Standard Lithium Breaks Ground FOR Its Direct Lithium Extraction Demonstration Plant
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
26th June 2019 – El Dorado, AR– Standard Lithium Ltd. (“Standard Lithium” or the
“Company”) (TSXV: SLL) (OTCQX: STLHF) (FRA: S5L), to day announced that it has broken
ground in El Dorado Arkansas for its first-of-a-kind direct lithium extraction demonstration plant
that selectively extract s 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 stra tegy. 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 2 nd June
2019).
Figure 1 Standard Lithium; construction begins at El Dorado, AR lithium extraction demo plant
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 ha s 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 Asses sment (PEA)
(see press release dated June 19 th,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 Lithiu m 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, [email protected]
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 t hat, 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
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