Let's not be distracted by questions that can't be answered in...

Let's not be distracted by questions that can't be answered in this forum. All that does is create more unnecessary and pointless doubt and uncertainty in people's minds. LKE MUST have a pilot plant at Kachi, and ASAP. Period!!!
These are all questions that must be answered in the PFS ,which, hopefully, we will soon see. But, it's claimed to be a "partnership" so, I'm sure there will be much quid pro quo if it proves to be successful, and, frankly, why shouldn't it from what we already know??
LKE have, by far, the most to gain by building this pilot plant, ASAP, proving Kachi to be a commercially and competitively viable project is most certainly predicated on the Lilac process being a success.
Keep in mind that if this was an oil exploration, the explorer would be paying much of the capex just to find the oil and then for the rigs and infrastructure to extract it and pipe it to refineries. All they have "found" so far is a helluva lot of brine!!!!