South West Arkansas Project Completes Federal Permitting

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2026)- The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the completion of federal permitting for the South West Arkansas (SWA) Project. The mining infrastructure project anticipates producing 22,500 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate annually. 

“Congratulations to the Department of Energy and the teams at Standard Lithium and Equinor on completing federal permitting for this project,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “The South West Arkansas project is the 17th critical minerals and mining project to complete federal permitting during the Trump Administration. This achievement demonstrates the value of the FAST-41 program and our commitment to strengthening domestic production of critical minerals and delivering on President Trump’s energy dominance agenda.” 

“The Natural State is primed to support our nation’s critical mineral needs, and completing FAST-41 permitting represents significant progress toward full-scale lithium production at the South West Arkansas Project,” said Senator John Boozman (R-AR). “I am pleased the Trump administration prioritized an efficient, transparent federal review that delivers much-needed certainty, helps unlock tremendous economic opportunity regionally and beyond, and advances a key national security objective to counter our reliance on foreign adversaries.”

“For America to compete on the global stage in energy production, we must tap into the natural resources lying right here in our own backyard,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04). “With the lithium deposits found in the Fourth District, the Natural State is well-positioned to contribute greatly to unlocking our nation’s domestic energy potential. The South West Arkansas Project invests in that potential by reducing our reliance on foreign supply chains and driving regional growth through employment opportunities and infrastructure investment. Today’s announcement is a testament to what can be accomplished when transparency and accountability are introduced to the federal permitting process, and I am grateful for the folks in Washington and in Arkansas who have made this exciting announcement possible.”

The SWA Project is located in southern Arkansas near the Texas and Louisiana borders. The SWA Project is a joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor and they anticipate a 20 year operating life for the brine mining, with commercial production expected in 2029. 

"We appreciate the Administration’s commitment to streamlined, predictable permitting that enables the timely development of projects critical to our national and economic security,” said  David Park, CEO & Director, Standard Lithium. “The U.S. cannot compete globally unless important national projects like the South West Arkansas project can be built in a timely manner. The U.S. produces just 1% of the world's lithium, and the South West Arkansas Project is poised to increase domestic production of battery-grade lithium chemicals by 4x. FAST-41 helped make this progress possible, and that matters not just for Arkansas, but for America's ability to compete and lead on critical minerals. We are grateful to the Permitting Council for their partnership and engagement throughout this process.” 

This project was added to FAST-41 in the interest of transparency and in response to Executive Order 14241. The Department of Energy served as the lead federal permitting agency for this project. Learn more about this project on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.