Methods of Operating Lithium Extraction Processes, and Related Systems

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/638,949, filed Apr. 26, 2024, entitled “METHODS OF OPERATING LITHIUM EXTRACTION PROCESSES, AND RELATED SYSTEMS”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Lithium is a key element for energy storage. Electrical storage devices, such as batteries, supercapacitors, and other devices commonly use lithium to mediate the storage and release of chemical potential energy as electrical current. As the demand for renewable energy increases, the demand for technologies to store the generated energy also grows to facilitate transport of the energy.

Lithium extraction from lithium-containing brines is a method of lithium recovery. Most development has been focused on the recovery of lithium from relatively high lithium concentration brines. However, sources of lower concentration lithium brines are plentiful and are a promising source of lithium. Lithium-containing brines may be produced from subsurface earth formations. Wellbore drilling operations include drilling a wellbore to access reservoirs of lithium and other subsurface compounds. Downhole tools may operate using drilling fluid pressure releasing different reservoir fluids from the bore. The reservoir fluids may be processed to recover lithium therefrom.

In some embodiments, a method of operating a lithium extraction process comprises measuring a concentration of lithium in each of a plurality of produced fluids from a plurality of production wells extending through an earth formation, providing a feed material to the lithium extraction process, the feed material comprising a first flowrate of the first produced fluid and a second flowrate of the second produced fluid, using a simulation, based at least in part on the concentration of lithium in each of the produced fluids, determining an optimal feed composition to provide to the lithium extraction process to optimize a concentration of lithium in the feed composition and at least one of maintain at least one of a concentration of at least another component in the feed material within a threshold concentration of the at least another component, or maintain an energy consumption of the lithium extraction process within a threshold energy consumption. The method further includes adjusting a flowrate of at least one of the produced fluids to adjust the feed material to the optimal feed composition.

In other embodiments, a system for optimizing a feed composition for a lithium extraction process comprises a first sensor in fluid communication with a first produced fluid from a first production well, the first sensor configured to measure a concentration of at least a first component in the first produced fluid, a second sensor in fluid communication with a second produced fluid from a second production well, the second sensor configured to measure the concentration of the at least the first component in the second produced fluid, a first valve configured to adjust a first flowrate of the first produced fluid, a second valve configured to adjust a second flowrate of the second produced fluid, a processor in operable communication with the first sensor, the second sensor, the first valve, and the second valve, memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to cause the processor to simulate an optimal feed composition to provide to the lithium extraction process based on the concentration of the at least the first component in the first produced fluid and at least one of the concentration of the at least the first component in the second produced fluid, or an energy consumption of the lithium extraction process. The instructions are further configured to cause the processor to provide instructions to the first valve and the second valve based on the optimal feed composition to adjust a position of the first valve to adjust the first flowrate and adjust a position of the second valve to adjust the second flowrate.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Additional features and advantages of embodiments of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of such embodiments. The features and advantages of such embodiments may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of such embodiments as set forth hereinafter.

This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for operating a lithium extraction process. During the drilling of a wellbore through an earth formation, drilling fluids may be circulated through a drill pipe and drill bit into the wellbore, and may subsequently flow upward in an annulus between the drill pipe and the earth formation, facilitating the removal of cuttings from the wellbore. After drilling operations are complete, the wellbore may be completed and prepared for production operations. During production, the wellbore may produce fluids from the earth formation, such as reservoirs in the earth formation containing lithium. Wellbores that produce fluids may be referred to as “production wells” or “producing wells.”

Each production well may generate a produced fluid from the formation (also referred to as a “production fluid,” or a “reservoir fluid.”). The produced fluid from each production well may have a different composition, including a different concentration of each of lithium and/or other components, such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and silica, among others. The produced fluid may further include water and hydrocarbons (e.g., water-soluble hydrocarbons, or hydrocarbons in an emulsion). The produced fluids may be provided to the lithium extraction process to recover (e.g., selectively capture) the lithium from the produced fluids and form a lithium-rich effluent (a concentrated lithium effluent) and a lithium-poor (lithium-depleted) effluent. Examples of a selective capture process may include an ion withdrawal process, such as a sorption-desorption process, or an electrochemical process. For instance, in a sorption-desorption process, the produced fluids are contacted with a sorbent selective for lithium, leading to loading of the sorbent with lithium and forming a lithium-depleted fluid. An eluent is afterwards contacted with the loaded sorbent to unload lithium from said sorbent and form a lithium-rich effluent that is loaded with the lithium unloaded from the sorbent. Some of the components in the produced fluids may be desirable and other components in the produced fluids may be detrimental to the lithium extraction process.

The features and functionalities described herein provide a number of advantages and benefits over conventional approaches and systems for recovering lithium from fluids produced from a wellbore extending through an earth formation. The produced fluids from each production well may be provided to a gathering network where the produced fluids are mixed to form a feed material provided to the lithium extraction process. The systems described herein provide features and functionality to optimize a composition of the feed material provided to the lithium extraction process to facilitate continuous operation of the lithium extraction process and substantially continuous provision of the feed material to the lithium extraction process. It will be appreciated that the advantages and benefits discussed herein are provided by way of example and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible advantages and benefits of implementations of the lithium extraction process and the methods described herein.

