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Vol 276 Iss. 2
Pages:
89-106
In press
Article
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

Conditions of chloride crystallization during well-based exploitation of saturated lithium-bearing brines in the southern part of the Siberian Platform

Authors:
Anastasiya V. Sergeeva1
Alexey V. Kiryukhin2
Andrey G. Vakhromeev3
Sergey B. Korotkov4
Mariya A. Danilova5
Elena V. Kartasheva6
Anna A. Kuzmina7
Mariya A. Nazarova8
About authors
  • 1 — Ph.D. Senior Researcher Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the RAS ▪ Orcid
  • 2 — Ph.D., Dr.Sci. Chief Researcher Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the RAS ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary ▪ Scopus
  • 3 — Ph.D., Dr.Sci. Head of Laboratory Institute of the Earth’s Crust, Siberian Branch of the RAS ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary
  • 4 — Ph.D. Head of Department Gazprom Invest LLC ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary
  • 5 — Senior Researcher RN Krasnoyarsk NIPIneft LLC ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary
  • 6 — Head of Analytical Centre Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the RAS ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary
  • 7 — Junior Researcher Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the RAS ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary
  • 8 — Junior Researcher Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the RAS ▪ Orcid ▪ Elibrary
Date submitted:
2024-12-13
Date accepted:
2025-07-16
Online publication date:
2025-12-01

Abstract

We examine crystallization conditions for saturated brines of calcium, potassium, and magnesium chlorides from the Angara‑Lena artesian basin, Siberian Platform. The study focuses on temperatures matching actual thermal conditions in wells of the “Lithium” site at the Kovykta gas‑condensate field. This critical type of lithium‑bearing raw material is classified as hard-to-recover reserves. In most wells (depths to 2.2 km), rock temperatures in the upper geological section remain below 20 °C. During well operation, various salts precipitate from saturated magnesium-calcium chloride brines within the production line. This leads to rapid wellbore clogging and eventual production shutdown. Thermodynamic analysis of phase diagrams reveals that crystallization yields antarcticite CaCl2·6H2O, tachhydrite Mg2CaCl6·12H2O, minor amounts of carnallite KMgCl3·6H2O, bischofite MgCl2·6H2O, and several other chlorides, depending on temperature. At temperatures above 55 °C, salt precipitation becomes negligible. Thermohydrodynamic simulations of a single flowing well under hydrogeological conditions similar to those at the Kovykta area (southern Siberian Platform) demonstrate the feasibility of long-term (1 month to 1 year) exploitation of saturated sodium-chloride and calcium-chloride lithium-bearing brines. Such operations can yield lithium production rates of 31.2 to 4.2 t per well.

Область исследования:
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Keywords:
lithium antarcticite tachhydrite saturated brines hydromineral raw materials phase diagrams TOUGH2-EWASG simulation
Go to volume 276

Funding

The work was carried out under the topic FWME-2024-0007 “Heat and Mass Transfer, Seismicity, and Mineral Alterations in Hydrothermal and Volcanic Systems: Thermo-Hydrodynamic-Geochemical-Geomechanical Modelling, Applications for Geothermal Resource Assessment and Prediction of Catastrophic Hydrothermal Events, Volcanic Eruptions, and Major Earthquakes” at the IVS FEB RAS. The study used resources provided by the Shared Research Facilities Centre “Kamchatka Centre for Elemental, Mineral, and Isotopic Analysis”.

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