E3 Lithium has reported Canada’s first lithium-in-brine hosted proven mineral reserve with 1.29 Mt lithium Hydroxide Monohydrate (LHM) [1.13 Mt lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE)] Proven and Probable mineral reserve as part of the Clearwater Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) completed in mid-2024. E3 Lithium has one of the largest Measured & Indicated lithium mineral resources in Canada, with 16.2 million tonnes (Mt) Measured and Indicated mineral resource Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) in the Bashaw District1.
In addition, E3 Lithium has 0.9 Mt LCE Inferred mineral resources in its Rocky Area2 and 2.5 Mt LCE Inferred mineral resources in its Estevan District in Saskatchewan3. This substantial resource base offers the company significant potential for ongoing development and future expansion.
The lithium enriched brines are hosted in the world-class Leduc and Nisku reservoirs, Devonian age carbonate rocks that are known globally for their prolific ability to produce fluids from historic oil and gas operations.
Occurring approximately 2,500 metres below the surface, the Leduc reservoir in the Bashaw District is an extensively dolomitized ancient reef complex that spans hundreds of square kilometres in area and averages 200 metres thick. The Leduc’s large extent provides the company an opportunity to continually expand development into the future.
Historically, the Leduc has demonstrated exceptional flow rates and deliverability due to favourable rock properties and pressure. The reservoir is extremely well understood due to decades of historical oil and gas development in the area. The reservoir is geologically continuous both laterally and vertically, with data demonstrating extensive connectivity which is favorable for predictable brine deliverability.
Bashaw District
The Bashaw District is the heart of E3 Lithium’s lithium tenure, containing both the Leduc and Nisku reservoirs. The majority of the work completed to date has focussed on the thicker Leduc and is the reservoir that hosts the 16.2 Mt LCE Measured and Indicated mineral resource1. With the publication of the Clearwater PFS, the Clearwater Project is now defined by the 50-year brine production area and the remaining Bashaw District will be divided into projects as additional studies are completed over that area. The brine volumes contained within the Bashaw resource could conservatively produce up to 150,000 tonnes of LHM per year for over 25 years.
Bashaw District Mineral Resources1
Original Lithium in Place (OLIP) |
Li
(tonnes) |
LCE
(tonnes) |
LHM
(tonnes) |
| TOTAL |
3,046,800 |
16,218,100 |
18,421,000 |
| Indicated Resource |
1,790,500 |
9,530,900 |
10,825,450 |
| Measured Resource |
1,256,300 |
6,687,200 |
7,595,500 |
Bashaw District Total, Measured, and Indicated Resource Estimates
Clearwater Project
The Clearwater Project, located between Red Deer and Calgary in Alberta, hosts a mineral reserve with 1.29 million tonnes of LHM [1.13 Mt lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE)], within the Bashaw District. This area has extensive infrastructure supporting decades of oil and gas operations, featuring pipelines, roads and electrical distribution. E3 Lithium will utilize this infrastructure to extract lithium from brine in the Leduc reservoir through a closed-loop system of deep wells and pipelines. This system, which includes a Central Processing Facility, will produce up to 32,250 tonnes per annum (tpa) of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) using proven Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. The DLE method efficiently converts large volumes of low-grade brine into high-grade lithium concentrate without the need for evaporation ponds. This approach will reduce water consumption through recycling and provides economic benefits by enabling faster extraction and processing.
Proven and Probable Reserves for the Clearwater Project
| Clearwater Project Reserves1 |
Li
(tonnes) |
LCE
(tonnes) |
LHM
(tonnes) |
| TOTAL |
213,750 |
1,137,850 |
1,292,400 |
| Proven Reserves – initial 5 years |
26,500 |
141,200 |
160,350 |
| Probable Reserves – 6 to 50 years |
187,250 |
996,650 |
1,132,050 |
Rocky Project
In the western portion of the Leduc reservoir is E3 Lithium’s Rocky Project, within the Garrington District, sits in a western geologic Leduc Reef trend and is separate from the Bashaw District. Situated in the southwestern sector of Garrington District, the Rocky Resource Area contains 0.9 million tonnes LCE Inferred mineral resource, as completed in 2018. The resource report can be found in the Technical Report section of the website or on www.sedar.com.
