Smackover Lithium

What Smackover Lithium does

Smackover Lithium is a privately held joint venture formed in May 2024 between Standard Lithium Ltd. (55% interest, operator) and Equinor (45% interest) to develop Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) projects in the Smackover Formation across southwest Arkansas and east Texas. The company is headquartered in Lewisville, Arkansas, with a secondary office in Austin, Texas, and operates with 11–50 employees focused on pre-construction development. Its technology platform centers on Aquatech's proprietary Li-Pro™ Lithium Selective Sorption process, which selectively extracts lithium from brine to produce battery-quality lithium compounds; Standard Lithium has operated the only commercial-scale DLE facility in North America for nearly four years, accumulating over 15,000 extraction cycles and processing more than 1 million barrels of Smackover brine at its demonstration plant.

Name

Smackover Lithium

Legal name

Smackover Lithium

Website

https://smackoverlithium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smackover Lithium is a Standard Lithium (55%) and Equinor (45%) joint venture developing Direct Lithium Extraction lithium brine projects in the Arkansas and Texas Smackover Formation, targeting battery-quality lithium carbonate supply for U.S. battery manufacturers and EV supply chains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lithium Extraction and Production

akta.pro primary industry

Battery Raw Materials Mining & Refining (Lithium, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Graphite) (EUAFABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Battery-Grade Chemical Processing (LiOH/Li2CO3, Ni/Co Sulfates, Mn Sulfate) (IMAKAFAI), Lithium Mining & Brine Extraction (IMAKAFAA), Battery Dismantling, Discharge & Pre-processing (Safe Handling, Shredding, Black Mass Production) (EUAFACAB), Battery Recycling & Materials Recovery (Li-ion, LFP, Flow, Lead-Acid) (EUAMALAE), Lithium-ion Battery Recycling (Mechanical, Hydro, Direct Recycling) (EUAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Lithium extraction
• Direct lithium extraction
• Battery-grade lithium carbonate
• Lithium brine processing
• Critical minerals production

Headquarters

HQ city

Lewisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Lithium Carbonate Sales: Long-term take-or-pay offtake agreements for battery-quality lithium carbonate production. The company sells lithium carbonate produced from its South West Arkansas project to customers under binding 10-year agreements. First agreement with Trafigura covers 8,000 metric tonnes per year at pricing terms that support project financing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smackover Lithium is a joint venture between Standard Lithium (55%) and Equinor (45%) that develops and will produce battery-quality lithium carbonate from lithium brine resources in the Smackover Formation. The company is building the first commercial-scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) facility in North America at its South West Arkansas project (initial capacity 22,500 tonnes per annum, expandable to 45,000 tpa), and is also developing the East Texas/Franklin Project targeting over 100,000 tonnes per year potential.

