Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | In-Situ |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Production Start | ...  |
Patience Lake mine was originally a conventional underground mine but began employing a solution mining method in 1989. |
Source:
p. 6,11
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Summary:
The Patience Lake mine is located within the Patience Lake Member of the Prairie Evaporite Formation.
The 100 m to 200 m thick Prairie Evaporite Formation is overlain by approximately 500 m of Devonian carbonates, followed by 100 m of Cretaceous sandstone, and 400 m of Cretaceous shales and Pleistocene glacial tills to surface; it is underlain by Devonian carbonates (Fuzesy, 1982). 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 ยท 6H2O) and minor water insolubles.
Summary:
The Patience Lake mine was successfully converted from a conventional mine to a solution mine after being lost to flooding in 1989.
Patience Lake is a solution mine. Solution mining involves the injection of heated brine (a salt and water solution) to extract potash from the underground ore bodies. The resulting potash-rich brine is pumped to surface ponds or crystalizers where the potash is extracted.
Injection Wells
Brine is injected underground and is circulated throughout the mine workings to dissolve the potash and salt.
Submersible Pumps
The brine is pumped to an evaporation pond using submersible pumps.
Source:
Summary:
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