Overview

The number of electric vehicles on the road is expected to increase from 10 million today to 100 million by 2030, and up to an estimated 400 million by 2040. This staggering growth has put the spotlight on lithium, which is an essential mineral in manufacturing most consumer devices, electric vehicles (EVs), battery technology and renewable energy technologies. However, experts predict that we may experience a lithium shortage by 2022 if we fail to ramp up production and availability of this essential battery metal.

In reality, mining lithium is challenging for a variety of reasons. Many existing extraction methods are both costly and ripe with environmental issues. As a result, Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) is rapidly being recognized as an innovative and more environmentallyfriendly lithium extraction technology — one that is less expensive than the more dominant mining methods currently being used. This has encouraged many mining companies and even government agencies to explore how DLE can further capitalize on known lithium deposits.

EMP Metals (CSE:EMPS, OTCQB:EMPPF) is an early-entry lithium exploration and development company planning on utilizing Direct Lithium Extraction on a large scale in Canada. A strong management team and skilled technical team form the foundation for this promising organization. Additionally, EMP Metals plans to develop its project portfolio by continually focusing on low-cost yet promising land parcels located in Saskatchewan.

The DLE method calls for using a specialized absorbent to extract lithium from brine and actively rejects impurities, creating high-quality lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. DLE is both more cost-effective and environmentally responsible than evaporation and hard-rock mining and has shown a superior recovery rate relative to traditional extraction methods.

Currently, EMP Metals has a strategic land base in Saskatchewan that comprises three projects totaling an impressive 119,739 acres. Saskatchewan is an ideal province for lithium extraction due to multiple appealing factors: existing infrastructure, a skilled local workforce and a mining-friendly government. Additionally, Saskatchewan’s Duperow Formation is supportive for using DLE recovery technology, making the project area extremely appealing as a location to build a large-scale DLE mine. The land package also contains 15 wellbores from historical surveying and natural resource recovery, potentially greatly reducing exploration and development costs.

EMP Metals boasts a strong technical and management team with relevant industry experience. The technical team has extensive experience in building large scale brine lifting and disposal infrastructure as well as drilling wells to all depths within Saskatchewan’s Williston Basin. Rob Gamley, President and CEO, brings over a decade of experience in corporate finance and consulting with publicly traded companies. Natashia Tsai, CFO, specializes in managing financial operations with a focus on overall business performance. Dr. Peter Pollard, Chief Geologist, has over 30 years of experience as a researcher and mineral exploration expertise. Greg Bronson, Director, also possesses over 30 years of experience in mineral exploration companies and oil and gas exploration and development. The combined team has what it takes to potentially lead EMP Metals to successfully build a large-scale DLE-based lithium mine.

Company Highlights

• Saskatchewan is an attractive region for mining companies due to the available workforce, mining-friendly governmental policies, and the presence of existing infrastructure.
• Focused on potential DLE amenable assets to mine lithium in Saskatchewan, Canada.
• DLE is an innovative lithium extraction technology that has shown a higher recovery rate, costs less to operate and has a less severe environmental impact than other methods.
• EMP Metals has ring-fenced 119,739 acres of highly prospective lithium properties in four main distinct geological locations in Saskatchewan, which includes 21 lithium-brine focused permits.
• The company acquired the remaining interest of its subsidiary Hub City Minerals Corp. EMP Metals now holds a 75 percent interest in Hub City Lithium Inc., which owns a highly prospective package of lithium brine focused permits in Southern Saskatchewan.