The Land Side of Direct Lithium Extraction Projects
Direct lithium extraction (DLE) is expanding lithium production across brine-rich basins such as the Smackover formation in East Texas and Arkansas, supporting the fast-growing demand for renewable energy storage and battery manufacturing. But no matter which extraction technology a producer uses, a direct lithium extraction project cannot move forward without the land underneath it: secured leases, clear title, accurate mapping, and negotiated surface access.
Purple Land Management (PLM) does not develop or operate DLE technology. PLM's role is the land itself - leasing and land acquisition, title services, GIS mapping through our Overdrive platform, and surface access and right-of-way work. These are the same core land services PLM provides for oil and gas, renewable energy, and carbon capture projects nationwide, applied to the specific ownership and access challenges of lithium brine development.
Why Land Work Is the Foundation of Every DLE Project
Before a DLE operator can drill a brine well, build a processing facility, or run a pipeline to a reinjection site, it needs leases in place, title confirmed, land mapped, and surface access negotiated with every landowner along the way. These requirements exist regardless of which separation technology a project uses. For land teams and developers, the practical questions are the same ones PLM answers on every project: Who owns this land and the minerals beneath it? Is the title clear enough to lease or acquire? Where does the project actually sit relative to ownership boundaries? And who needs to sign off before crews can access the site?
Leasing and Land Acquisition for Direct Lithium Extraction
DLE projects typically require two distinct types of agreements: leases for the brine and mineral rights beneath the surface, and separate agreements for the surface sites needed for wellpads, processing facilities, and pipelines. PLM manages both.
Brine and mineral leasing: securing lithium brine leases from mineral owners, often in areas with a long history of oil and gas leasing that must be reconciled with new lithium development.
Surface site leasing: negotiating agreements for wellpads, processing facilities, access roads, and pipeline corridors.
Landowner representation: securing fair compensation and clear terms for mineral and surface owners approached by DLE developers.
Developer representation: identifying and securing the leasehold position a DLE project needs, backed by market analysis on bonus and royalty terms specific to lithium brine.
Community engagement: many DLE projects are new to their region; PLM's education-first approach builds relationships with landowners and local officials before and during leasing campaigns.
Title Services for Lithium Brine and Surface Rights
Title work for DLE projects carries its own complexity. In many active brine basins, decades of oil and gas leasing and mineral severance already sit on top of the land, and lithium brine rights don't always follow the same ownership chain as oil, gas, or surface rights. PLM's title team addresses these issues directly:
Chain of title research to confirm current ownership of brine, mineral, and surface interests
Distinguishing lithium brine rights from existing oil and gas leasehold and mineral ownership
Title curative work to resolve gaps, heirship issues, and unreleased encumbrances before leasing or construction
Due diligence support for acquisitions and A&D activity involving brine-producing acreage
This work gives DLE developers a clear, defensible ownership position before capital is committed to drilling or facility construction.
GIS Mapping and Overdrive for DLE Land Management
PLM's GIS team maps land and leasehold status across a DLE project area - ownership boundaries, existing leases, surface agreements, and infrastructure corridors - so developers can see where they stand at every stage of the project. Through our proprietary Overdrive platform, clients get a real-time, single-source view of leasehold status, field negotiations, landowner communications, and on-the-ground progress, with customizable reporting available in a couple of clicks. For a DLE project spanning dozens or hundreds of tracts, that visibility is what keeps leasing, title, and construction schedules aligned.
Surface Access and Right-of-Way for DLE Infrastructure
A DLE project's surface footprint includes wellfield access, brine and reinjection pipeline corridors, processing facility sites, and access roads. PLM's surface and right-of-way team secures the agreements needed to build and operate that infrastructure:
Right-of-way and surface acquisition for pipelines, access roads, and facility sites
Right-of-entry agreements for surveying, geotechnical work, and construction access
Legal documentation and agreement drafting for surface use across every affected tract
Condemnation support where eminent domain applies to project infrastructure
Supporting DLE Growth in East Texas and Arkansas
PLM currently supports direct lithium extraction projects in East Texas and Arkansas, where the Smackover formation has drawn significant DLE investment. With landmen based across the lower 48, PLM brings local relationships and regional land knowledge to a lithium industry that is still new to many of the communities it operates in - an important advantage for developers building trust with landowners and local officials while securing land at scale.
Key Takeaways
PLM supports direct lithium extraction projects through land services, not extraction technology
Leasing, title, GIS mapping, and surface access are the same core services PLM applies across oil and gas, renewables, and carbon capture
Lithium brine rights often overlap with existing oil and gas leasehold, requiring dedicated title curative work
Overdrive gives DLE developers real-time visibility into leasehold, title, and field progress
Surface access and right-of-way work supports wellfields, pipelines, and processing facilities
PLM's regional landman network supports DLE growth in East Texas, Arkansas, and beyond
Frequently Asked Questions
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PLM provides leasing and land acquisition, title services, GIS mapping through Overdrive, and surface access and right-of-way services for DLE projects.
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No. PLM does not develop or operate DLE technology. PLM manages the land, title, and surface work that DLE operators need regardless of which extraction method they use
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Lithium brine rights don't always follow the same ownership chain as oil, gas, or surface rights, and many brine basins already carry decades of oil and gas leasehold. PLM's title team researches and curatives these overlapping interests specifically for DLE projects.
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Yes. Overdrive gives DLE developers a real-time view of leasehold status, field negotiations, and project progress across every tract in a project area.
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PLM currently supports DLE projects in East Texas and Arkansas, with landmen positioned across the lower 48 to support new project areas as they develop.
Find Out More
Looking to learn more about our Lithium Extraction Projects? Considering a career as a Landman? Check out the rest of our website or contact us to find out more.