Saskatchewan Mining Week 2024

Saskatchewan Mining Week will be held May 26 - June 1, 2024.  The week will culminate with the 54th Emergency Response Mine Rescue Skills Competition taking place at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. Click HERE for a list of Mining Week events.

Saskatchewan Mining Week 2023

Saskatchewan Mining Week was held May 28 - June 3, 2023.  The week culminated with the 53rd Emergency Response Mine Rescue Skills Competition at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. 

Following are the presesentations that took place during Saskatchewan Mining Week.

• Tuesday, May 30       Global Uranium and Nuclear Energy Market - Brian Reilly, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Cameco Corporation.  
• Wednesday, May 31  Towards Sustainable Mining - Equity Diversity and Inclusion Protocol - Ben Chalmers, Senior Vice President, Mining Association of Canada
• Thursday, June 1       K+S Potash Canada Mining Week Presentation - Sam Farris, President, K+S Potash Canada
• Thursday, June 1       Saskatchewan: A Growing Critical Minerals Hub Meeting Global Demand  - Pam Schwann, President, Saskatchewan Mining Association
• Friday, June 2            Feeding the Future - Chris Reynolds, Executive Vice President and President, Potash, Nutrien

Saskatchewan Mining Week 2022

Saskatchewan Mining Week was held May 29 - June 4, 2022. Click HERE for a Schedule of Mining Week Events.

Following are the presentations that took place during Saskatchewan Mining Week.

Foran Mining Corporation - Dan Myerson, Executive Chairman

Prairie Lithium - Zach Mauer, President and CEO

Saskatchewan Research Council - Mike Crabtree, President and CEO

Carbon Capture and Storage in Saskatchewan - Past, Present and Future  - Conway Nelson, Vice President Project Development & Advisory Services, International CCS Knowledge Centre, and Adlai Majer, Director of New Energy, Whitecap Resoruces Inc.

Saskatchewan's Critrical Minerals - Essential to Global Security and Supply Chains Podcast  - Panel moderated by Kelly Ogle CEO, Canadian Global Affairs Institute; Panel Members: Jerry Grandey, former CEO Cameco Corp and former Board member PotashCorp and Nutrien; Larry Long, Senior Vice President Operations, Potash, Nutrien; Alanna Koch, Board Chair, Global Institute for Food Security

Restart of Cameco McArthur River and Key Lake Operations - Brian Reilly, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Cameco Corporation

Mosaic K3 Project & Potash Market Update - Kelly Strong, Vice President Mining, North America, The Mosaic Company

The 58th Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at TCU Place in Saskatoon. 

Click HERE for the AGM Program.

Mineral Exploration Expo 2023 was held Thursday, November 9 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. MinExplo Expo is an opportunity for primarily northern-owned businesses and community economic development officers to learn about mineral exploration programs and related business and employment opportunities that SMA member companies are planning for the upcoming 2022/2023 year.

Following are the presentations from MinExplo Expo 2023:

• Exploration Overview
• Foran Mining
• Cosa Resources
• DIAS Geophysical
• VEC's Presentation
• Baselode Energy Corp
• CanAlaska Uranium
• UEC

Following is the Program and presentations for MinExplo Expo 2022:

• Mineral Exploration Expo 2022 Program
• Exploration Overview
• Baseload Energy Corporation
• Cameco Corporation
• IsoEnergy
• Kineepik Metis Local of Pinehouse
• UEC
• 92 Energy
• TEAM Drilling
• Orano Canada
• Murchison Minerals

August 12 - 18

August 12 and 13, 2023

Spent a busy, informative, and fun, first afternoon and next morning learning about all that is geology, mining processes, and mining safety in Saskatchewan. Am suddenly proud of what the industry is doing and has to offer potential employees (ie. our students)! Thanks to our presenters for a relaxed day of learning.

Now it is time to load the bus and…..

Get our motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Lookin' for adventure

At whatever mines come our way

Born to be wild……

First stop BHP Discovery Lodge

All I can say is wow they treat their employees well! Top grades for planning a home away from home. The whole facility is designed to allow all the amenities employees might use in their home communities but it is all in one location! Almost like an all inclusive resort, except you have to go to work each day….. Gym, training facilities, court sports, outdoor track and training area, lounges for recreation, garden plots for those with a green thumb, and a top-notch theatre! I am sure I missed a few details but was very impressed. Thanks to BHP for the hosting us and providing a great lunch!