In some embodiments, a plurality of production wells extending through an earth formation may each be configured to generate a produced fluid, which may have a different lithium concentration and a different concentration of one or more additional components than the produced fluids from the other production wells. The produced fluid from each production well is provided to a gathering network where the produced fluids from the plurality of production wells are mixed to form a feed composition to provide to the lithium extraction process. A composition of each of the produced fluids may be measured (e.g., sampled and analyzed in a laboratory, measured in-situ directly or indirectly with an in-line sensor). A flowrate of each of the produced fluids from each of the plurality of different production wells is adjusted individually to provide a feed material having an optimal composition including an optimal (for instance, a maximum) concentration of lithium in the feed material, wherein the optimal composition of the feed material optimizes (e.g., maximizes) the extraction of lithium from the feed material in the lithium extraction process and optimizes the recovery of lithium from the system including the plurality of production wells. Optimization of the concentration of lithium may include for instance a maximization of lithium concentration at a certain time or an optimization so that a maximum lithium content is recovered from the entire field. The optimal composition of the feed material may include a concentration of lithium greater than a minimum threshold concentration of lithium for the lithium extraction process. For instance, optimizing the lithium concentration may include providing the feed material to have a concentration of lithium above a certain threshold. In some embodiments, the feed material is formed from at least one produced fluid from a production well having a lithium concentration below the certain threshold. Optimization of the concentration of lithium may include maximizing the concentration of lithium in the feed material, maximizing profits, minimizing operation costs, or combinations thereof. The optimal composition of the feed material may be determined based on boundary conditions defined by one or more of (e.g., each of) the lithium extraction process (e.g., components that are advantageous to the lithium extraction process, components that are disadvantageous to the lithium extraction process, the capacity of the lithium extraction process), the current cost of energy, the amount of energy available including the amount of renewable energy available, the properties of the earth formation, the properties of the lithium reservoir(s) in the earth formation from which the produced fluids are produced, and a location of injection wells in the earth formation relative to the production wells.

In some embodiments, the optimal composition of the feed material is determined using a simulation (e.g., a model) configured to determine how to mix each of the produced fluids to generate the optimal composition of the feed material (e.g., the flowrate of each of the produced fluids to provide to the feed material) based, at least in part, on the composition of each of the produced fluids. The optimal composition may be a feed composition that maximizes the lithium concentration of the feed material while minimizing a concentration of one or more other components, minimizes the flowrate of the feed material while maximizing the amount of lithium recovered in the lithium extraction process, and/or minimizes the water content of the feed material, minimizes energy consumption (e.g., optimizing the use of renewable energy sources while minimizing the use of fossil fuel energy sources over a given period (e.g., a day)), maintains the concentration of different components in the feed material within predetermined (e.g., predefined) ranges or thresholds, and/or maintains a ratio of the lithium concentration in the feed material to a concentration of at least another component in the feed material at a predetermined ratio.

The methods and systems described herein may be configured to determine a minimum threshold of the lithium concentration to be provided to the lithium extraction process. In some embodiments, the operation of the lithium extraction process is simulated to determine the minimum threshold of the lithium concentration provided to the lithium extraction process to enable adequate operation of the lithium extraction process and recovery of lithium from the lithium extraction process.

In some embodiments, the placement of the production wells and/or the placement of the injection wells for reinjecting an effluent of the lithium extraction process (such as the lithium-depleted effluent) are simulated and optimized to match the requirements of the lithium extraction process. In some embodiments, a borefield is optimized to include optimal locations of the production wells and the injection wells to optimize the composition of the feed material to the lithium extraction process and/or to optimize the production of lithium relative to the costs (e.g., maximize the amount of lithium recovered per unit cost).

Advantageously, the methods and systems described herein facilitate providing the lithium extraction process with the optimal concentration of lithium in a continuous manner and in-situ, even as the composition of the produced fluids changes in real time. In other words, the system may be configured to adjust a flowrate of each of the produced fluids to achieve the optimal composition of the feed material. In some embodiments, the flowrate of each of the produced fluids may be adjusted in-situ based on the determined optimal feed composition and while maintaining an energy consumption by the system within or below a threshold energy consumption. For example, the cost of energy may vary through a day, between different seasons, or based on the availability of different energy sources during different times. In some embodiments, the system is configured to optimize a concentration of lithium in the feed composition while also maintaining an energy consumption over a duration (e.g., a day, a month, three months) within a threshold to facilitate a cost-efficient lithium extraction process at all times and/or a continuous lithium extraction process (e.g., such as in locations where fossil fuel energy sources may be limited).

