Excerpt: "Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SLI) (NYSE American: SLI) (FRA: S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, is pleased to announce that, as part of its significant resource expansion work in the East Texas Smackover region, it has sampled, to the best of its knowledge, the highest confirmed lithium grade brine in North America, with a grade of 634 mg/L lithium. In Standard Lithium’s experience, the grade of lithium in brine used for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) has a meaningful impact on both capital expenditures and operating costs in connection with the extraction process, with a higher grade typically resulting in lower overall costs.
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Good question. Maybe one of our S AR members can check the county records to see when the leases were taken. I suspect that they are relatively new. And then this:
Lancaster Resources Inc. Engages KLM to Conduct Magneto-Telluric (MT) Surveys at its Alkali Flat Lithium Project
Newsfile Corp. Thu, August 3, 2023
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2023) - Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE: LCR) (OTC Pink: LANRF) (FSE: 6UF0) ("Lancaster"), is pleased to announce it has engaged KLM Geophysics to conduct a Magneto-telluric (MT) Survey at its Alkali Flat Lithium Project in Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA to target highly conductive statigraphic units (layers) to further delineate drill targets in a highly prospective area on the NE part of the property.
"Drawing on our recent exploration results, we've pinpointed a promising location that we suspect hosts a lithium brine-rich aquifer," shares Andrew Watson, Lancaster's Vice President of Engineering and Operations. "Our next steps will involve integrating MT survey data with the dataset from Arizona Lithium's published exploration results and our own geochemical and conductivity findings. This systematic approach should allow us to refine our drilling targets with the goal of discovering a lithium brine-filled aquifer."
The targeted area of the MT Survey is situated approximately 8 miles north of the Lightning Dock Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA). Around the world, geothermal heat sources and related fault structures are acknowledged as a possible main source of lithium for brines and sediments in lakebed basins, similar to the Lower Animas Basin, where the Alkali Flat Lithium Project is located.
The area is also adjacent to Arizona Lithium's Lordsburg Brine Project. Arizona Lithium's exploration results have provided crucial insights into the underlying geology, enhancing Lancaster's ability to predict and identify promising drilling locations.
The MT program will use naturally occurring electromagnetic sources like solar flares and lightning, to measure variations in magnetic and electric fields. It will seek to exploit the distinct properties of lithium brine deposits, as brine waters are highly conductive compared to fresh water and water saturated sediments. The survey's data will be consolidated with geochemical lithium findings that previously revealed up to 149.5 ppm Li on surface sediments.
This survey will be comprised of three east-west lines, spaced ~500m apart, with receivers positioned every 500m. A total of 15 receiver stations are expected. These MT sites will function overnight, recording data for at least 14-16 hours. After the data gathering session concludes, all the equipment will be collected and any excavated holes will be refilled with soil, leaving little to no trace. The results will show a 2D and 3D model of subsurface conductivity that will inform geological interpretation and lithology and enhancing target precision for drilling locations planned for fall/winter 2023.
In line with Lancaster's commitment to sustainable practices, this non-invasive MT survey has a minimal carbon footprint, demonstrating the company's dedication to environmental stewardship while pursuing its exploration work. The MT survey will be conducted once permitting is in place.
The engagement of KLM Geophysics was motivated by its competitive pricing, a well-structured survey methodology, and its experienced crew. KLM Geophysics brings to the table an impressive track record in lithium brine exploration, adding another layer of expertise to the project.
"Lithium, a key component in lithium-ion batteries, is crucial for climate change mitigation and global electrification. These batteries, vital for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, support a sustainable transition away from fossil fuels. As lithium demand surges with this energy shift, our goal is to tap into lithium-rich aquifers to significantly contribute to this global initiative," explains Penny White, CEO and President of Lancaster.
Andrew Watson, PEng, a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.
About KLM Geoscience
KLM Geoscience, established in 2014, is a respected geophysical exploration company based in Nevada, USA. Their extensive repertoire of geophysical methods and state-of-the-art equipment allows them to perform efficient surveying even in challenging terrains. Their services span from induced polarization (IP), natural-source magnetotellurics (MT, AMT), and controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT), to passive seismic, gravity, and magnetic potential field surveys, in addition to claim staking and soil/rock sampling.
About Lancaster Resources Inc.