Brine volume
(m3) |
Average lithium grade
(mg/L) |
Resource type |
Total LCE
(Tonnes) |
| 3.3x109 |
52.9 |
Inferred |
930,0002 |
E3 Lithium intends to expand its assessment to encompass the entire Garrington District. Once completed, a thorough evaluation will be conducted to determine the integration of this area into the Company's broader development strategies.
Estevan District - Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is known to have significant lithium deposits, particularly in reservoirs such as the Duperow, where lithium concentrations have been recorded as high as 259 mg/L. E3 Lithium has announced an initial Inferred mineral resource estimate of approximately 2.5 million tonnes of LCE in the Estevan District, located in southeast Saskatchewan, approximately 15 kilometres north of the U.S. border.
Estevan District Total (Inferred) Resource Estimate
Estevan District Mineral Resources
Original Lithium in Place (OLIP) |
Li
(tonnes) |
LCE
(tonnes) |
LHM
(tonnes) |
| TOTAL (Inferred Resource) |
478,000 |
2,545,000 |
2,890,0003 |
| Seward |
89,000 |
473,000 |
538,000 |
| Upper Wymark |
76,000 |
402,000 |
459,000 |
| Middle Wymark |
257,000 |
1,366,000 |
1,554,000 |
| Lower Wymark |
27,000 |
144,000 |
163,000 |
| Saskatoon Member |
30,000 |
159,000 |
181,000 |
E3 Lithium acquired its property in Saskatchewan in 2021, situated near the city of Estevan. The company’s mineral permit area covers approximately 67,000 hectares within the Estevan District. This acquisition marked a substantial growth opportunity for E3 Lithium, consolidating its position in the lithium sector throughout Western Canada and adding to its already extensive lithium reserves.
Nisku Reservoir
The Nisku, located above the Leduc reservoir, spans E3 Lithium’s mineral rights area in the Bashaw District, including lithium rights. Although thinner than the Leduc, both reservoirs share high porosity and have historically been co-produced for oil and gas. This presents the possibility of co-production of lithium from both reservoirs. E3's lithium resources do not currently include brines from the Nisku reservoir, presenting an opportunity to increase potential resources and lithium production.
In late 2023, E3 Lithium conducted a new six well sampling program in its Clearwater Project Area, uncovering lithium concentrations of up to 87 mg/L in the Nisku reservoir compared to previous historic levels, which peaked at 75 mg/L. As E3 Lithium’s production wells will go through the Nisku to reach the Leduc, it offers the potential to add more production to the plant in a commercial setting by co-producing both the Leduc and the Nisku. If successful, the benefit would be an increase to the lifespan of each well and therefore, a reduction in the well capital required over the life of the facility.
1: The mineral resources and reserves are part of E3 Lithium’s Clearwater Pre-Feasibility Study, outlined within the June 26, 2024 news release titled “E3 Lithium Outlines Clearwater Project Pre-Feasibility Study and Confirms Brine Reserves and is available on the E3 Lithium’s website (e3lithium.ca/newsroom/news-releases) and SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).
2: The mineral resource NI 43-101 Technical Report for the North Rocky Property, effective October 27, 2017, identified 0.9Mt LCE (inferred) and is available on the E3 Lithium’s website (e3lithium.ca/technical-reports) and SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).
3: The mineral resource NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Estevan Lithium District, effective May 23, 2024, identified 2.5Mt LCE (inferred) and is available on the E3 Lithium’s website (e3lithium.ca/technical-reports) and SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).
Unless otherwise indicated, Kevin Carroll, P. Eng., Chief Development Officer and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical information contained on this webpage
