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 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 lithium carbonate equivalent 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.

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
Not confirmed.

Latest Developments
Prairie Lithium has started construction of its lithium extraction facility at the first well pad.

Foundation work expected to be completed by January 2026, after which infrastructure  construction will start. The company has also submitted an application to SaskPower to connect the wells and facility to the provincial electricity grid.

Four commercial-scale DLE columns – said to form the largest known DLE facility in North America – are being fabricated and are scheduled to arrive in April 2026.

The facility will build on recent technological progress made by US-based Standard Lithium, which commissioned a commercial-scale unit in Arkansas in 2024. Prairie Lithium has said its project’s high-quality brine, combined with proven DLE performance elsewhere, has given it strong confidence in scalability and future output.

Prairie Lithium has engaged in multiple offtake discussions with potential partners, in North America and Asia, reflecting strong strategic demand for lithium amid global supply chain diversification efforts.

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.