.
Location: 15 km SW from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Box 1320SaskatoonSaskatchewan, CanadaS7K 3N9
Stay on top of the latest gold discoveries. Examine the latest updates on drilling outcomes spanning various commodities.
Mining scale, mining and mill throughput capaciites.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Shaft depth, mining scale, backfill type and mill throughput data.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Equipment type, model, size and quantity.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Camp size, mine location and contacts.Full profiles of select mines and projects.
- subscription is required.
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 100 m to 200 m thick Prairie Evaporite Formation is overlain by between 400 and 500 m of Devonian carbonates, followed by approximately 100 m of Cretaceous sandstone, and between 400 and 500 m of Cretaceous shales and more recent Pleistocene glacial tills to surface. The Prairie Evaporite Formation is underlain by Devonian carbonates. The Phanerozoic stratigraphy of Saskatchewan is remarkable in that units are flat-lying and relatively undisturbed over very large areas. 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.Deposit TypeThere 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 Cory potash deposit lies within the Patience Lake Potash 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 Cory. Some test mining has been carried out in the B Zone, but no mining is done in this layer at present. The Belle Plaine Potash Member is present but not well-developed in the Cory area. The Esterhazy Member is not present. Cory potash mineralization occurs at a depth averaging approximately 1,010 m below surface. The A Zone is approximately 3.35 m thick and occurs near the top of the Prairie Evaporite Formation salts. Salt cover from the ore zone to overlying units is approximately 12 m.
