National Energy Services Reunited Corp. (NESR) announced on October 8, 2026, that its business segment, NESR Environmental and Decarbonization Applications (NEDA), has entered into an agreement with Aramco to execute the Aramco 2027 Lithium Demonstration Project. The agreement, valued at approximately US$200 million over a period of up to five years, covers the delivery of Saudi Arabia’s first lithium project of its kind. The project aims to produce 2,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of battery-grade lithium carbonate, with commissioning and the start of production planned for late 2027.
The lithium demonstration project combines Aramco’s subsurface expertise, developed through decades of exploration and operations, with NEDA’s integrated technology portfolio. At the core of the project is NESR’s proprietary LiThara™ platform, which brings together brine pretreatment, direct lithium extraction, and carbonation within a single modular system.
The Agreement and Saudi Arabia’s Lithium Demonstration Project
The agreement positions NESR as the technology and execution partner for what is described as Saudi Arabia’s first direct lithium extraction project. The scope covers the full process chain from brine conditioning through to the production of battery-grade lithium carbonate. Key details of the agreement and project scope include:
- The contract has an approximate value of US$200 million over up to five years.
- The project targets annual production of 2,000 tpa of battery-grade lithium carbonate.
- Commissioning and production start are planned for late 2027.
- The project is classified as a lithium demonstration project.
NESR’s regional presence in Saudi Arabia and its established field operations experience form part of the foundation for executing the project. The company reports more than 7,000 employees across 16 countries, representing over 60 nationalities, bringing operational depth to the undertaking.
Integrated Technology and Planned Production
The LiThara™ platform serves as the integrated technology backbone for the lithium demonstration project. Its modular solutions are designed to condition brine feedstock and extract lithium through a streamlined, single-process approach. The platform covers three core technology stages that together aim to deliver battery-grade lithium carbonate at competitive operating costs. The integrated LiThara™ technology portfolio includes:
- Brine pretreatment to condition raw feedstock before extraction.
- Direct lithium extraction to recover lithium from conditioned brine.
- Carbonation processing to convert extracted lithium into battery-grade lithium carbonate.
- Modular design intended to support scalable deployment across operations.
By combining Aramco’s subsurface knowledge with NEDA’s direct lithium extraction and processing capabilities, the project follows an approach designed for both technical integration and operational efficiency. The modular nature of the LiThara™ system is intended to enable rapid deployment while maintaining cost competitiveness in the production of lithium carbonate.
The Aramco 2027 Lithium Demonstration Project aims to commission and begin producing 2,000 tpa of battery-grade lithium carbonate by late 2027, leveraging NESR’s LiThara™ platform across brine pretreatment, direct lithium extraction, and carbonation stages.