E3 Lithium revealed it has started drilling the first lithium evaluation well at its Clearwater project, east of the Town of Olds in Alberta.
Drilling is expected to be completed by mid-July this year, after which a service rig will test the formation to verify brine chemistry and flow rates.
"We are very excited about drilling and completing the first well in Alberta specifically targeting lithium," said Chris Doornbos, CEO of E3, in a statement. "We are working with a local Alberta company, CWC Energy Services drilling division, Ironhand, using a conventional oil and gas drill rig."
"This is an example of the benefits of operating in Alberta; having the ability to mobilize local equipment operated by local Albertans," Doornbos added.
Seven million tonnes of inferred
E3 Lithium boasts 7 million tonnes of inferred lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) resources in Alberta and a net present value (NPV) on its Clearwater lithium project of US$1.1 billion.
Through the successful scaling up of its direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology towards commercialization, the company aims to produce high purity, battery-grade lithium products.
Production testing at the well will also help support the upgrade of the resource to the higher confidence Indicated and Measured category and the commercial development and basis for a pre-feasibility study (PFS).
Contact the writer at giles@proactiveinvestors.com