In addition, by measuring a concentration of lithium and a concentration of at least one additional component in the produced fluids described herein, the systems and methods described herein may be configured optimize the feed composition including a desired lithium concentration and a desired concentration of at least one additional component. The at least one additional component may include one or more of (e.g., each of) calcium, magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, hydrocarbons, and water. In some embodiments, if the at least one additional component is an undesired component in the lithium extraction process, the systems and methods described herein minimize the at least one additional component in the feed material while maximizing the lithium concentration in the feed material. If the at least one additional component is a desirable component in the lithium extraction process, the methods and systems described herein facilitate optimizing both the lithium concentration and the at least one additional component concentration in the feed material. For example, in some embodiments, an optimal feed composition is determined based on the concentration of lithium and the concentration of the at least one additional component in each of the plurality of produced fluids using a simulation. Furthermore, based on the determined optimal feed composition, the flowrate of the produced fluids from each of the plurality of production wells can be adjusted to achieve a feed material having the optimal feed composition. For example, the flowrate of each produced fluid may be adjusted by opening or closing a valve (e.g., a choke valve) in fluid communication with the production well and/or by adjusting an operating speed of an electric submersible pump (ESP) of the production well.

illustrates a systemfor operating a lithium extraction process, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The systemincludes plurality of production wells including a first production well-, a second production well-, and a third production well-(collectivelyherein) providing a plurality of produced fluids including a first produced fluid-, a second produced fluid-, and a third produced fluid-(collectively) (also referred to as “production fluids” or “wellbore fluids”) in pipingin fluid communication with each respective production well-,-, and-.

The production wellsmay extend through an earth formation. The earth formationmay include or define one or more lithium-containing reservoirs. The production wellsmay also be referred to as “producing wells” herein. The produced fluidsmay be mixed to form a feed materialthat is provided to a lithium extraction processing facilityto extract lithium, such as in the form of a concentrated lithium material. The lithium extraction processing facilityprocesses the feed materialto generate a concentrated lithium materialhaving a higher concentration of lithium than the feed material; and an effluenthaving a lower concentration of lithium (e.g., a dilute lithium stream) than the feed material. The lithium extraction processing facilitymay include a direct lithium extraction (DLE) system, such as an ion withdrawal process (for instance sorption-desorption, ion exchange or solvent extraction) or an electrochemical process. The produced fluidfrom each production wellis individually in fluid communication with the lithium extraction processing facilityby means of piping. A gathering network may include a manifold where the pipingof each of the produced fluidsmixes to form the feed material.

In some embodiments, each of the plurality of production wellsis in fluid communication with a respective a valve-,-, and-(collectivelyherein), which may include a flow control valve, such as a choke valve. For example, the valvesmay be located in the pipingof each of the produced fluidssuch that the flowrate of each of the produced fluidsmay be controlled by means of the valves. The valvesmay each include a surface wellhead choke valve. Other types of valves or valves located elsewhere between the reservoir and the DLE extraction process may be used. In some embodiments, the valvesare located in the piping. In some embodiments, the plurality of valvesmay be controlled by the lithium extraction processing facility, as discussed herein. For example, the lithium extraction processing facilitymay adjust the valvesto adjust a flowrate of produced fluid from each production wellindividually.

In some embodiments, the systemincludes a first electric submersible pump (ESP)-, a second ESP-, and a third ESP-(collectively ESPs) in each of the respective production wells. Each of the ESPsare configured to individually adjust the flowrate of produced fluidfrom each respective production well. For example, the produced fluidmay be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the rotation speed (e.g., RPM) of the ESPs, respectively.

In some embodiments, the systemfurther includes a first sensor-, a second sensor-, and a third sensor-(herein collectively called sensor(s)). For example, the sensormay be a fluid test meter, such as a multiphase flow meter (e.g., using full gamma spectroscopy) configured to measure a flowrate and a composition of the produced fluids. By way of non-limiting example, the sensorsmay individually include a Vx Spectra surface multiphase flowmeter (commercially available from SLB of Houston, TX, USA). In some embodiments, the sensoris included in the pipingbetween the production wellscarrying the produced fluidsand the lithium extraction processing facility. In some embodiments, the sensoris included in the production well. The first sensor-may be configured to measure a first composition of the first produced fluid-from the first production well-, including a first concentration of lithium in the first produced fluid-. The second sensor-may be configured to measure a second composition of the second produced fluid-from the second production well-, including a second concentration of lithium in the second produced fluid-. Similarly, the third sensor-may be configured to measure a third composition of the third produced fluid-from the third production well-, including a third concentration of lithium in the third produced fluid-. In addition, each of the first sensor-, the second sensor-, and the third sensor-may be configured to measure a respective first, second, and third concentration of at least one additional component (e.g., one or more of calcium, magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, hydrocarbons, and water) in the respective produced fluid.

Each of the sensorsmay include a plurality of sensor modules, a first module being for instance a flow meter and a second module being for instance a conductivity sensor, a capillary electrophoresis sensor, etc., wherein the modules facilitate determining (e.g., directly or indirectly) the concentration of lithium. By way of non-limiting example, the concentration of lithium in the produced fluidsmay be within a range of from about 200 mg/L to about 1,400 mg/L, such as from about 200 mg/L to about 400 mg/L, from about 400 mg/L to about 600 mg/L, from about 600 mg/L to about 800 mg/L, from about 800 mg/L to about 1,000 mg/L, from about 1,000 mg/L to about 1,200 mg/L, or from about 1,200 mg/L to about 1,400 mg/L. However, the disclosure is not so limited, and the concentration of lithium in the produced fluidsmay be different than that described.

In some embodiments, the systemfurther includes additional sensors for measuring one or more of (e.g., each of) a temperature, a pressure, and/or a flowrate of the produced fluids, a temperature within each of the production wells, a pressure within each of the production wells, a temperature of the earth formation, or a pressure of the earth formation. Further, the systemmay include additional sensors for measuring a flowrate of effluentin pipingin fluid communication with each of a plurality of injection wells, a temperature of the effluentin the piping, and a pressure of the effluentin the piping.

