All Clandestine Labs
• Inhalation And Splash Hazards
– Strong Acids And Bases
– Acid Gas Generators
– Organic Solvents
– Chemical Contamination
• Methamphetamine Cooks
– Do Not Know The Chemical Dangers
– Do Not Care About The Dangers 

Current Trends

• About 90% of what our KBI agents are getting is 
One‐Pot labs.
• The other 10% depends on location
– Southeast Kansas – mostly Red Phosphorus
– Other places in Kansas – traditional Nazi

Cleanup Issues
• When law enforcement executes a warrant on a 
meth lab, they are considered the generator of 
the hazardous waste.
• Funding for waste disposal & cleanup has 
become scarce.
• The appropriate time to address clan lab clean up 
is now – before you are on site wondering what 
to do with all of the hazardous material.

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 13

Tribal Meth Webinar Series Thursday, February 23, 2012

Cleanup Issues
• At one time KDHE helped with disposal of the 
chemicals.  It was done right and in the most 
economical way possible.  This was a something that 
Kansas did very well!

• KDHE also made sure that dwellings used as clan 
labs were safe before they could be reoccupied.

Questions?

Dwain Worley - One Pot Method 14