Standard Lithium Breaks Ground for Its Direct Lithium Extraction Demonstration Plant
- Expected to Produce 100-150 Tonnes per Annum of Lithium Carbonate
- Lithium Included on List of Minerals Critical to U.S. National Security and the Economy
- Environmentally Friendly Faster Processing Time Higher Recovery than Traditional Extraction
EL DORADO, Ark., June 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L), today announced that it has broken ground in El Dorado Arkansas for its first-of-a-kind direct lithium extraction demonstration plant that selectively extracts lithium from the tail brine that is a by-product of the existing bromine production operations run by LANXESS.
The Demonstration Plant will employ the Company’s proprietary technology that uses a solid sorbent material to selectively extract lithium from LANXESS South Plant’s tailbrine. Designed to continuously process an input tailbrine flow of 50 gallons per minute (11.4 m3/hr), the plant is expected to achieve equivalent to an annual production of between 100 and 150 tonnes per annum Lithium Carbonate. The environmentally friendly process eliminates the use of evaporation ponds, reduces processing time from months to hours and greatly increases the effective recovery of lithium.
Dr Andy Robinson, Standard Lithium President and COO, commented “Standard Lithium is continuing to execute its disciplined development strategy. We are separating ourselves from our peers by partnering with a global chemical company with real operational experience, deploying demonstration-scale proof-of-concept technology at an operating brine-processing plant, and removing financing and off-take risks through our joint venture strategy. Ground-breaking at the site is a key step in realising our rapid development timelines, and we look forward to providing more updates as this phase of the project moves towards commissioning.”
The site, located at one of the operational brine processing plants (picture below), is currently being levelled and graded in preparation for construction of the foundations and concrete slabs needed to house the industrial-scale demonstration plant (see press release dated 2nd June 2019).
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a1260c0-be39-4e3d-9820-88b78568b702
The work is being managed on-site by Hunt Guillot & Associates LLC (HGA) of Ruston, Louisiana, which has completed all the civil engineering and site utility connection works to date. HGA has been contracted to supervise and control all work related to the installation and connection of the modular Demonstration Plant at the operational brine facility, and El Dorado-based contractor Milam Construction will complete the majority of the work. Standard Lithium’s recently hired Plant Manager, Mr. Bruce Seitz, will also be present on-site during all enabling and installation works. The current schedule allows for pre-installation works to be completed prior to all the modules being mobilised to the site by the end of Q3, 2019.
Standard Lithium CEO Robert Mintak stated, “No new lithium mine has been built in the United States in over five decades; breaking ground at our El Dorado site represents a major achievement towards changing that. We anticipate our project and progress will be keenly watched as lithium has taken on significant political interest with the White House 2017 executive order and subsequent pending legislation aimed to boost domestic supplies of critical minerals.”
The Company recently announced the results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) (see press release dated June 19th,2019). The PEA considers the production of battery-quality lithium carbonate through a phased build-out with production ramped up over 5 years to a total 20,900 tonnes per annum (tpa) with a total CAPEX estimate including 25% contingency on both direct and indirect capital costs of US $437 Million.
About Standard Lithium Ltd.
Standard Lithium (TSX: SLL) is a specialty chemical company focused on unlocking the value of existing large-scale US based lithium-brine resources. The company believes new lithium production can be brought on stream rapidly by minimizing project risks at selection stage (resource, political, geographic, regulatory & permitting), and by leveraging advances in lithium extraction technologies and processes. The Company’s flagship project is located in southern Arkansas, where it is engaged in the testing and proving of the commercial viability of lithium extraction from over 150,000 acres of permitted brine operations utilizing the Company’s proprietary selective extraction technology. The Company is also pursuing the resource development of over 30,000 acres of separate brine leases located in southwestern Arkansas and approximately 45,000 acres of mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.
Standard Lithium is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “SLL”; quoted on the OTC - Nasdaq Intl Designation under the symbol “STLHF”; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “S5L”. Please visit the Company’s website at www.standardlithium.com.
Contact Information:
LHA Investor Relations, Mary Magnani, (415) 433-3777, standardlithium@lhai.com
On behalf of the Board,
Standard Lithium Ltd.
Robert Mintak, CEO & Director
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
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