Whileillustrates that the systemincludes three production wellsand associated produced fluids, valves, ESPs, and sensors, the disclosure is not so limited. In other embodiments, the systemincludes two production wells, or a larger number of production wells (e.g., four, five, six, etc.) and associated produced fluids, valves, ESPs, and sensors.

In some embodiments, the lithium extraction processing facilityextracts lithium from the feed materialto generate the concentrated lithium materialand the effluentincluding a reduced concentration of lithium (e.g., also referred to as “a diluted effluent,” “a lithium-depleted material,” or a lithium-poor material). The effluentmay be reinjected into the subsurface of the earth formationby a compression system. The compression systemmay include at least one pump configured to recompress the effluentand provide the effluentto one or more injection wells-,-(collectively). The injection wellsextend through the earth formationand effluentreinjected into the earth formationthrough the injection wellsmay sweep through the earth formationand/or lithium reservoir(s) to facilitate recharging of lithium in the produced fluids. The effluentmay be directed to one or more different injection wellsby means of piping-,-(collectively), each individually in fluid communication with a separate one of the injection wells. The pipingfluidly connecting the effluentto each of the injection wellsmay each include a valveconfigured to control a flowrate of the effluentto the injection wellto which it is fluidly coupled. Althoughillustrates that the systemincludes two injection wells, the disclosure is not so limited. In other embodiments, the systemincludes one injection well, or a greater number (e.g., three, four, five, etc.) of injection wells.

In some embodiments, the system(e.g., the lithium extraction processing facility) includes one or more computing nodes (discussed in connection to) configured to simulate an optimal feed composition of the feed material, including an optimal concentration of lithium in the feed materialbased on the composition of at least two produced fluids. For example, the computing node may be configured to simulate an optimal feed composition based on the first composition of the first produced fluid-and at least one of the second composition of the second produced fluid-and the third composition of the third produced fluid-. The computing node may be configured to determine the optimal feed composition based on the composition of the each of the produced fluids. In some embodiments, the one or more computing nodes are configured to simulate a maximized concentration of lithium in the feed materialwhile also maintaining an energy consumption of the lithium extraction process (e.g., including the production of the produced fluids, the operation of the production wells, the operation of the lithium extraction processing facility, and the operation of a compression system) within or below a threshold. For example, if providing the highest maximum lithium concentration in the feed materialalso causes an energy consumption per unit of lithium recovered and/or a total energy consumption to exceed a predetermined (e.g., predefined) threshold, the simulation may maximize the concentration of lithium in the feed materialwithin the constraint of maintaining the energy consumption below the predetermined threshold. More generally, the computing nodes may be configured to determine an optimal feed composition based on one or more criteria that relate to the efficiency of the extraction process (e.g., DLE extraction process) of the lithium extraction processing facility.

In some embodiments, the computing node is configured to simulate the lithium extraction process performed by the lithium extraction processing facility. For example, the computing node may determine a minimum concentration of lithium to be provided to the lithium extraction processing facilityin the feed materialto facilitate efficient and optimal operation of the lithium extraction processing facility, based on the operating conditions of the lithium extraction process performed by the lithium extraction processing facility.

The systemfurther includes an energy management unit. The energy management unitis configured to control the acquisition and allocation of energy to the well production system including the ESPs, the sensors, the valves, the one or more computing nodes, and the compression system. In some embodiments, the energy management unitis connected to one or more energy supply units, such as solar power, wind power, a power grid, internal and external power supply units. Some of the energy supply units may be renewable (e.g., solar, wind) and some of the energy supply units may be non-renewable, such as those based on fossil fuels. In some embodiments, the energy management unitis configured to maintain energy consumption of the systemwithin the threshold energy consumption, such as by providing energy to the lithium extraction process based on an availability of renewable energy sources. Maintaining the energy consumption of the systemwithin the threshold energy consumption may include maintaining the energy under energy available from renewable energy sources for a given period of time.

In some embodiments, the computing node is configured to use a simulation to determine a maximum concentration of lithium in the feed materialwhile also maintaining a concentration of at least another component in the feed materialwithin at a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, the predetermined threshold for the at least another component includes a predefined constraint (e.g., concentration limit(s), concentration constraint(s), concentration boundary) for the at least another component. By way of non-limiting example, the predetermined threshold may be a predetermined range, a predetermined ratio of the at least another component to lithium, a predetermined minimum threshold, or a predetermined maximum threshold for the at least another component. The at least another component may be at least one of silica, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, or water. In some embodiments, maintaining a concentration of at least another component in the feed materialat a threshold comprises maintaining the concentration of the at least another component in the feed material below a predetermined limit or constraint while maximizing the concentration of lithium in the feed material. In some embodiments, a ratio of the concentration of lithium in the feed materialto the concentration of the at least another component in the feed materialmay be maintained greater than a threshold. For example, the simulation may optimize the feed composition such that the concentration of lithium will be greater than a concentration of silica in the feed materialor so that the concentration of silica is below a certain threshold. This may mean that the lithium extraction processing computing node opens or closes one or more valves(or causes the one or more valvesto be opened or closed) and/or adjusts an operating parameter of one or more ESPs(or causes an operating parameter of the one or more ESPs to be adjusted) to adjust a flowrate of a respective produced fluid. Adjusting the operating parameter of the one or more ESPsmay include adjusting a rotation speed of the one or more ESPs. In another example, adjusting the operating parameter of the one of more ESPsincludes adjusting a power provided to the one or more ESPs. In some embodiments, the flowrate of the first produced fluid-may be reduced or adjusted to zero when the first concentration of lithium is below the concentration of at least another component in the first produced fluid-. In some embodiments, the first produced fluid-may be adjusted above zero when the first concentration of lithium is above the concentration of at least another component in the first produced fluid-.

