Industrial water could be used twice. Kazakhstan and U.S.-based IBL Elements are exploring technologies that would not only treat water and return it to the production cycle, but also recover valuable components from it, DKNews.kz reports.
Dair Ibrayev, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the National Hydrogeological Service “Kazhydrogeology,” visited IBL Elements Inc. production facilities in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The working visit was reported by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Oklahoma showcased the full chain — from water analysis to resource recovery
The Kazakh delegation was shown the complete technological process. It begins with analysis of the chemical composition of raw water and preliminary treatment, followed by filtration, purification, reuse, and recovery of useful components.
Special attention was also given to laboratory control and the possibility of adapting U.S. solutions to Kazakhstan’s hydrogeological and industrial conditions.
For Kazakhstan, the practical interest is twofold. Water used in industrial operations could potentially be returned to the technological cycle, while components contained in it could be treated not simply as part of the waste stream, but as a separate resource.
“For Kazakhstan, this visit has great practical significance. Oklahoma is a region with a developed industrial base, substantial resource potential and a high level of practical expertise. It was especially important for us to see American technologies operating directly in the field. We see real opportunities to combine U.S. technological expertise with Kazakhstan’s resource potential and to move from the agreements already reached toward the implementation of specific joint projects,” Dair Ibrayev said.
The sides had already agreed to test the technology in practice
The U.S. visit followed negotiations held in Kazakhstan earlier in August.
During a meeting in Astana, Kazhydrogeology, IBL Elements and representatives of oil and gas companies discussed the treatment and integrated use of industrial and formation water generated during oil and gas production.
Following the talks, Kazhydrogeology, IBL Elements and Kazakhoil Aktobe LLP signed a trilateral memorandum. According to an official statement by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the document provides a framework for testing new technological solutions directly under production conditions.
If the pilot proves successful, the parties may consider scaling the solutions to other oil and gas facilities in Kazakhstan. However, the published materials do not yet specify the launch date, investment volume or exact testing site.
Industrial water could shift from waste to a potential resource
One of the most notable aspects of the project is the changing approach to formation and industrial water.
Official materials suggest viewing such water not only as a by-product of oil production that requires disposal, but also as a potential water and mineral resource.
To assess that potential, the parties plan to study the composition of formation water, opportunities for its treatment and reuse, and the economic feasibility of recovering valuable and critical minerals.
Economic feasibility will be the key filter. The presence of a particular component in water does not automatically mean that extracting it at industrial scale will be commercially viable.
IBL Elements works with mineralized water and iodine recovery
The U.S. partner specializes in technologies that combine water treatment with mineral recovery.
According to the official IBL Elements website, the company works in Oklahoma with mineralized water and iodine extraction technologies. It also identifies treatment of oilfield wastewater for potential reuse as one of its areas of activity.
IBL Elements describes its approach as combining brine purification with the recovery of minerals contained in the water. The company also mentions potential work involving lithium and other elements from the halogen group.
That makes cooperation with Kazakhstan relevant to two sectors at once: water management and the oil and gas industry, where significant volumes of formation and industrial water are generated.
U.S. partner says it is ready to adapt solutions to Kazakhstan
Leah Jenkins, Director of IBL Elements Inc., said the company sees strong potential for long-term cooperation with Kazakhstan.
“We see significant potential for long-term cooperation in Kazakhstan. The country has the necessary resources, qualified specialists and broad opportunities for implementing modern technology projects. We are ready to share our accumulated experience and work with Kazakh partners to adapt our solutions to the country’s specific conditions,” Leah Jenkins said.
For the project, that distinction is crucial. Technologies operating at facilities in Oklahoma cannot simply be transferred unchanged to Kazakh fields. Water chemistry and production conditions differ, which is why the sides are separately examining how the solutions could be adapted locally.
The next stage must prove the project’s economics
Following negotiations in Astana and the visit to Oklahoma, the cooperation is moving closer to the practical stage.
The parties already have a trilateral memorandum providing for technology testing, while Kazakh specialists have now observed the U.S. process directly at production facilities. The central question is whether the technology can solve two tasks at once under Kazakhstan’s conditions: return part of the industrial water to circulation and make the recovery of valuable components economically viable.
If the pilot project is successful, the technology could potentially be scaled to other oil and gas facilities. That possibility is also reflected in Kazhydrogeology’s official materials.
Earlier, we wrote about Kazakhstan and the United States strengthening cooperation in critical minerals. Components contained in industrial and formation water are now emerging as another potential source of raw materials within that broader agenda.