Lancaster Resources is engaged in exploring energy transition metals to take advantage of the global shift towards decarbonization and electrification. Its Alkali Flat Lithium Project, in Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA, involves the exploration of a below-surface lithium brine target. Lancaster's goal is to produce Climate-Positive Lithium there using direct lithium extraction technology and solar power. Lancaster recently acquired the rights to a 100% interest in the Trans-Taiga Lithium Property located within the James Bay lithium district of Quebec, and lying on the same fault as significant lithium discoveries, including Patriot Metals's Corvette Property. Lancaster plans to conduct exploration activities with a holistic view of stakeholder interests. Recognizing the importance of the diverse interest of various stakeholders, the company considers the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its activities, aimed at balancing resource exploration with sustainable practices, cultural sensitivity, and fair benefit distribution. Guiding Lancaster Resources' journey is a skilled management and technical team, with collective involvement in over 15 commercial mineral discoveries, and endowed with extensive experience in the creation of lithium brine targets and the exploration and development of Lithium projects across Canada, the American West, Mexico, and South America.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events, or Lancaster's future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Lancaster's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, the ability of Lancaster to execute its exploration plans, ability to enter into a long form agreement for the acquisition of the Trans Taiga Lithium Property, obtain exploration and drilling permits retain key personnel, identify, acquire, explore, and develop high-quality mineral-rich properties and integrate sustainable energy sources and innovative technologies for climate-positive resource production constitute forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Lancaster disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws.
More interesting info - but again not surprising!
I would expect that every type of surface analysis approach will be rolled out with respect to trying to find a tool or tools to "see" lithium concentrations.
Surface soil samples should be a big option - look for companies to be getting permits to do this.
Based on my experiences with this technology (which is pretty extensive over my past 46+ years), I am having some early doubts as to what tools will be viable to see such microscopic concentrations of lithium. As well as to effectively map variability.
The best tool for evaluation is still getting actual water samples from various reservoirs and doing analyses on those samples. I am comfortable in saying that there are efforts underway in this trend to obtain produced water samples and do this work.
I also predict a lot of local universities are having their students submit proposals to various groups to get funding for water geochemistry related work in this trend.
A mini tidal wave of lithium related business efforts - big time ripple effect.
Parallel to these legit efforts, I am also predicting that some pretty wild ideas will pop up looking to make a quick buck and take advantage of less knowledgeable individuals.
Albemarle jumps into global race to reinvent lithium production
By Ernest Scheyder August 3, 2023 reuters.com
Aug 3 (Reuters) - Albemarle (ALB.N) is building an Arkansas facility to test its version of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology with the goal of eventually filtering the electric vehicle battery metal from existing bromine operations, its CEO said on Thursday.
Already the world's largest lithium producer, a successful move into the DLE sector would likely cement Albemarle's dominance in the fast-growing industry amid the push to electrify the global economy.
DLE technologies vary, but they each aim to roughly double lithium extraction rates from brine deposits compared to traditional evaporation ponds. No DLE technology has reached commercial production without the use of those ponds, though, sparking a global race to be the first.
CEO Kent Masters said that Albemarle has developed its own DLE process and plans to test it in Arkansas, where for years it has extracted bromine, a chemical used to make flame retardants, from a geological formation known as the Smackover.
"It is a new technology and we're going to make sure that we do it right," Masters told investors on a conference call after the company posted better-than-expected quarterly profit.
"We have access to the brine and access to the infrastructure. We're well positioned to take advantage of that."
If the tests are successful, the company could essentially bolt on DLE equipment to its bromine operations. The company did not provide a timeline for construction or deployment.
Reuters reported in June that Chevron (CVX.N), Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) and others are investigating DLE technologies.
Automakers ranging from General Motors(GM.N) to Stellantis (STLAM.MI) to Ford (F.N) have made aggressive bets on the DLE space. Chile's president in April announced a plan to gradually require DLE in his country, which has the world's largest reserves of the battery metal.
Tetra Technologies(TTI.N) and Standard Lithium(SLI.V) are also aiming to produce lithium in the Smackover.
Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Nick Zieminski
The race for lithium from brine is in high gear in other parts of the US.
