Origin of lithium-rich deep formation waters in Upper Devonian – Lower Carboniferous sediments of Shu-Sarysu gas fields, Kazakhstan, studied by hydro-chemical modeling
Absametov M. Chensizbayev D. Itemen N. Murtazin E. Mirlas V. Zilberbrand M. Anker Y.
August 2025Elsevier B.V.
Groundwater for Sustainable Development
2025#30
This study analyses the origin of the deep, highly mineralized artesian groundwater of the Shu-Sarysu gas fields based on hydro-chemical modeling. Owing to the local geology these Na-Ca-Cl and Ca-Na-Cl brines contain lithium and other rare metals in concentrations suitable for industrial extraction. Once brine compositions were chemically characterized and their origin studied, three brine formation scenarios were considered: evaporation of the ancient seawater, dissolution of evaporates by ancient seawater, and dissolution of evaporates by fresh water. Following the inverse PHREEQC modeling, the main processes forming calcium-chloride and sodium-calcium-chloride composition of the brines are the dissolution of evaporites by ancient seawater or by freshwater, dolomitization, gypsum and halite dissolution, sulfate reduction and cation exchange with clayey material. Water-rock interaction is suggested to be the main lithium enrichment process.
Artesian basin , Evaporites , Gas-field brines , Lithium , Modeling , PHREEQC
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Satbayev University, Institute of Hydrogeology and Geoecology, Ahmedsafin, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Department of Chemical Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, 40700, Israel
The Eastern R&D Center, Ariel University, Ariel, 40700, Israel
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
Satbayev University
Department of Chemical Engineering
The Eastern R&D Center
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Group
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