Star Metro - International Battery Metals Ltd. Reports Positive DLE Test Results Across Multiple Smackover Formation Brine Sources

VANCOUVER, BC AND HOUSTON, TX / ACCESS Newswire / June 9, 2026 / International Battery Metals Ltd. ("IBAT") (TSXV:IBAT)(OTCQB:IBATF), an advanced technology provider of modular Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) systems, today announced positive results from its testing program on brine samples sourced from multiple operators and resources across the Smackover Formation in Texas and Arkansas.

Joseph Mills, Chief Executive Officer of IBAT, commented:

"Operators are starting to produce larger quantities of lithium-rich brine water from test wells across the Smackover geological formation, which ranges from southern Arkansas to East Texas. With access to more brine samples, we have been testing our technology across a wide variety of compositions and are seeing the continued high lithium recovery rates and media efficiency that we demonstrated in Utah in 2024, where our modular DLE plant cleared over 8,400 cycles, and the output was converted into 25 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate. That first commercial deployment gave us high confidence in our modular DLE technology and process.

"Over the past several months, we lab-tested brine samples from multiple operators and resources across the Smackover formation and saw consistent results across every composition we tested, with 98% lithium recovery and better than 99% contaminant rejection. These results met our high expectations and further validated the strength of our technology.

"With one brine sample, we were able to perform over 1,200 cycles on a single column with zero degradation, confirming our media's durability. This resiliency test helps us and our potential customers evaluate what the expected operating costs will look like over the commercial lifespan of a project."

About the Smackover Formation

The Smackover Formation has emerged as one of the most strategically important lithium brine resources in North America. Brine deposits in southern Arkansas and East Texas contain lithium concentrations ranging from 200 mg/L to >600 mg/L. The geological formation spans from Texas to Florida and has been producing oil, gas and bromine for over a century, giving it a well-developed regulatory framework, established oil, gas and brine production, including reinjection infrastructure and a deep base of operators with existing subsurface rights. The operators in this exciting geological basin range from major energy companies to smaller independents, all of whom hold brine resources that are potentially monetizable through the right DLE partnership. The level of institutional interest in the formation has accelerated rapidly, with significant commercial production growth anticipated over the next decade.

IBAT's Modular Technology is a Natural Fit for The Smackover Opportunity

IBAT's business model is straightforward. Resource holders bring what they already have: subsurface rights and existing production infrastructure. IBAT brings the extraction technology, process engineering expertise, and a commercial pathway to a battery-grade lithium product.

Rather than requiring resource holders to build fixed, site-specific infrastructure, IBAT's deployable plant architecture allows operators of any size to access a proven extraction process without the capital intensity of a greenfield DLE facility. The Company is actively engaged with operators across the formation and expects these test results to accelerate partnership discussions.

DLE Performance Results: Smackover Formation Testing Program

IBAT's lab-based testing program assessed lithium recovery rates, selectivity against competing ions, and eluate purity across brine samples sourced from multiple operators representing a range of compositions present throughout the Smackover Formation in East Texas and southern Arkansas. The program included a long-cycle endurance/resiliency test as part of the same testing program.

The long-cycle test ran a single extraction column for more than 1,200 cycles with no degradation in performance, providing a direct data point on media resiliency under sustained extraction conditions. The table below shows the consistency of key performance metrics from the Smackover lab testing program against IBAT's prior commercial-scale plant deployment in Utah:

These results confirm that IBAT's technology is capable of delivering consistent lithium recovery and high selectivity across chemically diverse brine sources.

About International Battery Metals Ltd.

IBAT's direct lithium extraction technology is based on proprietary lithium extraction media housed in patented extraction columns. The columns are enclosed in modular, transportable skid-mounted platforms that can be transported and commissioned into production within a short time frame.

Utilizing the patented technology, the Company's focus has been on advancing the extraction of lithium chloride from lithium-rich subsurface brine and produced water facilities. The Company's unique patented technology is focused on efficient delivery of lithium chloride while minimizing environmental impact.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking statements" under applicable U.S. and Canadian securities legislation. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the commercial viability and scalability of IBAT's proprietary Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology across the Smackover Formation; the Company's expectations regarding accelerated partnership discussions with operators across the Smackover Formation including anticipated costs and performance of IBAT's technology over the commercial lifespan of the project; the Company's ability to deploy its modular technology across multiple operators and brine compositions. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "forecast", "potential", "target", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause IBAT's actual results, performance, achievements, and future events to be materially different from the results, performance, achievements, or future events expressed or implied therein. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: changes in lithium market conditions and commodity prices, the ability to secure and maintain commercial partnerships with Smackover Formation operators, technical risks associated with the deployment and operation of DLE technology at commercial scale, regulatory risks, availability of financing to incur the expenditures required to advance the Company's business strategies and objectives and general economic and market conditions.

IBAT believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, however there can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are given as of the date hereof and are based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. IBAT disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Relations contacts:
Brian Siegel, IRC, MBA
Senior Managing Director
Hayden IR
(346) 396-8696
[email protected]

SOURCE: International Battery Metals Ltd.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

S.Cloutier--SMC