Back on the bus and…..

Yeah, we’re gonna make it happen

Take mining in a love embrace

Fire up the bus at once and

Explode into Esterhazy

Born to be wild…….

Made our way to Esterhazy and were treated to a great homemade dinner of perogies, cabbage rolls, and sausage with salad at the local bowling alley. The meal set us up for a tour of the Saskatchewan Potash Interpretive Centre. Thanks to our guides, Richard and Oliver, who shared their vast knowledge of all the working parts and processes of the local mines while explaining the artifacts at the centre.

And, back on the bus to the hotel…..

Like a true teacher’s child

We were born, born to learn

Got to learn so much

But now we wanna rest

Born to be wild……

Thanks to Steppenwolf for the tune.

Day one complete!

August 14, 2023

Video Blog: Potash - Conventional Underground - Nutrien Rocanville (forthcoming)

August 15, 2023

Video Blog: Building connection between mining and education

The alarms were set this morning for our group to meet up at 6:15am for a quick visit to the old Willow Bunch Convent site (now a museum), as well as to view the life size statue of Edouard Beaupre, a gentlemen from the area in the 1900’s who was a whopping 8’ 2” tall. We followed his replica size 22 footprints along the sidewalk up to his statue for a group picture before making our way to the bus to take off for the day.

Our next stop was a short ways down the road to Deb’s Country Kitchen in Coronach for a delicious buffet breakfast. The small town diner is a gem and was worth getting out of bed before 6am all in itself. After Deb’s, we hit the road to Westmoreland Poplar River Coal Mine, where we would be until the early afternoon.

At Westmoreland Coal Mine, we were greeted before being shown to a board room where we took in a short orientation/safety video about the company and mine site. After being fitted with steel toe boots and the proper PPE we were on the bus and on our way to check out the sites. Site number one took us to the bottom of a pit where we were able to stretch our legs and grab ourselves coal samples while watching a monstrous drag line scoop away overburden and unearth coal to be excavated later on. The bucket on the drag line can remove a whopping 94 cubic yards per scoop! Site number two provided us with a 2nd drag line unearthing coal, as well as a loader, and multiple articulated haulers working to transport the freshly removed coal to the mill for crushing. An impressive feat of this company is their ability to reclaim the land that they have previously mined, to the point where it is nearly impossible to distinguish the reclaimed land from the virgin land in the area. Bravo!

Dragline exposing coal seam to be hauled by shovel and truck operation

After our mine site visits, we were taken back to the Westmoreland headquarters and provided lunch before we were virtually joined by two gentlemen from the Carbon Capture and Storage Knowledge Centre (CCS) who provided us with an eye opening presentation on the benefits and challenges of carbon capture. They focused on the Boundary Dam 3 CCS facility in Saskatchewan as an example in our area of the work being done to provide our province with a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way to produce energy and etter deal with the byproduct of carbon emissions.

After departing Westmoreland, we made a quick one hour stop at the Big Muddy Badlands. We were lucky enough to have Meagan Gilbert along (she is a guru in all things to do with geology, rocks, land formations…the list goes on). Meagan explained the formation of Big Muddy to us and how it came to be over the history of our earth, as well as explained all the layers that were visible in the land formation. We got in touch with our artistic side and all took a stab at sketching a land formation or item of interest at the badlands. Some very humorous attempts at drawing! Exploring was done, some braved their way climbing to the top of Big Muddy, some explored the caves, some hiked the trail around the formation, and some squeezed in all three! A very cool stop along our way to Moose Jaw.

Our final stop before checking into The Grant Hotel for the night in Moose Jaw was a road cut where we had the opportunity to collect some crystalized gypsum samples that are growing in the present day conditions of that warm, dry site.

August 16, 2023

August 17, 2023

Up early out of the hotel after breakfast and off to Rise Air terminal at the airport for our journey North to Cigar Lake uranium mine operated by Cameco! Off the plane at the air strip onto a bus to the mine site.