In some embodiments, the optimal composition of the feed materialis a target composition of the feed materialwhich may be based on the specific lithium extraction process. The simulation may include a predefined target composition of the feed material. In some embodiments, the computing node is configured to determine the optimal composition of the feed material, wherein the optimal composition comprises the composition of the feed materialthat is closest to the target composition by mixing different amounts of the produced fluidswithout exceeding various limits or constraints (also referred to as “boundary conditions”) for each of the components of the produced fluids. The constraints may be predefined and may include, for example, a minimum concentration of lithium in the feed material; a maximum concentration of magnesium in the feed material; a maximum concentration of calcium in the feed material; a maximum concentration of aluminum in the feed material; a maximum concentration of manganese in the feed material; a maximum concentration of iron in the feed material; a maximum amount or concentration of silica in the feed material; a maximum amount of water in the feed material; a maximum amount of hydrocarbons in the feed material; and a ratio of lithium or a range of ratios of lithium to one or more of (e.g., each of) magnesium, calcium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, and hydrocarbons in the feed material; a maximum energy consumption of the lithium extraction process; an energy consumption or a range of energy consumption of the lithium extraction process per unit of lithium recovered; the current cost of energy; the amount of stored energy available for use; another parameter; conditions of the earth formation; lithium reservoir properties; or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the limits may include the maximum amount of one or more of (e.g., each of) magnesium, calcium, aluminum, manganese, iron, or silica in a produced fluid. For example, responsive to determining that a produced fluidhas a concentration of one or more of magnesium, calcium, aluminum, manganese, iron, or silica exceeding the limit, the simulation performed by the computing node may determine that the feed materialshould not include any of the produced fluidor should include less of the produced fluidthan of other produced fluids.

In some embodiments, using a simulation to determine the optimal feed composition further includes determining one or more of the optimal feed composition based on a model of a lithium reservoir through which the first production well-and the second production well-extend, wellbore properties of the first production well-and the second production well-, a diameter of the pipingbetween the lithium extraction processing facilityand each of the first production well-and the second production well-, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the one or more computing nodes () are configured to simulate a composition of the effluentfrom the lithium extraction processing facilityand determine an optimal flowrate of the effluentto reinject to the earth formationvia each of the injection wells. In some embodiments, determining the optimal flowrate of the effluentto provide to each injection wellincludes determining the optimal flowrate based on the simulated composition of the effluent, properties of the lithium reservoir in the earth formation, and/or properties of the earth formation(e.g., porosity, composition, formation pressures). For example, the simulation may be configured to determine a flowrate of the effluentto provide to each injection wellto optimize a recharge of one or more of lithium and/or the at least another component as the reinjected fluid traverses through the earth formationand/or interacts in the lithium reservoir. A flowrate of effluentfrom the compression systemto each injection wellmay be controlled by controlling a speed of a compression pump and/or altering a position of a valvein the fluid communication with the pipingassociated with each injection well. In some embodiments, the simulation is configured to optimize the rejection of the effluentover time and the simulation is performed over multiple time steps to determine the optimal distribution of effluentflowrates to the injection wells.

In some embodiments, as described in additional detail herein, the simulation is configured to determine optimal placement of the production wellsand the injection wellsto achieve a feed materialhaving at least the minimum threshold concentration of lithium for the lithium extraction process performed by the lithium extraction processing facility.

illustrates an environmentfor providing produced fluids to a lithium extraction process, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in, the environmentmay include a plurality of produced fluids(e.g., a first produced fluid-, a second produced fluid-, a third produced fluid-) from each of a plurality of respective production wells. In some embodiments, each of the production wells may produce a consistent flowrate (e.g., volume) of produced fluidwithin a given timeframe. For example, the flowrate of each produced fluidmay be the same. In some embodiments, physical restrictions, such as the length and diameter of pipes-,-,-between the production wells and a mixing nodeto the lithium processing facility may affect the maximum flowrate of each produced fluid. The produced fluidsmay each have a temperature, a pressure, and a composition, each of which may be measured (such as by sensors(). In some embodiments, the plurality of feed materialsmay be mixed at a mixing nodeto form a combined feed material. In some embodiments, the feed materialmay be stored in a storage tankbefore providing the combined feed materialto the lithium processing facilityfor processing and extracting lithium. In other embodiments, the combined feed materialis provided directly to the lithium processing facility(e.g., without storing the combined feed materialin the storage tank).

