Smackover Lithium Successfully Completes Derisking of DLE Technology With Final Field-Test at South West Arkansas Project

Core Insights - Smackover Lithium, a joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor, has successfully completed a critical technical milestone for the South West Arkansas project, confirming the engineering design for commercialization [1][3] - The DLE field-pilot plant achieved over 99% lithium recovery from brine, significantly exceeding the design criteria of 95% [4] - Large volumes of DLE product have been sent to third-party vendors for conversion into battery-quality lithium carbonate, which will be used in the qualification process with potential off-take partners [1][4] Company Overview - Standard Lithium is focused on sustainable lithium development, operating a large-scale Demonstration Plant in Arkansas, processing over 28 million gallons of Smackover brine [3][8] - The company aims to achieve commercial-scale lithium production through a fully integrated Direct Lithium Extraction and purification process [8] - Smackover Lithium, formed in May 2024, is developing two DLE project companies in southwest Arkansas and east Texas, with Standard Lithium holding a 55% interest [6][8] Technical Achievements - The DLE field-pilot plant processed over 2,385 barrels (100,170 gallons) of brine and completed over 497 DLE cycles [4] - Approximately 970 gallons (3,672 liters) of concentrated lithium chloride solution (6% LiCl) has been produced and sent to three potential carbonate equipment vendors [4] - The vendors are expected to produce around 27 kg of battery-quality lithium carbonate by May 2025 [4]