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Lithium in North American Produced Waters: Geological Controls, Direct Extraction Mechanisms, and the Gap Between Synthetic and Real-Brine Evidence


Authors : Raymond Aderoju; Mojibola Afolabi; Tracy Chukwuma; Olanrewaju Ayodele; Toheeb Hamzat; Ayodeji Aderibigbe; Olasunkanmi Olagboye

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 10 - October


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/6bvhwwee

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26Oct1285

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : Global lithium demand has increased rapidly, driven largely by expanding battery production, with consumption estimated at 263, 263,000 t in 2025. Supply remains concentrated among a limited number of hard- rock and salar producers. Oilfield- produced water in North America has emerged as a potential additional lithium source, particularly because oil and gas production already generates large volumes of this waste stream.

Keywords : Produced Water; Direct Lithium Extraction; Smackover Formation; Brine Geochemistry; Ion Selectivity; Critical Minerals.

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Global lithium demand has increased rapidly, driven largely by expanding battery production, with consumption estimated at 263, 263,000 t in 2025. Supply remains concentrated among a limited number of hard- rock and salar producers. Oilfield- produced water in North America has emerged as a potential additional lithium source, particularly because oil and gas production already generates large volumes of this waste stream.

Keywords : Produced Water; Direct Lithium Extraction; Smackover Formation; Brine Geochemistry; Ion Selectivity; Critical Minerals.

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