As we arrive and deplane on the tarmac, Elena attempts to speak to the pilot crew in French. Little does she know that the bilingual intercom messages in the air were prerecorded.

This author is surprised that the cell service seems to be as good or better than home.

As we load on the bus, Robert sits in the front seat, attempting to usurp an already known fact, that the real cool kids travel at the front of the bus.

Kristin gets audibly excited as well enter the camp grounds, and spots an excavator. This leads, once again, in to additional renditions of a children's song she seems to have permanently etched in her memory.

As we exit the bus and climb 3 flights of stairs, this author notes that literally everyone seems to have learned nothing from our previous days orientation, as not one person implemented 3 points of constant contact in their ascent.

In the board room, Tamara clamors for the coffee machines, exclaiming the amount of coffee stops on the plane was inadequate, by her opinion.

We meet our hosts, Smiling Trevor and local bodybuilder, the man, the myth, the Transylvanian legend: Imra.

After we confirm with our hosts that we have been trained on air ventilators, they are very disappointed to find out that we actually know next to nothing about these safety devices. After increasing our knowledge, we are happily informed that there may not be enough ventilators for all of us anyways.

Down the mineshaft we go, on a platform which we are informed allegedly can carry 22 miners down to the mining level. This author can't help but question the math behind that, unless there is a lot of miner piggybacking involved.

Once out at mining level, this author asks what kind of rollercoaster Cameco uses, given the tracks in the floor. The response given was that they were used a long time ago, possibly the 90s? Maybe to move around a precursor to the JBM?

Jola and this author reflect on the walls and how the concrete added to help hold back the rock face reminds us of the old restaurant The Cave. Later, Tamara will comment on how they reminded her of amusement parks.

Tanner worries about cracks in the walls of the JBM tunnel. Kim assures him it's probably fine and we won't die. Tanner has not been convinced.

Tamara asks how fast the JBM can race. She's informed that it takes over a day to move to a new tunnel. "That don't impress me much" she is thinks to herself in the singsong manner of a certain Canadian country music star.

Group 2 failed to do the tour in the right order. We fist bump them to help keep their spirits up despite their incompetencies.

Brad shows Imra our schedule to impress upon him that we need to move faster. Imra knows education is more important than schedules and assures Brad we will be on time.

Imra shows us the backup pumps for the mine, and once again assured us that they have way more mechanical means to remove water than the last time the mine flooded. This surely assures most in the group.

This author heavily suspects that the sadness draped across Meagan's complexion like a dark cloud is because of all of the shotcrete covering up every square inch of the otherwise pretty rock face. Here and there she steals away where bare rock face is exposed in small amounts. Brad and Pam will later confirm that 25% of Lafarge's production of this cement is used up here at Cigar Lake, and that some rock material refuse that's locally sourced may or will be used in cement creation.

Near the end of our underground tour, Trevor gives us the shakedown we are all too used to by this point in the tour. It isn't our wallets he's after, it's the much more in demand commodity of heavy duty mechanics. We pledge to him that we will procure as many as we can to appease their miner's insatiable appetite for HDMs.

Brad describes Trevor as an HR superhero, as he's the only HR guy he ever has seen down in a mine. Indeed, he has been our literal vanguard during the entire underground tour making sure not even the most attention deficit among us get distracted or lost. In talking to Trevor though, this author finds out that he has a gritty side as well, responsible for much of the firing of incompetent staff at this location. This author now knows that pain that lies behind the charming smile.

After ascending the 500ft (480m) level to surface, we wash our boots of potential contaminants and radioactive material. This author now wonders if Jola should really have been tasting all of the rock wall formations to see if they were better than the walls at Rocanville

After emerging from the Earth, we headed down the road ~75km on the bus to Orano’s Mcarthur River uranium mill to learn how the uranium ore shipped over from the mine is processed, packaged and shipped out as black calcined yellowcake.

Then back to Cigar Lake via bus for the flight back to Saskatoon. Enroute to Cigar we stopped the bus… no need for “Art”-istic backing up of the bus here! Just a quick scramble for one of natures sandstone art pieces… Or is it ballast for the plane? Perhaps our braking mechanism a la Flinstones style for landing.

