Saskatchewan has granted initial approval for the province’s first lithium brine project.

The project will be run by Arizona Lithium in Saskatchewan’s southeast.

Known as the Prairie Lithium Brine Project, the company says a “vast untapped lithium brine resource” is located in the Duperow Formation of Saskatchewan’s Williston Basin.

According to the company, the project will utilize conventional oil and gas drilling methods to access lithium-rich brine more than two kilometres underground.

Once brought to the surface, lithium is then extracted from the brine using a process known as direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, Arizona Lithium says on its website.

“The extracted lithium concentrate is then converted onsite to an upgraded high-purity material. The remaining lithium-depleted brine will be disposed of back underground into a different aquifer.”

Arizona Lithium says the DLE process uses less land and fresh water and generates less waste compared to hard rock and evaporation mining.

According to Arizona Lithium, the project is comprised of more than 390,000 acres of subsurface permits.

A map on Arizona Lithium’s website shows project property north as well as east of Estevan, with existing well locations scattered throughout. Project well locations are seen on the map east of Estevan near the U.S. border.

Saskatchewan’s Minister of Energy and Resources Colleen Young said she is pleased with the development.

“This is a great step forward for our province as we take our next step towards large scale production of lithium. This is also a significant step towards our Critical Minerals Strategy goal of doubling the number of critical minerals produced in Saskatchewan by 2030,” Young said in a statement to CTV News.

The minister went on to say the province supports Saskatchewan’s critical minerals industries by providing a stable regulatory framework and competitive incentive programs.

“Collaboration between our government and industry will allow Saskatchewan to continue developing our abundant resources to help satisfy the increasing world demand for critical minerals such as lithium,” Young said in the statement.