Name of the Project
Prairie lithium project.
Location
Williston basin of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Project Owner/s
Arizona Lithium.
Project Description
Prairie holds a resource of 6.3-million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent 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.
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.
Planned Start/End Date
Initial production is slated for the first half of 2025.
Latest Developments
The direct lithium extraction (DLE) pilot plant has processed more than 200 000 ℓ of brine, and has produced “exceptional” results during operations over the past three months, Arizona Lithium has reported.
The pilot plant is now in the final phase of operations.
Operations have produced more than 13 500 ℓ of high-purity lithium concentrate that have been shipped to the company’s lithium research centre in Tempe, Arizona.
The lithium concentrate will be further processed using counter-flow reverse osmosis (CFRO). The CFRO pilot is expected to be operational at the centre in the second quarter.
Following CFRO processing, the final concentrated product will be converted into high-purity, commercial-grade lithium products, where it can be qualified for strategic offtakes, the company has said.
Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Arizona Lithium, tel +61 8 6313 3936 or email info@arizonalithium.com.