A full and very exciting day!

GeoVenture 2022 Blog

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

K+S Potash Solution Mine - blog by Mitchell and Monica

Friday, August 19, 2022

Rising from the (pot)Ash with Lori and Carla. 

Our last full day of the GeoVenture 2022 tour began with a short rest in the beautiful rooms at the Canalta in Esterhazy and a nice assortment at the continental breakfast then we were ready to board the bus at 7:15 a.m. Our tour began with a trip out to visit the K3 mine and see it’s new headframe with conveyor belt system running to mills at K1 and K2. The Mosaic logo was proudly displayed at a new multi-million dollar investment in the community of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. We were able to see the belt line moving between the new K3 shaft and the now flooded shafts of K1 and K2. The tailings ponds of the older ponds are utilized further to accommodate K3 product which reduces infrastructure costs as well as the need for more land usage and reclamation. We also viewed the vast water reservoir used in a recycled process to facilitate mine and milling operations.

After our quick drive-by tour we headed for Colonsay.

At 150 km SE we spotted the BHP Jansen mine out of our bus window. Although their operation is not scheduled to begin until 2027, they are hoping to push up that timeline. It will have an 8 million tone capacity by Stage 2 with an initial target of 4 million tones at Stage 1. BHP has designed the mine to operate remotely being handled through advanced technology from Saskatoon with a potentiometer to support jobs from different locations. This mine will operate as a conventional mine and involve a $7.5 million investment. Closer to Colonsay we passed the site of the Nutrien Lanigan mining operation. Nutrien has committed to increasing potash output by 40% to meet the rising demands imposed by sanctions on Russia and the uncertainty of European supplies. This will see Nutrien Lanigan boosting its production by $1 million tones annually.

Finally arriving at Mosaic in Colonsay, we were introduced to Trevor Tucker, Joe Winters, Nathan Karwandy, Scott Condliffe, Mike Wallace, and Dustin Orosz who would lead our tour for the day. Trevor started off by giving us a brief orientation and an overview of how things run at Mosaic. Mosaic holds safety as a huge priority and their safety program includes areas such as hazard recognition, risk assessment, environmental safety and psychological wellness. We were then showed the Marietta mining machine that is used to mine 600 to 700 tons per hour with a specific cutting style to maintain beam sustainability and product quality while watching for signs of bending and cracking as mining progresses. These stable areas allow for mining longer periods of time. The design of drifts work to protect and prevent pressure claps and ensures mining success.

Current and plant mining areas are extensive and continue to be beneficial to Mosaic landowners and surrounding community. The underground operation includes mining staff areas and refuge stations which are strategically placed for longevity of design and to support safety as well as day-to-day workings underground. The underground flow sheet presented outlined the planned production path and promotes the efficiency of removing the most product safely. The Colonsay potash mine includes a large tailings management design as well as one of the largest product storage warehouses in the industry. Their storage infrastructure holds 6,000 tons in the mill with 145,000 tons of storage in the warehouse. At the Colonsay facility, potash goes through crushing, separation, washing, drying and packaging. Did you know that the potash from this facility is not died but naturally holds a pink or reddish tint?

  Video 1,     Video 2

Interesting fact: Himalayan sea salt lamps are not actually a treasured find but rather made from the cheapest grade of potash that you can find?

Another interesting fact: Secondary products are retrieved in the mining of potash, such as Aspire and Dyna K. Dyna K is used as an additive to animal food and therefore must have all impurities removed.

After the orientation we were were provided a phenomenal lunch, then herded to the change room to dress with PPE so we could go underground into the mine. We were given some rules to follow for moving down into the mine. Once we were all suited up and loaded onto the cage, we moved at 25 km/h to hit 3300 feet below surface. Our guides had each of us sit in one of the Toyota, Jurassic park like buggies. We toured all through the west seven driveline and saw a of number interesting fixtures that make working in the mine efficient and safe for all of its workers. Some sites included storage areas, drill and blast stations, construction shops, warehouse battery storage and diesel shop. One cool machine that I saw was the Rock Bolter which is used to stabilize the ground in different areas of the mine including the ceiling and the walls. Operators of the Rock Bolter have to be specifically trained in order to know how to utilize it properly and safely. It was interesting to see how they drilled stress ways on both sides of the drive area to allow for acceptable failures to occur and essentially make drilling in the areas that they want to safer. The mine operates on large cables that are filled with approximately 15,000 V.  In total each cable holds a proximately 5000 V and some of the cables are connected directly to the miner itself. The electricity for these cables is taken from electricity hubs distributed throughout the mine.

