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 ........

The Esterhazy Potash Facility, located in Saskatchewan, Canada started production at K1 in 1962 and at K2 in 1967. For approximately 60 years it consisted of two interconnected mines, K1 and K2. In 2010, work began to expand the mine into a new area of the potash deposit. The K3 mine is accessed with separate shafts and provides orc to the existing processing plants at KI and K2 via overland conveyor. Production at the K3 mine began in 2018 and is expected to operate until 2054. The KI and K2 mines ceased production in June 2021

K4, an area consisting of mineral resources has been scheduled in the 2021 LOM plan after mining depletion of the K3 mineral reserves. The mineral resources arc tentatively scheduled to start production in 2050 and expected to last until 2090. The processing plants at KI and K2 arc expected to be accessed via overland conveyors to receive the orc from K4.

Mining at Esterhazy has always used the room and pillar method. The planned total extraction of the in-situ potash ore is 27.6%. Pillars are left in place between mining rooms to support the overlying rock. This is intended to prevent a failure of the upper rock formations and to prevent an inflow of brine from any overlying water bearing zones. These pillars also help minimize localized rock movement and maintain safe working conditions for the underground work force.

The room and pillar mining is completed on a single level. The rooms are cut at 8.5 to 9.0 ft high ( ........

- subscription is required.

The Esterhazy Facility’s processing plant consists of two separate mill facilities, designated as K1 and K2. Each mill processes the raw ore feed stock received from the underground mining operations through crushing, separation, screening and compaction unit operations to produce ongrade, saleable product. The plants utilize online grade analyzers to monitor the process as well as routine samples that are analyzed by the onsite lab. The milling can be broken down into two main functions: the wet end separates potash and salt, while the dry end sizes potash for sale.

The wet end of the mill begins with raw ore sizing and crushing to prepare it for the separation processes. In heavy media, the larger size fraction is separated into potash and salt through dense media separation that is driven by differences of buoyancy in salt and potash. Flotation receives the smaller size fraction and has specific reagents added that allow the potash crystals to float while the salt is reje ........