Boyd, Roosen, Quartermain: It takes grit, invention, luck to make the big time
Mining industry legends discuss the backstories on their multibillion-dollar successes.
K+S Potash Canada, the subsidiary of German giant K+S Group said Tuesday it is on track and on budget to start production at its $4.1 billion Legacy solution mine in south Saskatchewan.
The project was originally initiated by Potash One, which was acquired in 2010 by K+S, Europe’s No.1 producer of the fertilizer. Legacy is expected to start production by the end of 2016, ramping up to two million tonnes per year in 2017 and reaching full capacity of 2.86 million tonnes by 2023.
Sam Farris, vice-president and general manager of operations for K+S’s Legacy project told The Leader Post that much of the work done so far has been underground, such as the development of caverns to supply the potash-rich brine to the plant for processing. In March, K+S started injecting water into the production wells for the first time.
“This early cavern development (ECD) will result in the creation of about 55 caverns by the end of next year, which will enable K+S to ramp up production to two million tonnes per year by 2017,” Farris told the paper.
Legacy, located approximately 50km north of the city of Moose Jaw, will be the first new potash mine built in the last 40 years in Saskatchewan, which contains 50% of the world’s potash reserves.
Comments
Mike Failla
Good for Canada, they get it. United states? I am referring to potash in Arizona…..
I don’t think that is gonna happen. Not in my lifetime anyway. Arizona could be the worlds low cost producer but to much stupid and ridiculous politics and policies just hurts people who are just wanting to work and be productive. Schools don’t train people for jobs like mechanics,, science etc They whine, its to expensive we cant afford it. What and who will fix your car when it breaks down? Is that going to be expensive? Point is that with a resource comes a responsibility . Maybe not to our generation but to our young ones. Where will they work and what will they do? Get on the public dole? Now, we have a resource and we should use it to all our benefit, not to our detriment! Now a huge opportunity and resource exists. It just sits.
Yeah I know, markets this and that. I recall that in adversity good things flourish. One must take risks to make things happen. Sitting back and watching doesn’t make it happen. If it sounds like a rant, perhaps it is. I am happy for Canadians who will be working and their families thriving because they had the foresight and grit to make it happen. I just don’t see that here in the states anymore. It is a very sad day for me.