Lithium land sale brings in just under $6 million as SE Sask area grows
BY BRIAN ZINCHUK
Interest in lithium mineral rights continues to move eastward in southeast Saskatchewan, as indicated by this fiscal year’s first Crown mineral rights sale.
The Government of Saskatchewan’s first subsurface mineral public offering of the fiscal year, held on Monday, July 8, 2024, generated $5,935,425 in revenue, driven by interest in lithium potential.
Of the 18 subsurface permits posted for this offering, 16 received acceptable bids covering a total of 39,651 hectares. The permits, which are prospective for lithium, are located primarily in southeast Saskatchewan.
Looking at the map provided by the Ministry of Energy and Resources, it is apparent that this sale saw an extension of the lithium mineral rights play grow by roughly one township to the north, northeast, east and southeast beyond the existing lithium dispositions. That band starts at the community pasture north of Forget, to Kisbey, Willmar, hooking around to southeast of Lampman and Steelman.
Notably, one of the lithium explorers had done some exploratory drilling north of Lampman late this spring. Several wells were drilled.
Synergy Land Services Ltd. spent $3,928,901 to acquire 11 permits for a total of 29,292 hectares. The permits are east of Weyburn, between Stoughton, Arcola and Lampman, the Ministry said in a release.
The highest bid also went to Synergy Land Services Ltd., which offered $976,229 for a 7,413.52 hectare block located northeast of Lampman.
Millennium Land Ltd. bid $1,974,127 to acquire four permits for a total of 9,061 hectares east of Weyburn between Stoughton and Arcola.
In west-central Saskatchewan, NRG LandSolutions Inc. bid $32,397 to acquire one permit southeast of Kerrobert, which measures 1,297 hectares. This is in close proximity to the north end of Grounded Lithium’s Kindersley Lithium Project. Several months ago, Denison Mines bought into that project in a big way.
Two other areas also saw attention. One is just west of Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, in the vicinity of the K+S Potash mine. This may be existing mine lands. No acceptable bid was submitted. Another was northeast of Penzance, and no bid was submitted for that.
Lithium is one of the 27 critical minerals that occur in Saskatchewan that will play a key role in the province achieving the goals set out in Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy, the Ministry said.. Several firms are actively pursuing lithium exploration and production in the province.
There are three subsurface mineral public offerings scheduled each fiscal year. The next offering is scheduled for November 25, 2024.