E3 Lithium completes construction of DLE field pilot plant
Staff Writer | August 3, 2023 | Suppliers & Equipment Canada Lithium mining.com
E3 Lithium (TSXV: ETL), developer of a large lithium resource in south-central Alberta, has announced the arrival of a direct lithium extraction (DLE) skid on its project site, marking the completion of its DLE field pilot plant.
With all major pieces of equipment required to begin commissioning now on site, the next steps are connecting the DLE equipment to the pilot plant’s piping and wiring system, the company said.
Site commissioning, in which operators inspect and test each section of the pilot plant to ensure proper operations, is underway. E3 anticipates this process to take up to 10 days.
“The arrival of the DLE skid, the cornerstone of the field pilot plant, is an important milestone for E3 in that it enables us to start commissioning and begin operations shortly afterwards,” Chris Doornbos, CEO of E3 Lithium, commented.
In early April, the company obtained approval from Alberta’s energy regulator for the field pilot plant. Construction started a month later, beginning the the installation and operation of the downhole equipment in preparation for brine production for the pilot.
The pilot plant is situated at the first well E3 drilled during its 2022 inaugural drill program, located east of the Town of Olds in the company’s Clearwater project area. The facility will test the Li-IX technology for direct lithium extraction at a larger scale under real-world operating conditions.
At pilot scale, demonstrating the Li-IX technology would enable significant de-risking of the commercial design and is a crucial step in unlocking the value of what is considered to be the largest lithium brine project, E3 said.
A resource upgrade earlier this year placed the resource at its Clearwater project area, which aims to tap lithium-enriched brine from the Leduc aquifer, at 11.1 billion cubic metres measured and indicated with a median lithium concentration of 74.5 mg/L.
Shares of E3 Lithium gained 9.2% by 12:05 p.m. Thursday in Toronto. The company has a market capitalization of C$192.4 million ($144.2 million).
ACME Lithium reaches milestone at Clayton Valley lithium brine project as pumping test commences
Thursday, August 03, 2023 01:55 PM | TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia
ACME Lithium reaches milestone at Clayton Valley lithium brine project as pumping test commences
ACME Lithium president and CEO Steve Hanson joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with news that the company has commenced pumping test activities at test well TW-1 at its Clayton Valley lithium brine project in Nevada.
TW-1 is the only permitted deep well known to currently exist in the northern portion of Clayton Valley and it was drilled and installed by Harris-Earth Drilling to a target depth of 1,820 feet below ground surface.
Data from the pumping test will be used to assess the hydraulic properties and brine chemistry of the Lower Gravel Unit (LGU) aquifer and to understand the potential concentration and extractability of economic lithium brine in the LGU, being the basal gravel overlaying bedrock in Clayton Valley.
ACME said the assessment of extractable brine volume and concentration of lithium in the brine will be used to infer if a lithium resource potentially exists at the project.
Hanson also discusses the significance of the project and Clayton Valley's prominence as a significant source of lithium since 1966.
Excerpt.
EL DORADO, Ark., Aug. 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV:SLI) (NYSE American:SLI) (FRA:S5L), announced today the positive results of a Preliminary Feasibility Study (“PFS”) for the Company’s 100%-owned South West Arkansas (“SWA”) Project (the “Project”).
All figures are in US dollars unless otherwise stated.
PFS Highlights:
“The robust economics from the South West Arkansas Project PFS showcase its incredible potential,” said Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium. “Our exploration program in the first half of this year yielded significantly improved lithium concentrations and grew the total resource to 1.8 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent. The upgraded resource underpins an operating life of at least 20 years at competitive costs.”
“Our team has also been hard at work at our Demonstration Plant at the Lanxess South Facility in El Dorado, processing approximately 14 million gallons of Smackover brine to date and successfully extracting lithium. We now have a well-tested direct lithium extraction (‘DLE’) process, and we successfully converted our DLE product into battery-quality lithium hydroxide. This start-to-finish proven process, combined with an improved resource at SWA, positions the Project to be a meaningful contributor to U.S. lithium supply within this decade.”
"Standard Lithium's pioneering work in the Smackover Formation and strong results of the SWA PFS solidifies the region’s status as North America's premiere lithium brine resource," commented Standard Lithium CEO Robert Mintak. "Our mission is to boost domestic lithium production through a phased development approach. Starting with the Lanxess 1A project, we aim to deliver the first new lithium production facility in the U.S., with results from a Feasibility Study to be reported shortly. These encouraging outcomes from SWA, along with our initiatives in East Texas, underscore the need for simultaneous advancements within our project portfolio, as we are dedicated to leading the region into becoming a key player in America's lithium supply chain."
