This week (7.14-7.18) overseas lithium news [SMM Weekly Overseas New Energy News]

[Zimbabwe Plans to Launch $270 Million Lithium Beneficiation Plant Construction Within the Year]

Zimbabwe's state-owned miner Kuvimba Mining House plans to break ground in Q3 this year at its Sandawana mine for a beneficiation plant with an annual processing capacity of 600,000 mt of lithium concentrates. The total investment amounts to $270 million, with operations expected to commence in early 2027. Kuvimba CEO Trevor Barnard revealed that the project will collaborate with two leading Chinese metal companies, with the Chinese partners operating under a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model for at least five years before transferring ownership back to Kuvimba. Barnard declined to disclose specific partner names, citing ongoing finalization of negotiations.

"We are finalizing the terms of the definitive agreement and supporting industrial conditions to ensure smooth commencement by our partners," Barnard stated. "The target to start civil works in Q3 remains unchanged."

Currently, the Sandawana mine continues stockpiling raw ore, with some shipments already sent to Tsingshan-operated beneficiation facilities in Gwanda for toll processing. Barnard noted that the completion timeline of the Sandawana plant may coincide with a cyclical rebound in battery-grade lithium chemical prices.

Source: ming.com

[One World Lithium (OWL) Announces Receipt of Natural Brine Samples From Major South American Miner for Validation Testing Using Its "Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction (DLCE)" Technology]

OWL announced today that it has obtained two sets of natural brine samples from a major South American lithium mine project, which have been sent to laboratories for lithium recovery rate testing using its proprietary Direct Lithium Carbonation Extraction (DLCE) technology. This method can directly produce lithium carbonate from natural brine in a single step, eliminating traditional evaporation ponds or the pre-concentration, main concentration, and post-concentration processes required by DLE. The entire process requires no adsorbents, acids, or soda ash, significantly reducing CapEx and OpEx while enabling cleaner lithium extraction.

Technology Origin and Intellectual Property

OWL recently acquired two related patent applications covering commercialization rights for lithium recovery from natural brines and slurries derived from granite pegmatites, clays, volcanic rocks, and sediments. All subsequent development, testing, and pilot-scale expansion costs will be borne by OWL.

Phase Objectives: Laboratory Validation and Co-Extraction of Multiple Metals

The key objectives of the current laboratory phase are:

1. Continue validating DLCE's capability to directly extract battery-grade lithium carbonate from natural brines;

2. Assess the potential for comprehensive recovery or co-extraction of associated elements such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium from the brines.

Funding and Follow-up Collaboration

OWL has signed an "Umbrella Technology Agreement" with the mining giant. The latter will provide financial support for the testing phase of the two brine groups and retains the priority right to participate in the second-phase R&D. The second-phase plan includes:

• Expanding the laboratory, purchasing additional equipment, and hiring more technical personnel;

• Constructing the first modular (containerized) brine/slurry lithium extraction pilot plant to further verify the engineering feasibility and economic viability of DLCE technology.

Source: Junior of ming

[Smackover Lithium Reports Highest Lithium Brine Grade in Southwest Arkansas Project Area, FEED Study Nearing Completion]

Smackover Lithium, a joint venture between Standard Lithium Ltd. and Equinor, is pleased to announce the completion of sampling from its latest exploration well—the Lester well—in the Southwest Arkansas (SWA) project area, which recorded the highest lithium concentration in the project area to date at 616 mg/L.

The Lester well was completed in Q2 this year, marking the conclusion of all subsurface exploration activities for Phase 1 of the SWA project.

The company completed brine sampling from the upper Smackover Formation, with subsequent third-party laboratory analysis revealing that the Lester well brine exhibited significantly higher-than-expected lithium concentrations, setting a new record for the highest lithium grade in the SWA project.

Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium, stated: "The Smackover Lithium team has now completed all required fieldwork and testing for Phase 1 of the SWA project. We drilled the final well in this sector of the project area, initially anticipating lithium concentrations around 500 mg/L. The latest sampling results are therefore highly encouraging—they show the highest lithium concentration (peaking at 616 mg/L) across the entire SWA project area, representing a notable improvement over existing world-class lithium brine resources.

"With all fieldwork completed, the Smackover Lithium joint team is now fully advancing the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study, with the final feasibility study expected to be completed later in Q3 this year. The completion of these studies marks critical milestones, enabling the team to accelerate Phase 1 of the SWA project toward achieving a final investment decision by year-end 2025 through offtake negotiations and project financing."

Source: Junior of ming

[Spark Energy Minerals Accelerates Drilling Deployment at Arapaima Project—Lithium-Rich Pegmatites Discovered at Cruzeta and Córrego do Maquém]

Spark Energy Minerals is ramping up exploration at its flagship Arapaima project in Brazil's "Lithium Valley": Following rock chip samples from Cruzeta yielding 3,712 ppm Li-in-rock and stream sediments from Água Branca recording 118 ppm lithium, the company has intensified ground work at targets including Cruzeta, Córrego do Maquém, and Água Branca to refine drill hole locations for the inaugural diamond core drilling program (scheduled to commence in Q3 2025). CEO Eugene Hodgson said, "Every step forward on site has strengthened our confidence in these high-potential targets; lithium pathfinders are clear, multiple pegmatite bodies have been delineated, and the optimization of collar coordinates is progressing smoothly."

The Córrego do Maquém target has become the current focus. Recent drone aerial surveys and ground mapping have revealed multiple openings of old adits, and the team is re-entering them to assess the continuity of deep pegmatites. Meanwhile, a structurally controlled corridor with large-scale pegmatite exposures and historical mining traces has been identified, providing direct evidence for subsequent drilling.

Source: Junior of ming