Saudi Arabia has successfully extracted lithium from brine samples from Aramco’s oilfields, according to the vice-minister of mining affairs.
The country plans to launch a commercial pilot programme for direct extraction soon.
This initiative is led by Lithium Infinity, also known as Lihytech, a start-up from the King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, in collaboration with Ma’aden and Aramco, according to a report by Reuters.
Mining Affairs Vice-Minister Khalid al-Mudaifer said: “They are extracting lithium through their new technology developed at King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, and they are in accelerated development in this regard.
“They are building a commercial pilot at the oilfields. So, the brines that come out of the field will feed into this commercial pilot on a continuous basis.”
Lithium is a critical component in the batteries of electric vehicles (EVs), laptops and smartphones.
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Reuters previously reported that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ national oil companies intended to extract lithium from oil run-offs.
Other oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Occidental Petroleum also plan to utilise emerging technologies to filter lithium from brine.
According to the report, the vice-minister noted that the cost of extracting lithium from oilfield brine run-offs is currently higher than traditional methods from salt flats.
However, he anticipates that if lithium prices increase, the project could soon become commercially viable.
In response to the development, Aramco stated that lithium is “an area of interest” and that the company is assessing the presence of the metal in its fields and its extraction.
Further details were not provided. KAUST and Ma’aden, which is majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, said the report.
Saudi Arabia, whose economy has long depended on oil, is investing billions to transform itself into a hub for EVs.
This is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s strategy to diversify the nation’s sources of wealth.