About the South West Arkansas Project
The South West Arkansas Project is located approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of the City of Magnolia in Columbia County, south western Arkansas. It encompasses approximately 27,262 net lease acres in Columbia and Lafayette counties and forms the updated 2023 Upper Smackover Indicated and Middle Smackover Inferred resource of 1.4 Mt and 0.4 Mt LCE, respectively, at an average lithium concentration of 437 mg/L. 1 The Project is easily accessible via a paved highway and extensive regional infrastructure including: water, power, gas and rail. The region’s rich history of operating oil and gas assets supports the local workforce pool.
The Company is targeting construction to begin in 2025 and production to commence in 2027, subject to continuing project definition, due diligence, available financing and receipt of future feasibility studies.
Project Overview
The development plan considered for the SWA Project PFS demonstrates production of battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate averaging 30,000 tonnes per annum (“tpa”) over a 20-year operating life. The Project will pump brine from the Smackover Formation aquifer via production wells, extract lithium from the brine, convert it to a saleable product, and then reinject the effluent brine via injection wells to maintain pressure in the reservoir.
The PFS assumes a network of 21 brine supply wells will be completed in the Smackover Formation, producing approximately 1,700 m 3 /hr or 7,500 US gallons per minute. Twenty-two injection wells will support pressure maintenance in the Smackover aquifer to maintain long-term production.
Brine from the supply wells will be routed to a lithium extraction and lithium hydroxide production facility by a network of underground fiberglass pipelines. The brine entering the production facility will be pre-treated and then processed via Koch Technology Solutions’ Lithium Selective Sorption (“LSS”) DLE process described further below. After purification and concentration, final conversion to a lithium hydroxide product would use a modified chlor-alkali electrolysis process.
After lithium extraction, the lithium depleted brine will be returned to the resource area by a pipeline system to the network of brine injection wells.
LSS Direct Lithium Extraction
Standard Lithium has been developing two forms of direct lithium extraction at the Demonstration Plant (the “Demo Plant”) in Arkansas: the Company’s proprietary LiSTR process and a co-developed Lithium Selective Sorption (“LSS”) process which is a Koch Technology Solutions (“KTS”) proprietary technology. Under the Joint Development Agreement with KTS, Standard Lithium has Smackover regional exclusivity for the LSS process ( see news release dated 9 th May 2023 ).
Both the LiSTR and LSS DLE processes have successfully selectively extracted lithium from Smackover brine. The Company used the LSS process as the basis for the DLE in the SWA Project PFS based on certain technical and commercial considerations.
The LSS process has been in operation at the Demo Plant since October 2022. Over 6,000 operating cycles having been concluded at the time of the PFS, achieving consistent lithium extraction efficiencies of greater than 95% and contaminant rejection efficiencies over 99%.
The LSS process produces a high-quality lithium chloride solution which will be further purified and concentrated by means of reverse osmosis, chemical softening, ion exchange and evaporative crystallization. The result is a high-purity lithium chloride suitable for electrochemical conversion to lithium hydroxide.
Lithium Hydroxide Production
The further concentrated and purified lithium chloride solution will be processed by electrolyzers to form a high-purity lithium hydroxide solution. The Company evaluated several technologies at laboratory and pilot scale testing to support the selection of electrolysis as the core technology for conversion of lithium chloride to lithium hydroxide.
The testing undertaken during the PFS phase produced battery-quality lithium hydroxide from Smackover brines processed through the Demo Plant, confirming the viability of the process. The output solution from electrolysis will be crystalized into a solid, battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate (“LHM”) using standard, proven processes.
Lower Arkansas may be key to U.S. lithium supply
Link: https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2023/08/10/lower-arkansas-l...
Standard Lithium (SLI) says it will cost $1.27 billion to build a production plant that siphons metal from water trapped in the Smackover Formation.
What's happening: The Canadian company this week released results of a preliminary feasibility study to evaluate the economics of building wells, pipelines, a plant and ancillary operations near Magnolia in southwest Arkansas.
