The Alberta Advantage
Alberta’s oil and gas history, regulatory environment, industrial capability and workforce offer a key ‘Alberta Advantage’ to E3’s projects. Alberta’s robust environmental permitting system has evolved through decades of industry expertise executing similar types of projects. Alberta’s regulatory system is committed to pollution prevention and environmental protection that help ensure the Clearwater Project will be planned, designed, constructed and operated in a sustainable and responsible manner.
Rich Natural Resource - Alberta is home to extensive deposits of minerals that contributes to the national wealth of Canada. Lithium is found in deep- reservoir waters in oil and gas reservoirs, particularly in areas located in northwestern and central Alberta, where E3 Lithium will produce.
Energy industry history – oil and gas deposits in Alberta have been extracted for more than 100 years. This long development history has generated a comprehensive understanding of the province’s geology. Of the billions of litres of fluid contained within the pore spaces in the Leduc Aquifer, >95% of the fluid is lithium-enriched saline reservoir water, with lithium occurring as dissolved ions in the water. The remaining ~5% of the fluid is hydrocarbons, which have been mostly depleted through oil and gas extraction activities. Legacy data from these oil and gas exploration and extraction operations has produced expansive data sets that E3 has used to quantify aquifer characteristics and delineate resources.
Regulatory - The similarities between lithium production and oil production in Alberta mean that a well-developed permitting framework is in place to streamline development and ensure that development occurs in a safe, efficient, orderly and environmentally responsible manner. There is also a well-defined royalty and tax regime already in place that applies to E3’s project development.
Industrial capability – Alberta has a broad industrial base including oil and gas extraction, oil and gas processing and chemical production. Supporting these primary industries are capable vendors, maintenance service providers, and fabrication facilities. E3’s projects will leverage skills and resources from all these industries and providers.
Strong workforce – Alberta has a long history of developing large, complex, multi-billion dollar facilities for resource extraction. These projects have produced skilled engineers, geoscientists, construction workers, maintenance providers and equipment operators. These workers have skills that are easily transferable to E3’s projects.
Strategic Location - Alberta’s central location in North America provides logistical advantages for distributing lithium to major markets, including the United States. This proximity can reduce transportation costs and time-to-market for E3 Lithium’s products.
