Distributed on behalf of NOA Lithium Brines Inc.
As the lithium market swings from a period of oversupply toward a supply deficit, lithium companies are scrambling to meet surging global demand. One of those companies is NOA Lithium Brines (TSXV: NOAL), which is advancing critical field programs to help strengthen its hydrogeological understanding and support technical workstreams toward the Preliminary Feasibility Study for its flagship Rio Grande Project in Salta Province, Argentina.
Reportedly, the project hosts an impressive 4.7 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) with average grades exceeding 500 mg/L—making it one of the highest-grade lithium brine resources still awaiting development in the region. In addition, tighter lithium supplies are also creating opportunities across the sector, benefiting companies such as NOA Lithium Brines, Albemarle (NYSE: ALB), Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC) (TSX: LAC), Sigma Lithium (NASDAQ: SGML) (TSXV: SGML), and Standard Lithium (NYSE: SLI) (TSXV: SLI), all of which stand to gain from the growing supply-demand issues impacting lithium prices.
NOA Lithium Brines Inc. (TSXV: NOAL) Just Provided an Update on its 2026 Exploration Drilling Program at Rio Grande Project
NOA Lithium Brines Inc. (TSXV: NOAL) provided an update on its 2026 exploration drilling program at its flagship Rio Grande Project in Salta Province, Argentina.
The Company reports that both drilling rigs are operating in accordance with the exploration program. Well RT-RG26-PW001, which commenced first, has reached a depth of 168 metres, and Well RT- RG26-PW002 has reached a depth of 30 metres. The Company expects to provide further updates on these wells as drilling advances and results are compiled.
NOA’s Chief Executive Officer, Gabriel Rubacha states: “We are pleased with the progress of our 2026 drilling campaign at Rio Grande. With both rigs operating as planned, we are advancing key field activities designed to further refine our hydrogeological understanding and support technical workstreams toward the Project’s Preliminary Feasibility Study. We look forward to providing additional updates as the program continues.”
The current drilling program is designed to support evaluation of deep brine-bearing aquifers and ongoing refinement of the Project’s hydrogeological and resource models, as NOA advances the Project toward more advanced technical and economic studies.
Other related developments from around the markets include:
Albemarle announced that it declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.405 per share. The dividend, which has an annualized rate of $1.62, is payable July 1, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business as of June 12, 2026. In addition, the company announced its results for the first quarter. "Albemarle had a strong start to 2026, with net sales and adjusted EBITDA up year over year. Higher pricing and volumes in Energy Storage and Specialties, along with continued cost and productivity actions, were the key contributors to our results," said Kent Masters, Chairman and CEO. "We also took advantage of our successful cash and portfolio management actions to pay down debt in the quarter, further strengthening our balance sheet and financial flexibility. As the global operating environment remains uncertain, we are focused on the things within our control, including operational excellence, cost and productivity discipline, and cash generation, to enable long-term volume and earnings growth."
Lithium Americas’ President and Chief Executive Officer of Lithium Americas, Jonathan Evans, said, “Construction at Thacker Pass is accelerating toward mechanical completion in late 2027. There are now over 1,300 workers on site as of mid-May and over 2,000 expected at peak construction. In 2025, we emphasized de-risking project execution and made strategic decisions that have enabled us to focus on execution in 2026 – detailed engineering is almost complete, finances have been secured and global supply chain challenges are being well managed At a moment when resilient domestic supply chains are more critical than ever, lithium stands out as a strategic resource underpinning both national security and a reliable energy future. We are grateful for the strong partnerships and support from leaders at the federal and state levels. Recent visits to Thacker Pass by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo and the U.S. Department of Energy, underscore a shared commitment to strengthening American supply chains, advancing energy independence and creating meaningful American jobs.”
Sigma Lithium, the largest producer of lithium oxide concentrate in the Americas¹ and dedicated to industrializing socially and environmentally sustainable lithium materials to supply global producers of batteries for energy security, demonstrated the Company’s excellence in environmental performance in a filing with one year of data collected by external experts with measurements demonstrating low levels of dust, vibrations and noise generated by its operations. The solid data series externally collected by experts provides transparent, objective evidence of Sigma Lithium’s environmental track record and directly refutes baseless and unproven claims against the Company made in local Brazilian courts, currently under appeal within jurisdiction of rule of law at the State Courts in Minas Gerais (Tribunal de Justiça de Minas Gerais). The data points are below the stringent legal limits in Brazil, as well as the established standards of the Brazilian Technical Standards Association and Brazil’s National Environmental Council.
Smackover Lithium, a partnership between Standard Lithium Ltd. and Equinor, through subsidiaries of Equinor ASA, announced that it has entered into an engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning agreement with S&B Engineers and Constructors for the Central Processing Facility for the South West Arkansas Project. S&B is an integrated EPC company with proven industrial construction expertise and a strong U.S. and regional presence. S&B will be supported by Hatch Ltd. (“Hatch”), a global engineering, project delivery and professional services firm with extensive experience in mineral resource projects, and specific experience designing and commissioning lithium projects. Hatch will provide design engineering and commissioning support to S&B as a subcontractor. S&B will deliver EPCC services including detailed engineering design, procurement, installation and construction, testing, startup and commissioning for the CPF. This includes receipt of brine (from wellfield), pre-treatment, direct lithium extraction, purification and concentration of the lithium chloride, conversion to a battery-quality lithium carbonate with final product crystallization, drying, micronizing, bagging and handling facilities, and all associated utilities. The CPF will be located on the Project’s 118-acre plot located in Lafayette County, AR.
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