Name of the Project
Prairie lithium project.

Location
Williston basin of Saskatchewan, Canada.

Project Owner/s
Prairie Lithium, formerly Arizona Lithium.

Project Description
Prairie holds a resource of 6.3-million tonnes comprising 4.5-million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in the indicated category and 1.8-million tonnes in the inferred category.

A prefeasibility study (PFS) has reported initial production of 6 000 t/y, consisting of three inaugural well pads, each producing 2 000 t/y of LCE over a 20-year mine life.

The robust PFS economics for Phase 1 can be replicated, and additional modules will increase production to between 20 000 t/y and 25 000 t/y in Phase 2, and multiples thereof in Phase 3.

The Prairie project uses conventional oil and gas drilling and completion methods to access lithium-rich brine from aquifers about 2.3 km underground. 

Through direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, the company will separate lithium from the brine. The extracted lithium concentrate will be converted on site to an upgraded high-purity material. The remaining lithium-depleted brine will be disposed of back underground into a different aquifer. The DLE process uses less land and fresh water while generating less waste, in comparison to hard-rock and evaporation mining.

Prairie’s current website states that the first phase of production is fully permitted and that construction is under way, with production pads being built to support scalable lithium extraction.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
In the base case, the project has a pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $448-million and an internal rate of return of 23.9%, with a payback of 2.2 years.

Capital Expenditure
Phase 1 – $290-million, including contingency. The total installed cost for each additional well pad is estimated at $70-million.

Planned Start/End Date
First production from Phase 1 is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.

Latest Developments
Prairie Lithium has taken delivery of North America's largest commercial DLE unit comprising four columns at its Prairie project, marking another milestone as the company advances towards Phase 1 commercial lithium production.

The arrival of the DLE unit represents a derisking event and allows for the next phase of equipment installation and commissioning, which remains on track for the fourth quarter of the year.

Prairie has already established substantial infrastructure on site, including production and disposal wells, electrical infrastructure and a power transformer.

The DLE unit is about four times larger than the commercial DLE system currently deployed at Standard Lithium's Arkansas project, where a single column was installed in March 2024 and is achieving industry-leading results.

Lithium produced from Phase 1 operations is already secured under a binding offtake agreement with Hydro Lithium, which will buy 100% of production. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Samuel Engineering (lead consultant for the PFS).

Contact Details for Project Information
Prairie Lithium, tel +61 8 6313 3936 or email info@prairielithium.com.