illustrates functionalitiesrelated to the lithium extraction process, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The functionalitiesinclude one or more computing nodesadapted for managing the lithium extraction process. In some embodiments, the computing nodeincludes a measurement management unit. The measurement management unitis configured to operate the one or more sensors, such as the sensorsof. In some embodiments, the measurement management unitis configured to provide instructions to the one or more sensorsfor measuring a composition of a produced fluid from a production well, and to provide the measurements to the one or more computing nodes. For example, the measurement management unitmay provide instructions to one or more sensorsfor measuring the composition of the produced fluids, such as the concentration of lithium in the produced fluids. In another example, the measurement management unitmay provide instructions to one or more sensorsfor measuring a concentration of a first component and a second component in one or more produced fluids. The measurement management unitmay provide instructions to the one or more sensorsto measure the composition of each produced fluid including, for example, the concentration of each of lithium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, and hydrocarbons in the produced fluids and to provide the measured composition to an optimal feed simulator. In addition, the measurement management unitmay provide instructions to the one or more sensorsfor measuring a temperature, a pressure, and/or a flowrate of the produced fluids. The measurement management unitmay provide instructions to the one or more sensorsfor measuring a temperature, a pressure, and/or a flowrate of injection fluids (e.g., effluentprovided to injection wells).

In some embodiments, the functionalitiesinclude a lithium extraction process simulatorconfigured to simulate the lithium extraction process. For example, based on the operating conditions (e.g., the pressure, temperature, flowrates, etc.), the lithium extraction process simulatormay be configured to determine the composition and the flowrate of each of the effluentand the concentrated lithium materialbased on the operating conditions of the lithium extraction process of the lithium extraction processing facilityand the flowrate of the feed material. The lithium extraction process simulatormay determine a minimum threshold concentration of lithium (e.g., a first minimum threshold concentration of lithium) in the feed materialthat will allow the lithium extraction process of the lithium extraction processing facilityto operate. In some embodiments, the lithium extraction process simulatordetermines a range of lithium concentration in the feed materialthat facilitates optimal performance of the lithium extraction processing facility(e.g., a concentration range of lithium in the feed materialthat maximizes net profits). Responsive to determining the minimum threshold concentration of lithium and determining that the composition of the feed materialcannot be adjusted to meet (e.g., exceed) the minimum threshold lithium concentration with the produced fluids(e.g., responsive to the production wells being unable to provide the minimum threshold concentration of lithium to the feed material), the lithium extraction process simulatormay determine an updated (e.g., a second) minimum threshold concentration of lithium to provide in the feed materialbased, at least in part, on the lithium extraction process. The lithium extraction process simulatormay further be configured to determine processing conditions of the lithium extraction process of the lithium extraction processing facilitythat would allow the lithium extraction process to recover lithium from a feed materialhaving the updated (e.g., lower) concentration of lithium and/or cause the lithium extraction processing facilityto operate at the determined processing conditions. In some embodiments, the operating conditions of the lithium extraction process may be changed to accommodate the updated minimum threshold concentration of lithium.

The functionalitiesmay further include an optimal borefield simulatorconfigured to determine optimal placement of the production wellsand the injection wellsto achieve a feed materialhaving at least the minimum threshold concentration of lithium for the lithium extraction process performed by the lithium extraction processing facility. The optimal borefield simulatormay be configured to simulate an optimal borefield including optimal locations of the production wells, the injection wells, the spacing and orientation of the production wellswith respect to each other and the injection wells, and the spacing and orientation of the injection wellswith respect to each other and the production wells. For example, the optimal borefield simulatormay determine the optimal borefield based on properties of the earth formation(e.g., the porosity, the composition), the properties of the reservoir(s) in the earth formation, the properties of the production wells, and/or the properties of the and injection wells. In some embodiments, the optimal borefield simulatoris configured to determine the optimal location of the production wellsand/or the injection wellsto achieve the minimum composition of lithium in the feed material determined with the lithium extraction process simulator. By way of non-limiting example, the optimal borefield simulatormay include a formation model, a reservoir model, and/or an integrated model configurated to simulate the earth formationand the reservoirs within the earth formation. The model may be configured to estimate the flowrate of fluids through the earth formationand the reservoirs, such as produced fluids and injected fluids through the earth formationand the reservoirs. The model may be configured to determine optimal locations of the production wellsand the injection wellsto maximize recharging of lithium as the injected fluids sweep through the earth formationand maximize the concentration of lithium in the production wells. In some embodiments, the model is configured to simulate and determine the composition of the fluids as they sweep through the earth formationand the reservoirs. In some embodiments, the optimal borefield simulatoris configured to determine a borefield configuration such that the feed materialhas a lithium concentration greater than a minimum threshold concentration of lithium determined by the lithium extraction process simulator.

The optimal borefield simulatormay be configured to optimize the concentration of lithium in the feed materialwhile reducing the costs of recovery of the lithium. For example, the optimal borefield simulatormay be in communication with an energy consumption management unitto maximize net profits (e.g., an optimal amount of lithium recovered while reducing the overall cost of recovering the lithium).

The optimal borefield simulatormay be configured to determine an optimal layout of the borefield. After the optimal borefield simulatorhas determined the optimal layout of the borefield, the optimal layout of the borefield may be used during formation of additional borefields (e.g., additional production wellsand additional injection wells).

