Schlumberger Water Services has more expertise in brine hydrology than any other mining consulting company. We have experience in brines and solution mining on all continents, worldwide. Our clients include many of the major industrial mineral producers and we provide expert advice to investors and national governments.

Brines and solution mines are unique. In many ways they can be evaluated similarly to solid phase mineral reserves. However, as a fluid, the reserve is subject to change both in space and time. Although the fluids can be considered to respond to classical hydrological principles their response is often quite different and may be analogous to petroleum reservoirs. These unusual characteristics require specialized expertise and experience to understand and develop projects successfully. Schlumberger Water Services offers the following services for brine projects:

• Characterization of brine resources
• Variable density modeling of brine resources and recovery
• Feasibility studies and permitting
• Wellfield design and operations
• Site water balance and excess water disposal
• Environmental impacts of brine recovery

Project Examples:

Title:	Evaluation of brine reserves and losses
Location:	Botswana
Client:	Botswana Ash Pty Ltd
Description:	Schlumberger Water Services has undertaken a wide variety of work at Sua Pan, a major brine operation producing common salt and soda ash, including the following: re-evaluation of total brine reserves; development of a numerical model of the brine wellfield; prediction of future brine quality from the wellfield; evaluation of losses from solar evaporation ponds; installation of monitoring facilities, such as piezometers and seepage meters; and making recommendations for positions of new brine abstraction wells.