Yeah- so many different options that we haven’t considered....

Yeah- so many different options that we haven’t considered. We’ve often wondered who’s holding up our project and who’s pulling the strings. What about the Oil & Gas Cos? They need to look to the future, they have the cash, they have the drilling expertise, we’re even re- entering their wells.
Consider this agreement between Equinor & Standard Lithium that the Frogster found.
https://www.enverus.com/blog/for-equinor-in-the-u-s-lithium-door-opens-after-another-closes/

Equinor is acquiring 45% stakes in two of Standard Lithium’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) projects in the Smackover Formation in Southwest Arkansas and East Texas, less than a month after closing the book on its U.S. onshore shale operatorship. Under terms of the agreement, the Norwegian energy company will compensate Standard Lithium for $30 million in past costs net to the acquired interests and solely fund $60 million of costs—$40 million at the Arkansas project and $20 million in Texas—to progress the projects towards FIDs, representing a $33 million carry for Standard Lithium. Further development costs will be funded on a pro-rata basis. Equinor will also make milestone payments of up to $70 million total if positive FIDs are taken.

Equinor’s DLE investment is potentially the most significant and concrete to date from a major oil and gas producer, although others are exploring the technology, including ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Saudi Aramco and ADNOC. These investments are focused on DLE without the use of evaporation ponds, which has not yet been deployed commercially. DLE with evaporation ponds has been used commercially in Chile and Argentina.