The functionalitiesfurther include the optimal feed simulatorconfigured to simulate an optimal feed composition of a feed materialto determine an optimal (e.g., a maximum) concentration of lithium in the feed materialbased on the measured composition of the produced fluids. For example, the optimal feed simulatormay receive information regarding the composition of produced fluidsfrom the measurement management unitand/or the sensorsand determine the optimal feed composition based on the information received from the measurement management unitand/or the sensors. In some embodiments, the optimal feed composition is the closest composition to a target feed composition, as described above. In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatoris configured to determine an optimal flowrate of each of the produced fluidsto achieve a feed materialhaving a lithium concentration greater than the minimum threshold concentration of lithium determined by the lithium extraction process simulatorand/or a concentration of lithium in the feed materialwithin a range determined by the lithium extraction process simulator. Responsive to the optimal feed simulatordetermining that the minimum threshold concentration of lithium and/or the concentration of lithium in the feed materialcannot be achieved with the produced fluids, the lithium extraction process simulatormay determine processing conditions of the lithium extraction process of the lithium extraction processing facilitythat would allow the lithium extraction process to recover lithium from a feed materialhaving a lower concentration of lithium. In some embodiments, the lithium extraction process simulatoris configured to cause the lithium extraction processing facilityto operate at the determined processing conditions.

In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatoris configured to simulate an optimal concentration of lithium in a feed materialwhile maintaining a concentration of at least another component in the feed materialwithin a threshold (e.g., above or below a threshold, within a threshold range, at a ratio with respect to the lithium concentration in the feed composition). The at least another component may be at least one of silica, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, or water. In some embodiments, maintaining the concentration of the at least another component in the feed materialwithin a threshold comprises maintaining the concentration of the at least another component less than a predefined limit. For example, the optimal feed simulatormay optimize the feed composition such that the concentration of lithium in the feed materialis greater than a concentration of silica in the feed material and/or such that the concentration of silica in the feed material is less than a predetermined limit for silica concentration in the feed material. In some embodiments, maintaining the concentration of the at least another component in the feed materialincludes maintaining a ratio of the concentration of lithium in the feed materialto the concentration of the at least another component in the feed materialgreater than a predetermined threshold. In some embodiments, responsive to a determining that a first produced fluid has a concentration of at least one additional component that is greater than a limit concentration for the at least one additional component, the optimal feed simulatormay determine the optimal feed composition by reducing the flowrate of the first produced fluid while increasing the flowrate of another produced fluid.

In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatoris configured to determine the flowrate of each of the produced fluidsto provide to the feed materialto generate a feed composition having a desired composition, which may be the optimal feed composition, the target composition, or a composition as close as possible to the target composition while keeping the system within limits and/or boundary conditions defined in the simulation. The limits and/or boundary conditions may be the same as above and may be predefined (e.g., provided to the simulation by a user). The limits and/or boundary conditions may be based on the conditions of the system. By way of non-limiting example, the limits and/or boundary conditions may include a minimum concentration of lithium in the feed material; a maximum concentration of magnesium in the feed material; a maximum concentration of calcium in the feed material; a maximum concentration of aluminum in the feed material; a maximum concentration of manganese in the feed material; a maximum concentration of iron in the feed material; a maximum amount of silica in the feed material; a maximum amount of water in the feed material; a maximum amount of hydrocarbons in the feed material; a ratio of lithium or a range of ratios of lithium to one or more of (e.g., each of) magnesium, calcium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, and hydrocarbons in the feed material; a maximum energy consumption of the lithium extraction process; an energy consumption or a range of energy consumption of the lithium extraction process per unit of lithium recovered; the current cost of energy; the amount of stored energy available for use; another parameter; conditions of the earth formation; lithium reservoir properties; a maximum concentration of each of magnesium, calcium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, and hydrocarbons in each produced fluid; or combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, using a simulation to determine the optimal feed composition further includes determining one or more of the optimal feed composition based on a model of a lithium reservoir through which the first production well-and the second production well-extend, wellbore properties of the first production well-and the second production well-, a diameter of the pipingbetween the lithium extraction processing facilityand each of the first production well-and the second production well-, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, this may be achieved with an integrated modeling solution for coupled simulations, as an integrated model implementing one or more reservoir models (e.g., such as Eclipse), wellbore models (e.g., such as multi-segmented wellbore models, such as MSW), multi-phase flow models (e.g., surface models such as PipeSim), and rigorous composition evaluation models (e.g., such as Symmetry).

The feed composition may be optimized by adjusting the flowrate of the produced fluidsto achieve the optimal feed composition. The lithium extraction processing computing nodemay provide instructions to open or close one or more valves, via a valve management unitand/or to adjust an operating parameter of one or more ESPs, via an ESP management unit. For example, adjusting the operating parameter of the one or more ESPsmay include adjusting a rotation speed of the one or more ESPs. In another example, adjusting the operating parameter of the one of more ESPsincludes adjusting a power supplied to the one or more ESPs. In some embodiments, a flowrate of a first produced fluid-may be reduced or adjusted to zero when the first concentration of lithium in the first produced fluid-is less than a limit for the lithium concentration in the first produced fluid-and/or below the concentration of at least another component in the first produced fluid-. In some embodiments, the flowrate of the first produced fluid-may be increased or adjusted above zero when the concentration of lithium in the first produced fluid-is greater than the limit for the lithium concentration in the first produced fluid-and/or above the concentration of at least another component in the first produced fluid-. In some embodiments, the flowrate of the first produced fluid-may be increased or decreased (e.g., reduced to zero) responsive to a first additional component having a concentration greater than a threshold concentration for the first additional component and a second additional component having a concentration less than a threshold concentration for the second additional component in the first produced fluid-.