.            

The absolute best part of this tour was zipping through the tunnels in the buggies and reaching our destination where we were able to collect samples, talk with the miners themselves, and see all of the different strata in the mineral formations. Once back on the surface we were able to sit down and chat a little bit longer with our tour guides and say goodbye and thank them for the wonderful, unique opportunity. You were outstanding hosts Mosaic!

Our bus driver, George, was initially overwhelmed at seeing how many potash samples we were going to be loading onto the bus with us, as if the experience with the coal samples and black mess the day before wasn’t enough. Thanks George, you “rock”!! To end the day, SK Mining Association treated us all to a wonderful last night celebration at the Cactus Club where we were able to chat and laugh about all of the incredible experiences we’ve had this week.

Saturday, August 20, 2022

This is our last day on GeoVenture… and what an adventure! Today we had three culminating sessions that helped us see how we might use what we learned through GeoVenture and the Saskatchewan Mining Association online resources with our students. Below is a short description of the sessions.

Mining Inquiry Project with an Indigenous Lens

Hilary Roemer,geoscientist and educator with the SMA Education Outreach Program, gave an overview of “Indigenization of SMA Lesson Plans: Mining Inquiry Project” available on the SMA website. Terry Johanson, former SMA Education Outreach Coordinator, led a well-rounded team in the creation of this 85-page document consisting of lessons connected to many curricular outcomes in grades four through nine. Beginning with Elders’ stories about the significance of place, an Indigenous perspective permeates throughout many lessons within the unit’s four themes: Place Matters, Building a Habitat, Mineral Exploration & Mining, and Mining Resources. We did many of the hands-on activities within the lessons including the final cookie mining simulation on land to which we each previously said to have a special connection. SMA encourages educators to use the resource and provide feedback.

Indigenous Engagement within the Resource Sector

Dr. Ken Coates virtually spoke with our group about Indigenous engagement within the resource sector. Raised in Whitehorse, Dr. Coates has worked for Indigenous groups and governments in Canada and internationally and is author of  many publications on the subject. Due to memories of past experiences, it is reasonable that some Indigenous communities are suspicious of resource activity that may negatively affect land or way of life even if it may bring economic initiatives. In his presentation, Dr. Coates compared the relationships between Indigenous communities, the resource sector and various levels of government from the 19^th century to current day with a focus on specific positive examples within the last couple of decades. In Canada, resource companies and governments must now consult Indigenous communities upon whose land they plan to work and then accommodate appropriately This is partially thanks to the 1982 Constitution (Section 35) on Indigenous and treaty rights and the 2004 Supreme Court case between a provincial government and local Indigenous communities. Even before it became law to consult and accommodate, many resource companies were aware of the reciprocal benefits to ensure good relationships with regional Indigenous communities. Dr. Coates spoke of agreements made to ensure local service and supply companies such as transportation, cleaning and meals are contracted out to local companies and that the resource company’s labour force consists of mainly regional employees trained locally. He gave examples of a deeper level of Indigenous engagement and participation through Indigenous-owned corporations that make significant economic decisions and receive revenue from resource activity. Dr. Coates is hopeful for continued positive relationships and authentic engagement between Indigenous communities and the resource sector.

For more on this subject, read “New Beginnings: How Canada’s Natural Resource Wealth Could Reshape Relations with Aboriginal People” by Coates and Crowley.

Brainstorming Curricular Outcome Connections

GeoVenture 2022 consists of teachers with knowledge of most Saskatchewan curriculums from primary to high school. With such varied teaching experiences, Pam and Hilary led and recorded a “lesson plan connection discussion” that had curricular outcome connections to many subjects in most grades.

