E3 Lithium Ltd. [TSXV: ETL; OTCQX: EEMMF; FSE: OW3] has commenced the drilling of its lithium development well as part of phase 2 of its demonstration facility development in central Alberta.
This is E3 Lithium’s third lithium well drilled into the Leduc formation. This next step in development builds upon the successful production of battery-grade lithium carbonate during phase 1 of the demonstration program in early October 2025. Phase 1 validated the design of E3 Lithium’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) equipment at this scale. Results from this well will provide additional reservoir performance data and brine analytics to support the design of the commercial lithium facility.
The objectives of this next drilling phase include validating subsurface geology through detailed analysis of core samples and integrate petrophysical properties derived from comprehensive well-logging data sets; collecting reservoir data to inform commercial wellfield and facility design; providing brine for continued operation of its DLE and processing equipment previously commissioned in phase 1 of the demonstration facility and support engineering and permitting work for E3 Lithium’s coming commercial facility.
“This well kicks off the second phase our demonstration program, another important step forward as we advance toward commercial operations,” said Chris Doornbos, president and chief executive officer of E3 Lithium. “Our drilling activities provide important data to inform our continued project design and enhances our understanding of reservoir performance capabilities.”
Drilling and testing activities are expected to continue into November, and the company will provide updates on drilling and testing operations.
E3 Lithium is a development company with total mineral resources of 21.2 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) measured and indicated as well as 300,000 tonnes LCE inferred in Alberta and mineral resources of 2.5 million tonnes LCE inferred in Saskatchewan. The Clearwater prefeasibility study outlined a 1.13-million-tonne-LCE proven and probable mineral reserve with a pretax net present value (discounted at 8%) of US$5.2 billion with a 29.2% internal rate of return and an after-tax NPV (discounted at 8%) of US$3.7 billion with a 24.6% IRR.
