The lithium extraction hydrogen production test from the produced water of China's largest ultra-deep condensate gas field has been completed
On May 8th, the Bozi-Dabei gas Field, the largest ultra-deep condensate gas development and production base in China, successfully completed a 22-day water electrolysis hydrogen production test from produced water. Through technological innovation, the Tarim Oilfield of China National Petroleum Corporation has successfully overcome the technical bottleneck of produced water treatment in oil and gas fields.
The Bozi-Dabei gas Field is another trillion-cubic-meter gas field discovered by the Tarim Oilfield after the Kela-Keshen Gas Field. It is also one of the main gas sources for the West-East Gas Pipeline and the Southern Xinjiang Limin Pipeline. In recent years, during the rapid production increase of the gas field, the produced water volume has significantly risen, reaching a daily output of 3,700 cubic meters. The traditional water treatment model of "gravity sedimentation + oil removal + reinjection" has become unable to meet the demands of environmental protection and governance.
The lithium extraction and hydrogen production test project from produced water mainly involves introducing highly polluted wastewater generated during oil and gas extraction into a specific electrolytic cell for chemical reactions, directly producing hydrogen for use in modern industry or as fuel. Meanwhile, during the electrolysis process, the extracted water will be concentrated, and the concentration of lithium will increase. Then, through the lithium extraction process, the core material for new energy batteries is produced.
In November 2024, the Taxi Southwest Exploration and Development Company of Tarim Oilfield and Southwest Petroleum University collaborated to carry out scientific research and technological breakthroughs on hydrogen production and lithium extraction through water electrolysis from gas fields, providing technical reserves for the implementation of projects such as photovoltaic green electricity hydrogen production, lithium extraction, and methanol synthesis from carbon dioxide. In February this year, the team successively completed water quality laboratory analysis and small-scale hydrogen production tests in the Bozi-Dabei gas field. It was initially confirmed that the produced water from the gas field, after simple flocculation and sedimentation, could directly enter the electrolytic cell to produce hydrogen.
The lithium extraction hydrogen production test project from produced water adopted the "intermittent circulation + continuous operation" mode and conducted industrial operation tests of the entire process flow. In the experiment, the characteristics of photovoltaic power generation were simulated through power input. The electrolysis system worked for 6 to 10 hours every day under the sunlight during the day, successfully achieving the coupling of water quality purification and hydrogen production.
It is reported that since the electrolytic system hydrogen production test was launched at the Dabei Processing Station on April 15th, the test project has been operating in extreme environments such as sandstorms for 22 days, with a cumulative hydrogen production of approximately 236 standard cubic meters.