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 Lanigan 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; both the A Zone and B Zone are being mined at Lanigan. The Belle Plaine potash member is present at Lanigan but is not economically mineable, while the Esterhazy Member is poorly developed and not economically mineable.

Lanigan potash mineralization occurs at an average of about 990 m depth below surface. Salt cover from the top of the A Zone mining horizon to overlying units is approximately 7 metres thick, and salt cover from the top of the B Zone mining horizon to overlying units is approximately 14 metres thick.

The Lanigan mine is a conventional underground mining operation whereby continuous mining machines are used to excavate potash ore by the stress-relief mining method in one ore zone (the A Zone) and the long-room and pillar mining method in another ore zone (the B Zone). Currently, in any specific mining block, only one zone is mined (i.e. bi-level mining is not in practice). Continuous conveyor belts transport ore from the mining face to the bottom of the production shaft. In addition to hoisting potash ore to surface, the production shaft provides fresh air ventilation to the mine and serves as secondary egress. The Service Shaft is used for service access, and exhausting ventilation from the mine. Raw potash ore is processed and concentrated on surface, and concentrated finished potash products (near-pure KCl) are sold and shipped to markets in North America and offshore.

Virtually all Lanigan underground mining rooms are in one of two potash mineralized zones within the Patience Lake Member of the Prairie Evaporite Formation (the host evaporite salt). In this Member, there are two potash seams named A Zone (the upper seam) and B Zone (the lower seam); at present, both the A Zone and B Zone are being mined at Lanigan. The A Zone and B Zone are separated by approximately 4 m to 6 m of tabular 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 Lanigan, mine elevations range from approximately 940 m to 1030 m, averaging approximately 990 m. These depths to potash mineralization are anticipated over most of the Lanigan lease area. Mine workings are protected from aquifers in overlying formations by approximately 7 m (A Zone) to 14 m (B Zone) 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 actual mining thickness at Lanigan is dictated by the height of continuous boring machines used to cut the ore. The A Zone mining interval is fixed at 3.66 m (12’). The 3.66 m (12’) mining height also allows for comfortable working headroom and efficient extraction of potash ore. The thickness of the B Zone mining horizon varies somewhat and there is some flexibility in the thickness of the potash ore that is extracted there. Production mining machines have a fixed mining height of 2.74 m (9’). In a normal production room, ore is extracted in two lifts resulting in a mining height of approximately 4.88 m (16’).

From the shaft-bottom, potash ore is hoisted approximately 1000 m from the potash level through the vertical shafts to a surface mill. In addition to hoisting potash ore to surface, the production shaft provides fresh air ventilation to the mine and serves as secondary egress. The Service Shaft is used for service access, and exhausting ventilation from the mine.

At Lanigan, potash ore has been mined and concentrated to produce saleable quantities of high- grade finished potash products since 1968. Products include granular, standard and suspension grade potash for agricultural use.

Both floatation methods and crystallization methods are used to concentrate potash ore into finished potash products at the Lanigan mill. Raw potash ore is processed on surface, and concentrated red potash products are sold and shipped to markets in North America and offshore.