Water quality index-based approach for evaluating oilfield brines as feedstock for lithium recovery
2025
Ewa Knapik
Due to the growing demand for lithium, unconventional sources such as oilfield brines are attracting increasing attention. Oilfield operators usually have a wide variety of brine feedstocks in their portfolios, and proper management of them is becoming crucial. The effectiveness of direct lithium extraction methods depends on various factors, and both chemical and reservoir parameters should be taken into account when selecting a brine feed for lithium recovery. A water quality index is often used to evaluate drinking water quality. This paper proposes a similar approach and introduces a brine quality index to compare the potential of different brines as a feed for lithium recovery. The proposed solution was tested on a dataset of 24 Polish oilfield brines. Their physicochemical parameters were measured, including total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, pH, and concentrations of lithium, calcium, sodium and magnesium. Reservoir data (fluids production and reservoir pressure) were gathered from oilfield operators. Based on expert opinion, specific weights were assigned to the parameters, and a ranking of brines was created using an additive function. The brine with the highest score is considered the most favorable resource. The proposed approach enables quantitative comparison of reservoir brines and supports decision-making in resource management.
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