Pure Energy Receives Green Light for Plant Construction at Clayton Valley Lithium Project
- 05-Jul-2024 1:45 PM
- Journalist: Li Hua
Pure Energy Minerals Ltd. (TSX Venture: PE; OTCQB: PEMIF) (“Pure Energy” or “the Company”) is excited to announce advancements at the Clayton Valley lithium brine project (“CV Project”) in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Pure Energy has partnered with SLB (NYSE: SLB) to scale sustainably the lithium claims it holds in Clayton Valley. SLB has installed a demonstration plant on-site to evaluate an integrated approach that merges subsurface expertise with advanced surface engineering technologies, including direct lithium extraction (DLE).
Key milestones achieved on the project encompass:
• Securing final permits from governmental bodies for building and operating the demonstration plant.
• Successfully completing construction of the plant.
• Initiating ongoing technical trials.
The demonstration plant for sustainable lithium production is situated on Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") lands, approximately five kilometers southeast of Silver Peak, Nevada. Pure Energy possesses 950 BLM mineral claims in the Clayton Valley region.
The project obtained all required permits from the State of Nevada and the Nevada Division of Water Resources for constructing the demonstration plant and discharging water in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Construction was mostly finished by Q3 of 2023.
Pure Energy's CEO, Joseph Mullin, commented, "SLB’s demonstration plant marks a substantial stride toward achieving sustainable lithium brine production on a larger scale. Ongoing technical trials at the facility bolster our confidence in SLB’s integrated approach, positioning it as the future of lithium brine extraction in Clayton Valley and beyond."
Pure Energy Minerals is dedicated to becoming a cost-effective supplier for the expanding lithium battery industry. Positioned in central Nevada's Clayton Valley, Pure Energy has consolidated a prominent land area known as the Clayton Valley Project, encompassing 950 claims spread across 23,360 acres (9,450 hectares), making it the largest landholder in the region for lithium exploration and development. Operating as the project's operator, Pure Energy's strategic partner, SLB, joined in May 2019 under an Earn-In agreement requiring substantial investments. These include designing and constructing a pilot plant capable of processing lithium-bearing brines to produce high-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH·H2O) and/or lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) products at a specified rate.
On January 3, 2019, the Nevada Division of Water Resources ("NDWR") granted Pure Energy, via its wholly-owned subsidiary Esmeralda Minerals LLC, a Finite Term Water Right allowing the extraction of up to 50 acre-feet of brine over a 5-year period from the CV properties. This Water Right was renewed in January 2024 and is considered adequate for conducting brine testing and supporting SLB’s pilot plant facility. In July 2020, the CV-09 well was finalized in accordance with the Finite Term Water Right, and Pure Energy disclosed the initial sampling results on October 14, 2020. On March 28, 2023, Pure Energy confirmed that all necessary permits for constructing and operating the DLE Pilot Plant were secured, with SLB verifying that construction was progressing.