Much of southern Saskatchewan is underlain by the Prairie Evaporite Formation, a layered sequence of salts and anhydrite which contains one of the world’s largest deposits of potash. The potash extracted from the predominantly sylvinite ore has its main use as a fertilizer.

Potash mineralization in this region of Saskatchewan is predominantly sylvinite, which is comprised mainly of the minerals sylvite (KCl) and halite or rock salt (NaCl), with trace carnallite (KMgCl3 · 6H2O) and minor water insolubles. Potash fertilizer is concentrated, nearly pure KCl (i.e. greater than 95% pure KCl), but ore grade is traditionally reported on a % K2O equivalent basis. The “% K2O equivalent” gives a standard measurement of the nutrient value of different potassium-bearing rocks and minerals. To convert from % K2O equivalent tonnes to actual KCl tonnes, multiply by 1.58.

There are three mineable potash members within the Prairie Evaporite Formation of Saskatchewan. Stratigraphically highest to lowest, these members are: Patience Lake, Belle Plaine, and Esterhazy.

The Allan potash deposit lies within the Patience Lake Member of Prairie Evaporite Formation. There are two potash seams named A Zone and B Zone within this Member; at present, only the A Zone is being mined at Allan. Some test mining has been carried out in the B Zone, but no mining is done in this layer at present. Neither the Esterhazy nor the White Bear Potash Members are present in the Allan area. The Belle Plaine Potash Member is not well-developed, and therefore is not mined.

Allan potash mineralization occurs at about 1000 metres depth below surface. The A Zone is approximately 3.35 metres thick and occurs near the top of the Prairie Evaporite Formation salts. Salt cover from the ore zone to overlying units is approximately 14 m.

At Allan, potash ore is mined using conventional mining methods, whereby:
- Shafts are sunk to the potash ore body;
- Continuous mining machines cut out the ore, which is hoisted to surface through the production shaft;
- Raw potash is processed and concentrated in a mill on surface; and
- Concentrated finished potash products (near-pure KCl) are sold and shipped to markets in North America and offshore.

Sinking of the two original shafts (Shaft #1 and Shaft #2) from surface to the potash zone was completed in early 1968, and the first potash ore was hoisted by in April of that year. The Allan mine has run on a continuous basis since the first ore was hoisted in 1968, other than shortterm shutdowns taken for inventory management purposes or occasional plant maintenance and construction work.

In recent years, the Allan mine underwent a major expansion which brought the nameplate capacity up to 4.0 million tonnes of finished potash products per year. The current operational capability of the Allan facility is 2.6 million tonnes per year.

Virtually all Allan underground mining rooms are in one potash mineralized zone, the upper layer (or A Zone) of the Patience Lake Member of the Prairie Evaporite Formation (the host evaporite salt). In contrast, some potash mines further east in Saskatchewan mine in a different potash layer, the Esterhazy Member of the Prairie Evaporite Formation. At Allan, mine elevations range from approximately 980 m to 1120 m, averaging approximately 1010 m. These depths to A Zone potash mineralization are anticipated over most of the Allan lease area. Mine workings are protected from aquifers in overlying formations by approximately 14 m of overlying salt and potash beds, along with salt plugged porosity in the Dawson Bay Formation, a carbonate layer lying immediately above potash hosting salt beds.

The Allan mine is a conventional underground mining operation whereby continuous mining machines are used to excavate the potash ore by the stress-relief mining method. Continuous conveyor belts transport ore from the mining face to the bottom of the production shaft. The highest mineral grade section of the Allan potash seam is approximately 3.35 m (11’) thick, with gradations to lower grade salts immediately above and below the mining horizon. The actual mining thickness at Allan is dictated by the height of continuous boring machines used to cut the ore. Seven older borers are designed to cut at a thickness of 3.35 m (11’) and four new borers are designed to cut 3.65 m (12’).

At Allan, potash ore has been mined and concentrated to produce saleable quantities of high grade finished potash products since 1968. Products include granular, standard, and industrial grade potash used for agricultural applications and industrial purposes.

Both flotation methods and crystallization methods are used to concentrate potash ore into finished potash products at the Allan mill. Raw potash ore is processed on surface, and concentrated finished potash products (nearpure KCl) are sold and shipped to markets in North America and offshore.