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.
- 0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
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.
- 0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001