Standard Lithium Files Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the High-Grade 70,000 Tonnes Per Year Franklin Project in East Texas
Standard Lithium has filed the PEA Technical Report for the Franklin Project in East Texas, its first defined project in the Smackover Formation, developed jointly with Equinor. The PEA outlines up to 70,000 tonnes per year of battery-quality lithium carbonate over a 20-year life, with an unlevered pre-tax NPV(8) of $5.9 billion, a 25.7% IRR, and a 3-year payback at $4,226/t cash operating costs. Initial production could begin in the early 2030s; the principal recommendation is to advance to a Preliminary Feasibility Study targeted for 2027. Standard Lithium holds a 55% economic interest and operatorship.
Key figures
- Irr
- 25.7%
- Payback period
- 3 years
- Project area hectares
- 44541
- Initial production timing
- early 2030s
- Npv8 pretax unlevered usd
- 5900000000
- Project area increase pct
- 37%
- Sli economic interest pct
- 55%
- Capital intensity per tonne
- 49945
- Cash operating cost per tonne
- 4226
- Modelled operating life years
- 20
- Annual production capacity tonnes
- 70000
- Average lithium concentration mg l
- 515
- Starting lithium concentration mg l
- 562
- Total production life of mine tonnes
- 1290000
AI analysis
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