Canadian-based lithium exploration and development company EMP Metals has partnered with the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, to conduct research on determining the lithium source in subsurface waters within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Covering a 1.4km² area, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin includes southern Saskatchewan, south-western Manitoba, Alberta, north-eastern British Columbia, and the south-west corner of the Northwest Territories.

University of Regina geologist Dr Leslie Robbins said: “Lithium is a great option to help provide clean and renewable energy technologies – and demand for it is anticipated to increase substantially in the coming years.

“There has been a lot of momentum in Western Canada to extract lithium from subsurface brines. However, our understanding of this process is in its infancy, and there is a lack of a predictive framework to find the locations of these lithium deposits in subsurface brines. Working with EMP Metals Corp, my project will help advance this work.”

Over a two-year period, EMP Metals has agreed to provide financing of C$30,000 ($22,443) to support the work of University of Regina geologist Dr Leslie Robbins’ team.

The team has also secured a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Alliance (NSERC) grant of C$60,000.

EMP CEO Rob Gamley said: “We believe that western Canada, and in particular south-eastern Saskatchewan, has huge reserves of lithium and we are dedicated as a company to responsibly developing these reserves through to production, building value for our shareholders and Canadians as a whole.”

In March 2023, EMP Metals subsidiary Hub City Lithium divested 33 sections of undeveloped land in the Kindersley area to Grounded Lithium.