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United Kingdom
Woodsmith Project

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 Location:
5.5 km S from Whitby, United Kingdom

  Project Contacts:
Scarborough Office Resolution House Lake View
Scarborough
United Kingdom
YO11 3ZB
Phone  ...  Subscription required
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
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  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageConstruction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Polyhalite
Mining Method
  • Continuous
Processing
  • Granulation
  • Dry Screening
  • Crush & Screen plant
Mine Life27 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
The Woodsmith Project is the largest known high grade polyhalite deposit in the world.
Latest NewsAnglo American the only Sirius lifeline     February 17, 2020


Owners

Source: p. 228,231
CompanyInterestOwnership
Anglo American plc. 100 % Indirect
Woodsmith project in the UK, acquired as part of the acquisition of Sirius Minerals Plc in 2020.

On 17 March 2020 the Group acquired a 100% interest in Sirius Minerals Plc, and since that date it has been accounted for as a subsidiary of the Group and reported as the Crop Nutrients segment. As a result of the acquisition the Group has gained control of the Woodsmith project, located in North Yorkshire, UK.

Deposit Type

  • Sedimentary


Summary:

The resource is part of the Late Permian evaporite succession on the western edge of the Zechstein Basin. The full Zechstein sequence was deposited over 5–7 million years and represents multiple influxes and subsequent evaporation of seawater in a topographic low with restricted connection to the Zechstein sea.

The polyhalite deposit itself sits within the EZ2 Fordon Evaporite sequence, a significant basin-infilling cycle. This sequence varies between 30 and 200 m thick across the project area, thickening to the east, towards the centre of the basin. The polyhalite itself appears to be formed by syn-sedimentary metasomatism or back-reaction of pre-existing sulphates; gypsum/anhydrite, with potassium and magnesium-enriched marine brines.

The deposit is a stratiform sedimentary unit displaying significant lateral continuity. It is composed of two high grade seams; the Shelf Seam and the Basin Seam. The Shelf Seam exists on the basin margin and thickens in the central part of the project area, this forms the Indicated Resource. It is bounded by intergrown haliteanhydrite-polyhalite below and anhydrite above. The Basin Seam is deeper and bound by halite. Both seams pinch out to the west, the Basin seam against the Basin Ramp, and the Shelf seam further west towards the edge of the palaeo-coastline.

On a smaller scale, the deposit is modelled as a series of laterally continuous intervals within the Shelf Seam, potentially representing discrete variations within the seawater chemistry of the Zechstein Sea at the time. Three zones of high grade polyhalite are distinguished, separated by anhydrite-dominated bands. The mineralogy and texture within evaporites can be complex, with primary depositional and secondary overprinting effects common throughout. Polyhalite is found alongside numerous other evaporite sulphate, chloride and borate minerals ranging from gangue-level to trace-level.


Mining Methods

  • Continuous


Summary:

The Woodsmith team is further developing the engineering to optimise the configuration of the project, recognising the multi-decade life of the mine. Particular attention is on those aspects identified at the outset of Anglo American’s ownership – namely, the sinking of the two main shafts, the development of the underground mining area, and the changes required to accommodate both increased production capacity and the more efficient and scalable mining method of using only continuous miners; such improvements will also require the installation of additional ventilation earlier in the development of the underground mining area.

At the Woodsmith Mine site, two deep shafts are being constructed to access the polyhalite in the centre of the mineral reserve: the production shaft reaching a depth of 1,594 metres and the service shaft reaching a depth of 1,565 metres. Once constructed the production shaft will be fitted out with two Blair multi-rope winders, each capable of hoisting 6.7 Mtpa of polyhalite ore for a combined capacity of 13 Mtpa. A third shaft, the Mineral Transport System (MTS) access shaft will also be constructed. The MTS access shaft is being constructed to facilitate construction of the MTS.

Woodsmith’s entire infrastructure has been planned and designed for minimal intrusion on this unique protected landscape. The mining area will be underground, and the mined ore will not be visible on surface, as it will be transported by conveyor through a 37-kilometre tunnel to the Teesside port materials-handling facility. All mineshaft workings too are being completely hidden underground, and the number and size of the buildings on the surface have been reduced to a minimum.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Granulation
  • Dry Screening
  • Crush & Screen plant

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

The polyhalite ore will undergo a simple process of crushing, grinding, granulation, screening and drying to produce the finished POLY4 (Sirius Minerals’ trademarked polyhalite product) granular product.

- Crushing: Run of mine ore is nominally crushed to below 50mm.

- Grinding: Crushed ore ground to pass 0.2mm.

- Granulation: Binder and water added to polyhalite powder and granulated to form POLY4 granules.

- Screening: POLY4 granules screened. Oversize and undersize removed for reprocessing.

- Drying: POLY4 granules dried to final moisture content, ready for storage and delivery.


Projected Production:

CommodityUnitsAvg. Annual
Polyhalite Mt 10
All production numbers are expressed as mineral.


Reserves at December 31, 2021:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGrade
Probable 290 Mt Polyhalite 88.8 %
Indicated 230 Mt Polyhalite 81.5 %
Inferred 290 Mt Polyhalite 86.1 %


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 1, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 14, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 14, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 14, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 14, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 14, 2022
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

Total WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2020

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
Annual Report 2017
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Anglo American the only Sirius lifeline February 17, 2020
Sirius Minerals agrees to Anglo American takeover bid January 21, 2020

Aerial view:

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