POTASH MINING

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POTASH MINING IN SASKATCHEWAN Balazs Nemeth
Geophysicist at PotashCorp
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What is potash?

• Potash is a rock made up of sodium (Na) salt and
  potassium (K) salt
• Sodium salt is table salt
• Potassium salt is used for fertilizer or plant
  food

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Potash Chemistry

• Potash Ore Composition
• NaCl 55
• KCl 35-40
• Other waste 5-10
• Size Range of Natural Crystals in Potash Ore
• 1-10 mm

3 mm
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Fertilizer

• NITROGEN (N), PHOSPHORUS (P), and POTASSIUM (K).
• Plants use these three N-P-K nutrients from the
  soil they grow in, so the N-P-K must be
  replenished (or plants eventually wont grow very
  well).

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Major Potash Consuming Crops

• corn
• rice
• wheat
• soybeans
• cotton
• oil palm
• sugar cane
• coffee

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Major Potash Producing Countries

• Canada
• Russia
• Germany
• Belarus
• Middle East

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Potash mining in Saskatchewan
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PCS mines

• Five mines in Saskatchewan
• One in New Brunswick

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Surface plant - mill
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Underground environment 1000 m below surface
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Employment

• Operators, production supervisors, safety
  coordinators..
• Trades (electricians, mechanics, welders, )
• Engineers (mining, electrical, mechanical,
  chemical)
• Earth scientists (geology, geophysics, )
• Technicians (instrumentation, mine,etc.)
• Information technology
• HR
• Administration
• Law
• Finance

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Employees

• HR Categories
• Staff (paid salary)
• Hourly (paid on an hourly basis may belong to
  union or employee association)

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Compensation

• Staff
• Average income over 60,000 per year
• Flexible Benefits
• Pension Plan
• Hourly
• start at 20.0 per hour top rate 31.0 per hour
• overtime and premiums
• Pension Plan (some hourly only)

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Other

• Scholarship Program
• Matching Gift
• Savings Plan
• Other employee programs safety achievement etc.

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Opportunities

• 40 of the Mining industry employees going to
  retire within the next ten years.
• Skilled trades - more than 44 will retire.
• Average employee age at PCS 50 years old.
• Currently PCS is finding it tougher recruiting
  people for engineering positions and some other
  skilled worker positions

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Images from underground

• Mining became a 'high-tech' industry

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Contact

• http//www.potashcorp.com
• careers
• sustainability
• contact information