The ground surface within the KP 377 and KP 392 permit areas is mainly a ridged moraine formation that generally is drained to the west and south with water collecting in the Last Mountain Lake area and the Qu’Appelle Valley. The topography within the KP 377 and KP 392 permit areas is hummocky with ground surface elevations varying between approximately 550 and 590 metres above sea level (masl) as the general trend.

The Project is located within a trough trending northwest-southeast corresponding to the Hatfield Valley erosions buried features. The bedrock surface is lowest beneath the Hatfield Valley reaching elevation as low as 300 masl.

The shallowest potash member at the Yancoal deposit is at an average depth of 1,280 metres.

The solution mining techniques for the Project will be similar to the mining techniques used at the Mosaic Belle Plaine potash mine.

The Project is designed to produce 2.8 Mtpa. At this production rate the current mine life is 65 years. Expansion of the assumed resource is anticipated to result in a significantly longer mine life. For assessment purposes in this EIS, a 100-year mine life is assumed.

The MEE (Multiple Effect Evaporation) technology was selected for the Project primarily because it has a higher tolerance to magnesium chloride (MgCl2) in the brine.

The process plant is composed of the following main components:
- evaporation;
- crystallization;
- centrifuging and drying;
- product screening;
- compaction;
- pond crystallization;
- loadout and storage;
- salt handling; and
- reagent storage and preparation.

The process plant will be designed for a primary production mining target of 2.0 Mtpa of potash product.

Production during secondary mining will increase overall production to 2.8 Mtpa of potash product. The processing plant is designed to produce 40% granular and 60% standard product with a K2O grade of 62%.

Brine from the wellfield is pumped to the process plant for processing. Brine from primary mining is directed to the evaporation circuit. In the evaporation circuit, wate ........