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Canada

Vanscoy Mine

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Potash
Mining Method
  • Continuous
  • Room-and-pillar
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SnapshotAt Vanscoy, potash ore has been mined and processed into high-grade finished potash products since 1969. The raw ore is refined at the surface to produce near-pure KCl, which is then sold and shipped to markets in North America and internationally.

The deposit consists of two potash seams: the A Zone (upper seam) and the B Zone (lower seam). Currently, only the A Zone is being mined at Vanscoy.

In recent years, the Vanscoy mine underwent a major expansion, increasing its nameplate capacity. Operational capability may vary during the year and from year to year.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Nutrien Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Agrium Potash Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Nutrien Ltd. owns and operates the Vanscoy mine indirectly through Agrium Potash Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Evaporite

Summary:

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 potash extracted from the predominantly sylvinitic ore has its main use as a fertilizer.

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.

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 Vanscoy 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. As of 2024, only the A Zone is being mined at Vanscoy and no test mining has been carried out in the B Zone to date. Neither the Esterhazy nor the White Bear Potash Members are present in the Vanscoy area. The Belle Plaine Potash Member is not well-developed, and therefore is not mined.

Vanscoy potash mineralization occurs at approximately 1,000 m to 1,120 m depth 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.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

"As of 2024, actual mill recovery rates over the past decade have ranged between 76.0% and 83.3%, averaging 80.6%.
CommodityProductUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Potash Salt Mt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.42.22.42.22

Operational metrics

Metrics202420232022202120202019201820172016
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe3 Mt of potash salt3 Mt of potash salt3,000 kt of potash salt3,000 kt of potash salt
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4.06 Mt6.49 Mt7.37 Mt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2017
Gross profit M USD 129  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 6, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 6, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 6, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 6, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 6, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2020

Aerial view:

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