The Environmental Forum provided a professional development opportunity for environmental practitioners in the mining industry, consulting businesses, post-secondary researchers and government. With changing regulations and evolving technology it is important for environmental professionals to keep current, and move forward, in developing and identifying best practices related to environmental sustainability. The Forum agenda offered high quality technical presentations on a diverse range of topics.

Related Documents:

• CALL FOR PAPERS
• ABSTRACT TEMPLATE
• FORMAT FOR PRESENTATIONS
• FORMAT FOR PAPERS
• SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
• FINAL AGENDA - October 11, 2021
• FINAL BOOK OF ABSTRACTS - October 11, 2021

Presentations:

• Dam Safety Inventory and Semi-Quantitative Risk Analusis for Saskatchewan Potash Mines - Art Kalmes (Barr Engineering Company)
• Geotextile Bags for Enhanced Dewatering and Accelerated Consolidation of Fluid Fine Tailings - Lessons Learned - Fernando De Silva (SNC-Lavalin Inc.)
• Decommissioning of the Cluff Lake Uranium Mine, Saskatchewan, Canada - Tina Searcy, Kebbi Hughes (Orano Canada Inc.)
• Using Multiple Accounts Analysis to Compare Mine Closre Options for Planning - Lisa May (Golder Member of WSP)
• Freshwater Bivalves as an Alternative to Fish Populations in Canadian Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) - Catherine L. Proulx (Kilgour & Associates Ltd.)
• Effects of Dust Deposition from Diamond Mining on Sub-Artic Plant Communities and Barren-Ground Caribou Forage - John Virgl (Golder member of WSP)
• Keynote Panel: Understanding and Addressing How Climate Change Can Impact Your Operations and Mine Planning - Sean Capstick Rachel Wyles (Golder Members of WSP), and Charles Dumaresq (Mining Association of Canada)
• Climate Change in the Mining Industry: Where We Are Now and Where We Are Heading - Samantha Barnes (SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc.)
• Climate Change and Human Health Risk Assessment - Stacey Fernandes (Canada North Environmental Services)
• Lithium Brine Resources - A Novel Prospect For Saskatchewan - Eric Pelletier (Matrix Solutions Inc.)
• NexGen Energy - Overview of the Rook 1 Project - Luke Moger (NexGen Energy Ltd.)
• Foran Mining Corporation - McIlvenna Bay: A Carbon Neutral Copper Mine in Saskatchewan - Denis Flood (Foran Mining Corporation)
• Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment System Performance at a Former Uranium Mine - Jime Harrington (Ensero Solutions)
• Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage: Meeting Global GHG Targets With a Saskatchewan-Made Solution - Erik Nickel (Petroleum Technology Research Centre)
• Adaptive / Risk Management of Off-Site Brine Migration - Alexis Harvey, Greg Potter, Qiong (June) Lu (SNC-Lavalin Inc.)
• Adaptive Water Management and Climate Change Resiliency Through Probabilistic Simulation - Denise Champman (Okane Consultants)
• Analysis of Surface Water Quality at Legacy Uranium Mines in Saskatchewan - Qiong (June) Lu, Alexis Harvey (SNC-Lavelin Incl), David Sanscartier (Saskatchewan Research Council)
• Use of Real-Time Conductivity Data From Autonomous Sensors to Delineate Effluent Distribution on a Boreal Lake Downstream From a Saskatchewan Milling Operation - Maira Peixoto Mendes (University of Saskatchewan)
• Integrating Multiple Data Sreams to Refine a Conceptual Site Model - Nathan Brandner (Barr Engineering Co.), Kyle Grimard (Nutrien)
• Community Driven Program at the Decommissioned Beaverlodge Site - Alyse Swerhone, Victor Fern (Cameco Corporation)
• Engaging Virtually and Meaningfully with Diverse Groups - Nicola Lower (Environmental Resources Management)
• Regulatory Developments in Canada's Climate Change Efforts - Rangi Jeerakathil (MLT Atkins LLP)
• Regulatory Update from the Ministry of Environment - Wes Kotyk (Ministry of Environment)

Sponsors

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The Saskatchewan Mining Association, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Trade and Export Development and the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association presents the Virtual Saskatchewan Mining Supply Chain Forum, on the rescheduled dates of December 2 & 3, 2020.

