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Pure Energy Minerals (TSXV: PE) has partnered with American oilfield service company SLB (NYSE: SLB) to sustainably develop at scale lithium claims held by Pure Energy at its Clayton Valley lithium project in Nevada.
The Vancouver-based miner is exploring and developing the 9,450-hectare Clayton Valley project, the largest mineral land holdings in the area, which adjoins and surrounds on three sides the Silver Peak lithium brine mine operated by Albemarle.
The company also said it has received final permits from government agencies for the construction and operation of the demonstration plant, completion of plant construction and commencement of technical trials, which are ongoing.
SLB has deployed a demonstration plant onsite to test an integrated approach that combines subsurface expertise and surface engineering of advanced technologies, including direct lithium extraction (DLE) at the project, located in Esmeralda county.
The sustainable lithium production demonstration plant is five kilometers southeast of the town of Silver Peak, on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Pure Energy holds 950 BLM mineral claims in the Clayton Valley area.
The project received all necessary permits from the State of Nevada and the Nevada Division of Water Resources for the demonstration plant construction and water discharge in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Construction was largely completed by Q3 of 2023.
“SLB’s demonstration plant represents a significant step toward sustainable lithium brine production at scale,” Pure Energy Minerals CEO Joseph Mullin said in a news release.
“The ongoing technical trials at the facility give us increased confidence that SLB’s integrated approach is the future for lithium brine extraction in Clayton Valley and elsewhere,” Mullin added.
