The intracratonic Elk Point Basin is a major sedimentary geological feature in western Canada and the northwest U.S. It contains one of the world’s largest stratabound potash resources. The nature of this type of deposition is largely continuous with predictable depths and thickness. It is mined at several locations, including the Esterhazy Facility.
Potash at the Esterhazy Facility area occurs conformably within Middle Devonian-age sedimentary rocks and is found in total thicknesses ranging from approximately 100 to 131 feet (30 to 40 m) at a depth of approximately 5,345 to 5,740 feet (1,630 to 1,750 m).
The Prairie Evaporite Formation, host to the potash mineralization, is divided into a basal “lower salt” and an overlying unnamed unit containing three potash-bearing units and one unit containing thin marker beds. In ascending order, the potash horizons in the upper unit are the Esterhazy Member, White Bear Marker Beds, Belle Plaine Member, and Patience Lake Member. Mineralogically, these members consist of sylvite and halite, with minor amounts of carnallite (KCl, MgCl 6H O).
In the Esterhazy area, the Esterhazy, White Bear and Belle Plaine Members are present, and the Patience Lake Member is absent. The following is a summary of the key stratigraphic units for the Esterhazy Potash Facility area:
• Belle Plaine Member: The Belle Plaine Member underlies Second Red Bed and makes up part of the salt back that is critical to isolating the ........
