Voyageur Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (TSX.V: VM) (OTC Pink: VYYRF) announced significant progress in its proprietary Mueller iodine extraction process, achieving 99.8% iodine purity and over 90% recovery in laboratory tests using real oilfield brine. The company is now preparing to deploy a field-capable pilot unit in the coming weeks, marking a critical step toward commercializing a technology designed to recover high-purity iodine from produced brine.
The Mueller process, which is patent-pending, aims to address a growing need for a domestic supply of iodine in North America, particularly for the production of iodinated contrast media used in medical imaging. Currently, the region relies heavily on imported iodine, creating supply chain vulnerabilities. By extracting iodine from oilfield brine, Voyageur not only secures a critical raw material but also offers oil and gas producers and midstream water operators a new revenue stream from a byproduct that is typically disposed of at significant cost.
According to the company, laboratory operations at its Houston, Texas facility have demonstrated the process under controlled conditions using produced water from the Anadarko and Permian Basins. The process generates clean brine suitable for disposal or reinjection, aligning with zero-liquid-discharge objectives. The newly constructed mobile pilot unit is sized to treat up to 80,000 liters per day and will undergo field testing starting in September 2026, using unaltered oilfield brine to validate performance under real-world conditions.
“Achieving 99.8% purity and greater than 90% recovery in laboratory testing using real oilfield brine provides meaningful technical validation as we prepare for field pilot operations,” said Brent Willis, President and CEO of Voyageur. “This work supports our broader strategy of building a secure, vertically integrated supply chain for radiology drugs.”
The company has also completed a preliminary design basis for a 200 metric ton per year plant and conducted techno-economic and environmental assessments that support a low operating cost and environmental footprint. Engineering efforts are now focused on finalizing process systems for iodine polishing, prilling, and packaging, as well as defining the modular field unit and central processing hub configuration.
Voyageur’s modular production concept allows for 200 tonne per year units to be deployed at multiple saltwater disposal sites, where iodine concentrate can be produced and transported to a central hub for final processing. This approach is designed to be relocatable and scalable, potentially enabling the company to reach its long-term goal of up to 1,000 tonnes of annual iodine production capacity.
The strategic importance of this development extends beyond Voyageur. For the oil and gas industry, produced brine represents a largely untapped resource. Billions of barrels are handled and disposed of each year at substantial cost, yet only a small fraction of the iodine they contain is ever recovered. Voyageur aims to be the first to economically extract iodine from this source, potentially transforming waste into a valuable commodity.
“Our staged approach is designed to validate iodine recovery in the field, advance modular production, and ultimately support future iodine-based drug manufacturing,” Willis added. “By developing the Mueller process alongside our Frances Creek barium project and planned manufacturing capabilities, Voyageur is working to position itself across key parts of the medical imaging contrast media value chain.”
As field testing commences, the company will collect operating data to support the design basis for commercial deployment. Successful field validation could pave the way for a new domestic iodine supply, reducing reliance on imports and enhancing supply chain security for medical imaging contrast agents in North America.