Product overview

Smackover Lithium is a partnership between Standard Lithium (55%, operator) and Equinor (45%) developing two world-class lithium brine projects in the Smackover Formation using Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology. The core product portfolio consists of the South West Arkansas Project as the flagship initiative producing battery-quality lithium carbonate (initial 22,500 tpa), and the East Texas/Franklin Project as an early-stage prospect with the highest reported lithium-in-brine grades in North America. The DLE technology platform, leveraging Aquatech's Li-Pro™ Lithium Selective Sorption technology, enables efficient and sustainable lithium extraction from brine resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• South West Arkansas Project Flagship Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) project located in Lafayette and Columbia counties, Arkansas, covering over 20,000 acres of brine leases. Designed to produce 22,500 tonnes per annum of battery-quality lithium carbonate in its initial phase, expandable to 45,000 tpa, with a $1.45 billion capital expenditure per the Definitive Feasibility Study filed October 2025. Customers include battery manufacturers and commodities traders under binding 10-year take-or-pay offtake agreements.
• East Texas / Franklin Project Early-stage lithium brine prospect in East Texas containing the highest reported lithium-in-brine grades in North America. The partnership is targeting potential production of over 100,000 tonnes of lithium chemicals per year in multiple phases from this asset.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,500 tonnes per annum battery-quality lithium carbonate production in initial phase, expandable to 45,000 tpa
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• S&B Engineers and ConstructorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 May 2026Awarded EPCC contract for the Central Processing Facility (CPF) representing approximately two-thirds of project's estimated capital expenditure. S&B is an integrated EPC company with proven industrial construction expertise, supported by Hatch Ltd. as design engineering and commissioning subcontractor.
• Hatch Ltd.supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 26 May 2026Global engineering, project delivery and professional services firm providing design engineering and commissioning support to S&B as a subcontractor. Hatch brings extensive experience in mineral resource projects and specific experience designing and commissioning lithium projects.
• Wood Group USA, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 May 2026Awarded EPCM contract for the upstream well field portion of the South West Arkansas Project. Wood is a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for energy and materials sectors with significant expertise in managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects including lithium and broader minerals.
• Trafigura Trading LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026First commercial offtake customer for the South West Arkansas Project. Signed binding take-or-pay agreement for 8,000 metric tonnes per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate over 10 years. Trafigura is a market leader in global commodities with established presence across battery metals markets including lithium.
• Standard Lithium Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Formed in May 2024, Smackover Lithium is a joint venture between Standard Lithium (55%) and Equinor (45%). Standard Lithium maintains operatorship and brings expertise in brine processing and DLE technology, with operations in the Smackover Formation since 2018.
• EquinorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Global energy leader with nearly 40 years of US energy portfolio experience. Equinor brings deep expertise in sub-surface assessment, project execution, construction and operations. Owns 45% interest in Smackover Lithium joint venture with Standard Lithium.
• AquatechcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership to apply Aquatech's proprietary Li-Pro™ Lithium Selective Sorption technology at the South West Arkansas project. This technology is key to unlocking the vast potential of the Smackover Formation and delivering against future domestic lithium demand.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Piedmont Lithium: Lithium developer advancing spodumene-to-conversion projects in the US (Tennessee, North Carolina). Comparable as a domestic US lithium developer pursuing offtake with battery and EV manufacturers, though focused on hard-rock resources.
• Vulcan Energy Resources: Developer of integrated geothermal-lithium DLE operations in Germany's Upper Rhine Valley, producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Comparable on DLE platform and target end-product for European/American EV supply chains.
• E3 Lithium: Canadian DLE-focused lithium developer targeting Leduc Formation brines in Alberta. Comparable as a North American brine/DLE developer pursuing commercial-scale battery-grade lithium production, though at an earlier project stage.
• International Battery Metals (IBAT): Modular DLE technology provider with commercial deployments targeting direct lithium extraction from brines. Comparable on the DLE technology platform competing for North American lithium production.
• ioneer Ltd: Developer of the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada with DOE support and offtake agreements. Comparable as a US-focused critical minerals developer receiving federal grant funding and progressing toward offtake-financed construction.
• EnergySource Minerals: DLE lithium developer at the Salton Sea in California, with commercial-scale operating experience and offtake partnerships. Comparable on DLE technology platform and target lithium carbonate/hydroxide end products.
• Lithium Americas: North American lithium developer with the Thacker Pass project (claystone) advancing toward production with DOE support. Comparable as a US-anchored lithium developer leveraging federal policy support, though on a different resource type.

Direct peers

• Standard Lithium Ltd. 55% JV partner and operator of Smackover Lithium; a public DLE lithium developer actively producing battery-quality lithium from Smackover Formation brines since 2020. Direct overlap on technology, resource base, and management.

Broad incumbents

• Albemarle Corporation: World's largest lithium producer with integrated upstream brine and downstream conversion operations, supplying battery-grade lithium globally. Comparable on end-market and product (lithium chemicals for batteries) though incumbent and far larger.
• Arcadium Lithium (Livent): Major lithium chemicals producer formed by the merger of Livent and Allkem, with brine and hard-rock assets producing battery-grade lithium carbonate and hydroxide. Overlaps as a competitor to Smackover's target customers and a benchmark for project economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smackoverlithium
• Xx.com/SmackoverLi

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smackover Lithium