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 has started grid power infrastructure installation at its flagship Pad #1 commercial facility site.

Provincial utility SaskPower has installed about 1.2 km of powerlines at the site. Prairie has noted that the process took about three months, from the initial submission to installation, underscoring the project’s infrastructure advantage in the region.

The grid connection is expected to supply reliable, low-cost electricity of about $0.05/kWh to the Pad #1 wells and processing facility. This will support brine pumping, direct lithium extraction processing and associated infrastructure.

Prairie has said the availability of grid power significantly derisks the project timeline by ensuring stable and affordable energy for operations, which is critical for commissioning and commercial production.

SaskPower’s involvement enables Prairie to leverage Saskatchewan’s established power network, in line with its strategy of using existing oil, gas and electricity infrastructure for low-impact lithium development.

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.