This SCS paper covers the need for lithium and how the oil industry can help supply it. Oil field brine extraction is a naturally occurring aspect of oil and gas production. In some cases, underground reservoirs of saline water can hold substantial concentrations of dissolved lithium. The author takes us through the environmental issues with lithium extraction from brines and factors to consider such as the brine’s characteristics, economic aspects, environmental implications, and regulatory requirements.
He describes approaches generally classified into adsorption, ion exchange, and solvent extraction. Then covers technologies to isolate and recover lithium from the brine along with the techno-economics. He closes with the support of environmental consultants and some interesting pilot projects underway.
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