J un eJ u l y 2014 C a n adi a n M inin g J o ur n a l 1 1 F ur the rmo r e S as k a t c he wa n is ri c h in na t ur a l r es o ur ces es p e ci a l ly p o tas h The p o tas h b e l t is vas t s tr et c hin g e as t t o w es t f r o m b o r d e r t o b o r d e r a nd r o ug h ly f r o m s o u th o f R eg ina t o S as k a t o o n in the no r th E v e n w i th a l l the ne w p r o d u c ti o n s l a t e d t o co me o n s tr e a m o v e r the ne xt d e c ad e the p r o v ince s p o tas h r es o ur ce w i l l l as t s e v e r a l h undr e d y e a rs acco r din g t o es tima t es p r ep a r e d b y the d ep a r tme n t o f e ne r g y a nd r es o ur ces One o the r fac t o r is driv in g the b o o m W o rl d d e ma nd f o r the p r o d u c ta k e y co m p o ne n t in f e r ti liz e r is g r o w in g thr e e t o f iv e p e r ce n t a nn u a l ly a nd is e xp e c t e d t o co n tin u e a t the s a me r a t e P e o p l e in d e v e l o p in g co un tri es li k e I ndi a a nd C hina wa n t t o ha v e hig he r q u a li ty di ets a nd tha t me a n s thos e co un tri es ha v e t o incr e as e the ir a g ri c u l t ur a l o u t p u t s a y s M cM i l l a n S ma l l w o nd e r the n tha t ma jo r m u l ti na ti o na l minin g co m p a ni es ha v e b e e n b e a tin g a p a th t o S as k a t c he wa n in r e ce n t y e a rs w i th p l a n s t o d e v e l o p ne w p o tas h mines B HP B i l li t o n d e ci d e d t o b ui l d r a the r tha n b uy i ts wa y in t o the b us ines s a ft e r the f e d e r a l g o v e rnme n t q u as he d i ts 386b i l li o n hos ti l e b i d t o ta k e o v e r S as k a t o o nb as e d P o tas h C o r p in 2010 B HP s u bs e q u e n tly acq uir e d p r o p e r ty a b o u t 140k m s o u the as t o f S as k a t o o n a nd is in the mi ds t o f co nd u c tin g a f e as i b i li ty s t u dy o n w ha t is e xp e c t e d t o b e the w o rl d s l a r g es t p o tas h mine The und e r g r o und w o rk in gsa t a d ep th o f 1050 f e etw i l l e v e n t u a l ly s p a n a n a r e a s tr et c hin g 38k m b y 26k m T o d a t e the B HP b o a r d has a p p r o v e d a c a p i ta l in v es tme n t o f 26 b i l li o n t o e x c a va t e a nd line b o th p r o d u c ti o n a nd s e r v i ce s ha fts a nd the mine w i l l b e c a p a b l e o f p r o d u cin g u p t o 10 mi l li o n t o nnes a nn u a l ly w he n fu l ly d e v e l o p e d tho ug h tha t w o n t ha p p e n un ti l s o metime in t o the ne xt d e c ad e B r azi l s V a l e the w o rl d s s e co nd l a r g es t minin g co m p a n y acq uir e d a p r o p e r ty s p a nnin g 51840 he c ta r es ne a r the ha m l et o f K r o na u 30k m s o u the as t o f R eg ina a nd b ega n e xp l o r a ti o n dri l lin g in 2009 The d ep os i t w hi c h is 55m thi c k is l o c a t e d a t d ep th s o f 1600 t o 1700 f e et A picturesque view of V ale s Kronau Project one of a handful of potash projects in Saskatchewan that have many communities throughout the province talking positively about the economic benefits that will follow thanks to the arrival of the miners