UK's Iofina Completes Commissioning and Handover of 170–220 t/y Iodine Extraction Plant in the US

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 16, UK-based Iofina announced that its IO#12 iodine extraction plant in the US Permian Basin has completed construction and been handed over to the operations team, with hydrostatic testing underway and iodine-bearing produced water having entered the processing system. The plant is designed to produce 170 to 220 tonnes of crystalline iodine per year, and partner Western Midstream Partners can supply up to 50,000 barrels per day of oilfield produced water. The company expects to begin production and gradually ramp up output in the coming weeks.

IO#12 uses Iofina's WET IOsorb iodine recovery technology to extract iodine from iodine-bearing produced water generated during oil and gas development. Western Midstream is responsible for supplying the produced water resource and the supporting processing network, while Iofina undertakes plant construction, investment and operation. When the two parties signed the project development agreement in December 2025, Iofina estimated the plant investment at US$8 million to US$9 million, with a design processing capacity roughly twice that of its previous IOsorb plants.

IO#12 is Iofina's largest iodine extraction facility by processing capacity to date and the first commercial-scale iodine production plant in the Permian Basin. As of July 2026, the company still expected the plant to complete commissioning in the third quarter and begin production by the end of September. Following the handover to the operations team, the plant has carried out hydrostatic testing and produced water flow-through, with crystalline iodine production yet to commence.

Iofina's third-quarter operating data released at the same time show that its Iofina Resources unit produced 205.2 tonnes of crystalline iodine, down from 215.8 tonnes in the same period of 2025. The company attributed the decline to insufficient produced water supply at some plants, equipment maintenance, and delays in the new water supply pipeline for IO#11 and the commissioning of IO#12.

Iofina also plans to build two more IOsorb iodine extraction plants, IO#13 and IO#14, in Oklahoma, USA. Construction agreements have been signed, with completion targeted for the end of the first half of 2027. Pre-construction preparations for the two new plants are underway.