SPE Critical Minerals Technical Section

Bridging Subsurface Expertise and Critical Mineral Development


Empowering the energy transition by unlocking critical minerals, rare earths, and vital resources from subsurface reservoirs and industrial brines.

Fueling the Energy Transition

Critical minerals and rare earth elements are the backbone of a low-carbon future. Discover how your existing petroleum and geothermal expertise is the key to co-producing these vital resources from known geological environments.

Subsurface Resources

Leveraging decades of oil, gas, and geothermal reservoir knowledge to identify and characterize mineral-rich brines and formations.

Critical Minerals

Extracting vital elements through advanced processing, direct lithium extraction (DLE), and innovative water treatment.

Energy Transition

Supplying the raw materials essential for batteries, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and grid-scale energy storage.

Advancing Knowledge and Collaboration

We connect traditional petroleum and geothermal expertise with emerging mineral extraction technologies to support supply-chain resilience.

Events & Webinars

Participate in technical sessions, workshops, and panel discussions on cutting-edge extraction methods.

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Knowledge Hub

Access a curated library of best practices, standards, and research on subsurface mineral recovery.

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Community & Networking

Connect with global experts on SPE Connect's dedicated forums to solve complex engineering challenges.

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Student & YP Engagement

Accelerate your career with mentorship, leadership opportunities, and exposure to emerging technologies.

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Whether you are transitioning from traditional oil and gas or are a dedicated mineral processing expert, CMTS is your platform for growth.

Subsurface Engineer

Apply reservoir knowledge to brine extraction.

Geochemist

Drive innovations in fluid-rock interactions.

Process Engineer

Scale up direct extraction and water treatment.

Geothermal Specialist

Integrate mineral recovery with heat extraction.

Researcher

Pioneer next-gen membrane and DLE tech.

Student / YP

Build a future-proof career in the energy transition.

Meet the CMTS Board

Guided by industry experts committed to advancing critical mineral development.

Ipsita Gupta
Ipsita Gupta
Chairperson

Louisiana State University

in
Mahmoud AlGaiar
Mahmoud AlGaiar
Vice Chair

Baker Hughes

in
Sonia Lopez Kovacs
Sonia Lopez Kovacs
Program Chair

Repsol

in
Rosa Aguilar Sanchez-Dehesa
Rosa Aguilar Sanchez-Dehesa
Membership Chair

Repsol

in

Latest Insights & Opportunities

Stay ahead of the curve with our upcoming events and curated technical resources.

Upcoming Events

Coming Soon

We are currently organizing our upcoming webinars, workshops, and technical events. Check back soon for updates!

News

CMTS in the News

SPE Launches New Technical Section for Critical Minerals

Read the official JPT announcement introducing SPE’s new Critical Minerals Technical Section.

Read Article →
Community Update

Critical Minerals Technical Section Launch Shared on LinkedIn

See the community announcement and engagement around the launch of CMTS.

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Become a Member Today

Joining the Critical Minerals Technical Section is free for all SPE members. Connect with experts, access exclusive resources, and shape the future of energy.

How to Join via SPE.org

1

Log In

Log into your existing SPE.org account.

Navigate to Settings

Go to your Technical Sections / Technical Disciplines settings.

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3

Select CMTS

Check the box for Critical Minerals Technical Section and save.

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Integrated with the SPE Ecosystem

CMTS focuses specifically on subsurface critical minerals and mineral-rich brines, complementing SPE's broader sustainability and energy transition initiatives.

GEO

Geothermal

Coupling heat extraction with mineral recovery

CO2

CO2 Capture

Integrating carbon management with extraction

CMTS
ESG

Sustainable Dev

Advancing ESG metrics and stewardship

H2O

Water Life Cycle

Produced water treatment and reinjection