There could be lithium in those brines
This profile traces the origins of Prairie Lithium, incorporated in February 2019 by geologist Zach Maurer, who partnered with PhD chemist Dr. Ian Ireland as chief technology officer to develop lithium extraction technology. Maurer, a 2016 geology graduate who wrote his master's thesis on lithium hydrochemistry in Saskatchewan's Bakken and Frobisher formations, developed a theory of lithium distribution across geological formations that guided strategic well placement, with mentorship from retired hydrogeology professor Dr. Ben Rostron.
The company drilled Saskatchewan's first targeted lithium well near Torquay in September 2021, announcing positive results that November 9 — a day lithium prices hit US$29,000 per tonne, up from US$6,000 in 2013, before reaching US$65,000 by May 2022. Prairie Lithium focused on the deep Duperow formation for higher concentrations, and in October 2021 partnered with Deep Earth Energy Production to divide mineral rights across 40 townships along the U.S. border.