Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
REGINA – Stoughton was the epicentre of the Bakken boom, and now it appears the exact same area is drawing interest for lithium development.
Ten blocks went up for bid in Saskatchewan’s most recent subsurface mineral rights sale (not oil and gas), and they indicated expansion of areas already in play. All blocks were prospective for lithium brine.
The Government of Saskatchewan’s subsurface mineral public offering held on Monday, Nov. 27, generated $1,459,502 in revenue, driven by lithium interest in the province’s southeast.
Ten subsurface permit blocks totaling 3,330 hectares were posted in the current public offering. Each of these blocks received acceptable bids, according to the Ministry of Energy and Resources.
Hub City Lithium expanded its holdings in the Stoughton area, by far spending the most money. It is 25 per cent owned by ROK Resources (which is also the operator) and 75 per cent by EMP Metals.
Hub City Lithium’s first well, southwest of Stoughton. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
The highest bid was $894,684 from Hub City Lithium Corp. for a 1,193 hectare-block five kilometres southwest of Stoughton, east of Weyburn, that is prospective for lithium in formation water.
In total, Hub City Lithium Corp. bid $1,169,485 to acquire five permits totaling 1,645 hectares. All five permits are in the Stoughton area and are prospective for lithium in formation water.
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Those five blocks where all close to where Hub City has already drilled two targeted lithium wells, and in the general vicinity of where it has intended to develop a pilot project.
These permits are located in the Stoughton area, east of Weyburn, and are prospective for lithium in formation water.
The other four blocks in the Stoughton area were bought by Synergy Land Services, a land agent. Synergy Land Services Ltd. bid $81,548 to acquire four permits totaling 647 hectares. Three were within close proximity of Stoughton, one being a section touching the northeast corner of Stoughton, and a quarter to the east and another to the west. A further section was southwest of Stoughton, and southwest of where Hub City had drilled its initial wells.
On the other side of the province, NRG Land Solutions Inc. bid $208,469 to acquire one permit totaling 1,037 hectares, located six kilometres southeast of Kerrobert. The permit is also prospective for lithium.
Grounded Lithium has already picked up extensive holdings to the south of that block of four sections. As a land agent was used, it is not clear if this was Grounded expanding its holdings, or if another player is involved.
The next subsurface mineral public offering for the current fiscal year is scheduled for February 12, 2024.
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