Lithium developments in NE Texas

There’s been significant lithium extraction activity in northeast Texas in late 2025. Here’s what’s happening:

, with the company aiming to lead U.S. domestic lithium production. The project is projected to create over 100 local jobs and triple Mount Vernon’s city budget through tax revenue Tyler Paper

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Smackover Lithium (a joint venture between Standard Lithium and Norway’s Equinor) announced in November 2025 that their Franklin project has North America’s highest lithium-in-brine grades, with an inferred resource of 2.16 million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent MINING.COM

. The project spans roughly 80,000 acres and aims to eventually produce over 100,000 tonnes per year of lithium chemicals.

TerraVolta received $225 million from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2024 for its lithium refinery complex near Texarkana, and the project was selected for fast-tracked permit review in 2025.

The Smackover Formation

The boom centers on the Smackover Formation, an underground geological formation rich in lithium-bearing brine that extends from East Texas through Arkansas into Louisiana. Brine samples have shown concentrations averaging 668 milligrams per liter of lithium, with one well testing at 806 mg/L MINING.COM

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Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE)

Companies are using Direct Lithium Extraction technology rather than traditional evaporation ponds. This process pumps brine from underground, extracts lithium through selective absorption, and re-injects the brine back into the formation—creating what experts describe as a closed-loop system with minimal surface disruption.

Economic and Environmental Context

The activity represents a major shift for the region, with comparisons being made to historic oil booms. However, there are concerns about water management, as the affected areas lack groundwater conservation districts for oversight.