The ABP Saskatchewan Jansen Potash mine has grown to become a major International supplier of Potash. Potash is a common term assigned to a group of minerals containing potassium, essential to all forms of plant and animal life.
Potash is a valuable source of soluble potassium used primarily in agricultural fertilizer. The mineral is mined deep from underground deposits from ancient inland seas or extracted from salt water. The Province of Saskatchewan accounts for around 45% of the estimated global production of potash. In more recent times, global demand for Potash Fertilizers is estimated at USD 1811.1 million by Q4/2023, with projections to reach USD 2226.3 million by Q4/2028, with Potash producers scaling their operations to meet the demand.
Project procurement
In 2010, BHP Billiton issued an invitation to consultants and contractors to bid for BHPs proposed underground recovery facility. The new facility would produce 8.0 million tonnes of saleable product per year at full capacity. It was anticipated that the project would generate around 3,500 jobs annually during construction, with around 400 direct jobs located at the mine site.
Multiple consulting and contractor firms competed to win the highly coveted project. BLP team members provided strategic support for one of the proponents, a global consulting engineering firm.
The same firm was awarded a $44 million contract for the design services for the shaft and hoisting facility for BHP Billiton’s Jansen potash project. The work plan included freezing the ground to prevent groundwater inflow during the sinking and mining process.
Other Mining sector projects supported by members of BLP include:
- African Minerals
- BHP Billiton – Jansen (SK)
- BHP Copper – Pinto Valley (AZ)
- Barrick Gold – Cortez (NV)
- Cameco – McArthur, Rabbit and Cigar (SK)
- HudBay – Lalor (MB)
- Ivanplats Limited – Platreef (SA)
- QuadraFNX – Victoria (ON)
- PT Freeport (Indonesia) – GBC
- PT Freeport (Indonesia) – DMLZ
- Vale – Voisey Bay (NL)
- Rio Tinto – Diavik (NWT