In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatorprovides instruction to the valve management unit, the ESP management unit, or a combination thereof for adjusting one or more valve positions, operating parameters of one or more ESPs, or a combination thereof to achieve a feed materialhaving a desired composition based on the composition of the produced fluids. For example, the optimal feed simulatormay provide the instructions based on the flowrate of each produced fluidsto be provided to the feed composition to generate the optimal feed composition.

The functionalitiesfurther include an effluent output simulatorconfigured to simulate a composition of an effluent output (e.g., effluent) from the lithium extraction processing facilityand simulate how reinjection of an effluent output from the lithium extraction processing facilityto one or more injection wells affects the lithium extraction process and/or the composition of the produced fluids. For example, the effluent output simulatormay determine the optimal flowrate of effluentto provide to each injection wellto optimize a sweep efficiency and/or lithium recharging of the reinjected effluentto optimize the composition of the produced fluidsthat, in turn, facilitate optimization of the feed composition. For example, the effluent output simulatormay determine a flowrate of the effluentprovided to each of a plurality of injection wellsto optimize a recharge of one or more of lithium or the at least another component. In some embodiments, the effluent output simulatordetermines the flowrate of the effluentprovided to each injection wellto optimize a recharge of lithium and minimize the concentration of one or more of (e.g., each of) calcium, magnesium, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica, and hydrocarbons) in the produced fluids. In some embodiments, the lithium extraction processing facilityextracts lithium from the feed composition and the effluent output is reinjected into the subsurface by a compression system. In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatorand the effluent output simulatorare configured to respectively determine the optimal feed composition and the optimal flowrate of the effluentto the different injection wellsbased on the determined processing conditions.

The functionalitiesfurther includes an energy consumption management unitconfigured to control the acquisition and allocation of energy to the well production system including the ESPs, the sensors, the valves, the lithium extraction processing computing nodes, the lithium extraction processing facility, and the compression system. In some embodiments, the energy consumption management unitis connected to one or more energy supply units, such as solar power, wind power, power grid, and internal and external power supply units.

In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatoris configured to simulate a maximized concentration of lithium in the feed materialwhile also maintaining an energy consumption within a threshold. For example, if providing the highest maximum lithium concentration in the feed materialresults in an energy consumption per unit of lithium recovered that is greater than a predetermined threshold, the optimal feed simulatormay maximize the concentration of lithium in the feed materialwhile also maintaining an energy consumption within a threshold. In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatormay receive information regarding available energy sources with a cost information from the energy consumption management unit. Together with the composition of produced fluidsreceived from the measurement management unitand/or the sensors, the optimal feed simulatormay use a simulation to determine a maximum concentration of lithium in the feed materialwhile also maintaining an energy consumption within a threshold. In some embodiments, the optimal feed simulatordetermines the optimal feed composition by using an integrated model comprising a reservoir model and a steady state multiphase flow model.

In some embodiments, the computing nodeis configured to determine the optimal feed composition substantially continuously during production of the produced fluidsfrom the production wellsand during operation of the lithium extraction processing facility. For example, the composition of the produced fluidsmay change over time. As the composition of the produced fluidschanges over time, the sensorsmay measure the concentration of each component and the optimal feed simulatormay determine the optimal feed composition based on the most recent composition data measured by the sensors. In addition, in some embodiments, the optimal distribution of the effluentto provide to each injection wellto optimize a sweep efficiency and/or lithium recharging of the reinjected effluent may change over time and may depend on formation and reservoir properties, which may only become apparent over time. Thus, in some embodiments, the effluent output simulatormay continuously determine the optimal distribution of effluent to provide to each injection welland the compression systemmay continuously adjust the flowrates of effluentto each injection wellbased on the output of the effluent output simulator.

In some embodiments, and as described above, the optimal feed simulatoris configured to optimize the feed composition and the flowrate of the feed materialto the lithium extraction processing facilitybased on the cost of producing the lithium and the profitability of the extracted lithium (e.g., in the concentrated lithium material). For example, the optimal feed simulatormay determine the optimal feed composition based on spot prices of lithium, the estimated future price of lithium, the current cost to produce the lithium (including the cost of energy to produce the lithium, the amount of renewable energy available, the cost of purchased energy (power), the amount of energy in storage, the cost of operating the lithium extraction processing facilitybased on the composition of the feed material, etc.). In some embodiments, the energy consumption management unitis configured to determine baseload energy requirements for operating the system(e.g., the energy to operate the ESPs, the compression system, the lithium extraction processing facility), project a future energy demand that may be required by the system, and determine the effective use of renewable energy to minimize the use of energy from hydrocarbon sources. By way of non-limiting example, the energy consumption management unitis configured to facilitate to utilize an amount of renewable energy such that the systemdoes not use non-renewable energy sources during operation of the system. In other words, the energy consumption management unitmay control the systemsuch that an energy consumption of the systemis maintained lower than the energy available from renewable sources for a given period of time.