Smackover Lithium JV approved for brine production in Arkansas
The project is part of Smackover Lithium, a joint venture between Equinor and Standard Lithium (TSXV:SLI)
Standard Lithium is a near-commercial lithium development company with a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States
Standard Lithium stock has added 31.82 per cent year-over-year and 212.31 per cent since 2020
The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) has unanimously approved a 20,854-hectare brine production unit for phase I of the South West Arkansas project under Smackover Lithium, a joint venture between Equinor and Standard Lithium (TSXV:SLI).
The unit, now formally known as the Reynolds unit, is expected to produce 22,500 tons of battery-quality lithium carbonate per year once it reaches commercial scale in 2028.
The milestone follows a hearing open to all community stakeholders resulting in no objections.
Smackover's assets include the East Texas project, which yielded North America's highest-ever reported lithium brine grade of 806 mg/L, and the South West Arkansas project, which houses a high-grade resource averaging 437 mg/L and was recently named as a Transparency Project under the Trump administration's move to strengthen domestic critical mineral production. Leadership insights
'We thank the AOGC for their due diligence in reviewing our application and for their swift approval,' Andy Robinson, Standard Lithium's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. 'The establishment of the Reynolds brine unit is another key milestone our team has now successfully completed as we march towards a final investment decision for the South West Arkansas project, and also a necessary statutory requirement as we look to set a royalty for the unit in late May.'
'Gaining regulatory approval for our first brine unit is an important step in our project timeline. We look forward to working with the AOGC and community stakeholders to establish a competitive royalty rate for this unit and continue momentum with the South West Arkansas project,' added Allison Kennedy Thurmond, vice president of US lithium at Equinor. About Standard Lithium
Standard Lithium is a near-commercial lithium development company with a portfolio of large, high-grade lithium-brine properties in the United States.
Standard Lithium stock (TSXV:SLI) is up by 1.5 per cent trading at C$2.03 per share as of 9:44 am ET. The stock has added 31.82 per cent year-over-year and 212.31 per cent since 2020.
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(Top image: Standard Lithium)
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