The Whitacre College faculty will join a DOE economic growth initiative through the characterization of critical minerals within produced water and subsurface brines.
Texas Tech University’s Department of Chemical Engineering has received a $3.3 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management as part of a research initiative to catalyze economic growth and job creation within the Gulf Coast and Permian Basin areas by identifying and evaluating resource opportunities.
The Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering team, under the leadership of Associate Professor Mahdi Malmali, will specifically focus on the characterization of critical minerals within produced water and subsurface brines.
Malmali believes this project will have profound effects on Texas, since the Permian Basin contributes over 50% of the nation’s total output of oil and gas production. This process also daily generates more than 25 million barrels of produced water – the industry’s largest waste byproduct – which is often rich in dissolved minerals leaked from subsurface formations.
“This is currently treated as a costly waste product for operators, requiring treatment or disposal,” Malmali said. “In this project, we aim to evaluate the potential to change this narrative by transforming this waste stream into a valuable resource for mining critical minerals. Such minerals can potentially unlock the demand for vital materials necessary for the energy transition in the next decades, while reducing our dependency on foreign supplies. This is a crucial step for the security of energy and defense sectors.”
Some of these critical minerals in increasing demand from the global energy transition include lithium, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, strontium and rare earth elements – vital for batteries, renewable energy systems and electronics. While the concentrations found in produced water are typically low, the sheer scale of volumes means that substantial amounts of these valuable elements can be recovered cumulatively.
In fact, the Texas Tech team’s preliminary findings from their analysis of produced water samples in the Gulf Coast and Permian Basin revealed some of the highest concentrations of critical minerals observed in brines across the United States. This supply, once linked with high-value manufacturing sectors, can facilitate economic growth and job creation. Other plans to develop a Technology Innovation Center and engage stakeholders through outreach and educational initiatives are still in early stages.
In addition to the perks of developing a robust market for rare earth elements and critical minerals recovered through the development of viable separation and purification technologies, Malmali said this project aims to reduce energy costs, strengthen the reliability of energy resources and ultimately promote a healthier environment.
With Texas Tech located near major oil and gas operations in the heart of the Permian Basin, along with a suite of related ongoing projects funded by state and federal agencies, Malmali said the university has built a strong foundation for collaborative fossil energy research.
“We have actively fostered strong partnerships with leaders in the oil and gas industry over the past five years, relationships critical to forming this research coalition,” he explained. “With significant momentum, resources and expertise, Texas Tech University is ready to lead the charge in applied research, driving innovations that improve energy sustainability while minimizing the environmental impacts of fossil fuels.