Prairie Lithium, a Saskatchewan company based in Emerald Park just east of Regina, has drilled the first targeted lithium well in the province’s history.

Lithium is primarily used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. The company, since 2020, has been using proprietary technology to extract lithium from subsurface brine water and while drilling, the project supported over 100 jobs from 40 different companies.

Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre says, “Our energy and mining sectors are attracting investment, creating high-quality jobs and building on our traditional strengths. It’s exciting that lithium from Saskatchewan oilfield brine will power electric vehicles of the future.”

The province estimates global demand for lithium is expected to grow five fold by 2030.

Prairie Lithium established a pilot project processing facility, which has successfully extracted 99.7 per cent of lithium from the brine in a matter of minutes. This fall, Prairie Lithium concluded drilling its first-ever dedicated lithium brine well in southeast Saskatchewan.

Prairie Lithium also recently signed an agreement with Saskatoon-based DEEP Earth Energy Production, which forms an Area of Mutual Interest for lithium exploration.