Potash is mined using two- and four-rotor continuous boring machines.

Conveyor belts carry ore to underground bins, where it is stored until transportation to the loading pocket of the shaft hoist.

Potash ore is hoisted to the surface through the production shaft.

Ore hoisted from the mine is crushed into small pieces, which releases the crystals of potash and salt in the ore. Clay particles are separated from the crystals using agitation machines. The clay particles are much smaller than the potash and salt crystals and are removed using size separators.

Process reagents added to the potash, salt and brine mixture attach only to the potash crystals. These reagents enable potash to attach to fine air bubbles that are introduced into the bottom of flotation machines. The potash particles rise to the surface for collection and the salt remains on the bottom, where it is discarded.

Potash particles and brine are transferred to centrifuges (similar to a washing machine spin cycle), which separates potash from the brine. The potash is moved to dryers, which heat the product to about 200 degrees Celsius. The resulting dry mixture contains various sizes that are separated by huge mesh screens into standard, granular and suspension grade product.

A portion of the finer product stream is fused under high pressure between two rolls. The resulting solid “board” is broken into pieces and sized to form additional granular potash.