Why it matters: The operation could increase U.S. production of lithium by 600%.
The big picture: The race is on between upstart SLI and oil behemoth ExxonMobil. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Exxon plans to build one of the world's largest lithium processing plants near Magnolia, though the company wouldn't comment on the story.
Backstory: SLI, which holds land leases throughout southern Arkansas, started building a demonstration plant in 2018 to capture lithium from brine brought to the surface by chemical company Lanxess, near El Dorado.
Yes, but: Even as SLI was proving its theory near El Dorado, it's been drilling exploratory wells, checking lithium concentration levels.
Details: The preliminary study said concentrations in southwest Arkansas are high enough to support operating an SLI extraction plant for 20 years.
What's next: The key word in SLI's announcement is "preliminary." The company can now go ahead with a full feasibility study, which should be complete sometime next year.
Go deeper:
Because of this area's historical success with bromide extraction, one has to figure that there is a significant historical data base available to allow companies to investigate other mineral options (like lithium).
All logical reasons why this area has become the apparent leader in the lithium extraction effort.
Geologically, one has to wonder if there is a unique situation here as to the relationship of Smackover section to lithium rich sources.
Legally, because of the bromine extraction, a lot of the legal issues are settled in Arkansas. For example, in Texas and Louisiana the issue of whether a mineral lease covers brine/lithium will need to be decided (along with a lot of other legal issues). Also, Arkansas a full regulatory system already in place to handle the brine production, bromine extraction, and then re-injection of the brine after bromine extraction.
I agree, good points. Thanks Jamie. Things could get interesting in other states considering the current Texas case law regarding produced water. ".....when instruments convey “oil and gas” or “oil, gas and hydrocarbons” to mineral owners without specifically reserving title to produced water or oil and gas waste, mineral owners have the sole right to produced water extracted from their property." This may ultimately be a favorable ruling, if sustained, for mineral owners with O&G leases executed prior to 2019. Those leases would not convey ownership of brine to the O&G lessee.
Aug 22, 2023 http://www.magnoliareporter.com
South Arkansas’ energy sector is witnessing another unusual week during which activity is focused on brine and lithium only.
DRILLING PERMITS
Albemarle Corporation is the operator of the Albemarle Brine Supply Well 646-5, surface hole location 2,143 feet FSL and 278 feet FEL, and a proposed bottom hole at 1,091 feet FNL and 1,868 feet FWL in Section 36-16S-21W in the Kilgore Lodge Field of Columbia County. Total vertical depth is 8,558 into the Smackover Zone, with a measured depth of 15,024 feet.
COMPLETIONS
Arkansas Lithium Corp. of El Dorado, the Arkansas business name of Standard Lithium, has announced the following well completions:
Carter-Moore No. 1, Section 4-17S-24W in a wildcat field in Lafayette County. This was a re-entry. Total depth was to 8,915 feet with perforations between 8,545 and 8,913 feet in the Smackover Zone. Work was finished May 23.
Montague No. 1, Section 17-17S-24W in a wildcat field in Lafayette County. Total depth was to 9,655 feet with perforations between 9,230 and 9,489 feet in the Smackover Zone. Work was completed June 2.
International Paper Co. No. 1, Section 5-17S-23W in a wildcat field in Lafayette County. This was a re-entry. Total depth was to 8,502 feet in the Smackover Zone, with perforations between 8,400 and 8,493 feet. Work was finished May 18.
Speer No. 1, 1,907 feet FNL and 1,040 feet FWL in Section 19-17S-22W in a wildcat field in Columbia County. Total depth was to 9,500 feet in the Smackover Zone with perforations between 8,841 and 9,022.5 feet. Work was finished May 30.
Beulah Taylor et.al., No. 1, Section 15-17S-23W in a wildcat field in Lafayette County. This was a re-entry. Total depth was to 8,596 feet with perforations between 8,536 and 8,820 feet in the Smackover Zone. Work was finished March 14.
Albemarle Corporation has completed Brine Supply Well 646-5 in Section 3-17S-21W in the Kilgore Lodge Field of Columbia County. Total depth was to 15,024 feet. Work was finished March 27.
Shale drilling and lithium extraction are seemingly distinct activities, but there is a growing connection between the two as the world moves towards cleaner energy solutions. While shale drilling primarily targets…
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