Produced Water Pretreatment for Lithium Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current water treatment systems for oil field operations are labor-intensive and inefficient in removing a broad spectrum of organic contaminants from produced water, particularly when dealing with stringent environmental standards and the need for lithium extraction, which is hindered by limited resources and high costs.
Innovation Solution
A concurrent dissolved gas flocculation and biological/physical water treatment process using a gas floatation bioreactor vessel with microorganisms and sparging equipment to remove aqueous and non-aqueous phase organic materials simultaneously, facilitating efficient metal recovery like lithium.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional sequential water treatment processes (physical separation followed by biological treatment) are used, then organic contaminants can be removed, but the process becomes labor-intensive and difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines physical separation and biological treatment processes into a single integrated system where microorganisms are suspended in the water column rather than being fixed on carriers. This merging of processes allows simultaneous removal of oil/grease through physical separation and soluble organic materials through biological degradation, eliminating the need for sequential processing and reducing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The water treatment system performs multiple functions within a single reactor vessel: it simultaneously acts as a physical separation unit for oil and grease removal, a biological treatment reactor for soluble organic material degradation, and a metal extraction system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate treatment stages and reduces overall system complexity
2Quantity of substance
If traditional lithium extraction methods from minerals and salt-lake deposits are used, then lithium can be recovered, but processing time is long and costs are elevated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary concentration of lithium from produced water during the water treatment process itself, before final extraction. By removing competing substances (oil, organic materials, salts) first through the integrated physical and biological treatment processes, the lithium is pre-concentrated and purified, significantly reducing the time and cost of subsequent extraction operations compared to traditional methods that start with raw minerals or salt-lake deposits
Solution Approach 2:
The treated water from the integrated physical-biological system serves as an intermediary medium that facilitates efficient lithium extraction. The removal of interfering substances (organic contaminants, oils, suspended solids) creates a cleaner feed stream for lithium recovery, enabling faster and more cost-effective extraction compared to processing raw produced water or traditional lithium sources
3Productivity
If produced water is discharged without treatment, then operational costs are reduced, but environmental standards are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful produced water, which contains oil, organic materials, and metals, into a beneficial resource by simultaneously treating it to meet environmental standards and recovering valuable metals like lithium. The integrated physical-biological treatment process transforms waste streams into treatable effluent while concentrating valuable commodities, turning an environmental liability into an economic opportunity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces operational costs and time by integrating biological and physical treatment processes, enhancing the efficiency of metal extraction from produced water while meeting environmental standards.
Implementation Method 1
a physical water treatment process that removes non-aqueous phase liquid organic materials or volatile phase organic materials from the water
Implementation Method 2
a biological water treatment process that removes aqueous phase organic materials from the water
Implementation Method 3
concurrently dissolved gas flocculation and biological/physical water treatment process
Data Source
AI summary
A water treatment system that removes calcium and magnesium using coagulants and pH controls, aqueous phase organic materials from water using a biological removal system that includes microorganisms and a physical separation system that includes sparging equipment for sparging the water to remove non-aqueous phase liquid organic materials, volatile phase organic materials. An apparatus, system and method for pretreating oilfield produced water to completely remove or significantly reduce concentrations of substances that are known to interfere with downstream recovery of metals including lithium. This technology facilitates a more efficient and cost-effective extraction method from alternate sources to meet the increasing global demand.