This Forum is the primary mining supply chain event in Western Canada that brings together the Saskatchewan mining industry and local suppliers to enhance their global competitiveness and expand markets.

Click here for more information and to register for the Forum. 

NOTE:  SMA Members will be sent a separate link to self-register for a complimentary registration.

• SMA Public Notice on COVID-19
• COVID-19 Enhanced Safety Measures for Saskatchewan Mining Industry
• COVID-19 Safety Infographic for Children
• SMA COVID-19 Precautionary Measures at Corporate Offices
• SMA COVID-19 Precautionary Measures at Mines and Mills
• SMA COVID-19 Precautionary Measures for Mining Work Camps
• SMA COVID-19 Precautionary Measures at Exploration Work Camps
• Government of Saskatchewan COVID-19 information
• Government of Canada Coronavirus (COVID-19) information
• Video: A look at Saskatchewan Mining Industry's Response to COVID-19

The 11th Annual Saskatchewan Mining Supply Chain Forum co-hosted by the Saskatchewan Mining Association, the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Trade and Export Development took place April 3 and 4, 2019 at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon, SK.

The Forum provided information on current mining operations and projects in Saskatchewan and the related supply chain opportunities for manufacturing companies.

Click here for the Agenda.

Following are presentations from the Forum:

Tom Olson, The Mosaic Company - Next Generation Technology and Innovation

Mike Elliott, BHP - Jansen Project digital strategy

Jeff Wagner and Josh Dodd, Nutrien - Potash Operations, Capital and Procurement

Peter Haugen, The Mosaic Company - Operations/Project Updates

Matthew Wood, Western Potash Corp. - Western Potash Milestone Project

Rhea Brown, SaskPower - SaskPower's Path to 2030

Thomas Papst, K+S Potash Canada - The Saskatchewan Mining Supply Chain Forum

Brian Beverage, MNP - Block Chain Technology Overview for Mining Industry

Diane Cameron, Natural Resources Canada - Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

Terence Stechysin, Competition Bureau Canada - Bid-Rigging, Collusive Behavour & Compliance

Troy Baril, Miller Thomson - Prompt Payment Workshop

Brian Warbey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance - PST Workshop

SMA Environmental Forum 2018 is a professional development opportunity for environmental practitioners in the mining industry, consulting businesses, post-secondary researchers and government. With changing regulations and evolving technology it is important for environmental professionals to keep current, and move forward, in developing and identifying best practices related to environmental sustainability.

Following is the Agenda along with the presentations:

2018 Environmental Forum Agenda

Ayres-Oct 18 B-10:30-1100

Banks_Lamb-Oct 17-A-1530-1600

Bellmore-Oct 18-B-1600-1630

Boisjoli-Oct 18-1100-1130

Borchardt-Oct 17-A-900-930

Brehm_Judd-Henrey-Oct 17-A-1400-1430

Cator-Oct 18-A-1030-1100

Chad-Oct 18-A-1530-1600

Chambers-Oct 17-A-1030-1130

Drake-Oct 17-B-1600-1630

Etmanski-Oct18-A-0930-1000

Fernandes_Lucas-Oct 18-A-1400-1430

Ferris_Ferguson-Oct 18-A-1430-1500

Freistadt-Oct 18-B-0800-0830

Han-Oct 18-B-1530-1600

Hecker-Oct 17-A-1100-1130

Heffner_Skinner-Oct 17 -B-0830-0930

Hinz_Fullarton-Oct 17-A-1130-1200

Jean-Oct 17 B-1500-1530

Jeerakathil-Keynote-Oct 17-1200-1230

Kambeitz-Oct 17-B-1100-1130

Kempenaar-Oct 18-A-0830-0900

Kenke-Oct 17-B-1130-1200

Ketilson-Oct 18-B-1130-1200

Larsen-Oct 18-A-1600-1630

LePoudre-Oct 18-B-0900-0930

McCullum-Oct 17-A-0830-0900

McLoughlin-Oct 17-B-1030-1100

Nikl-Oct 18-B-0930-1000

Page_MacBride-Oct 17-B-0930-1000

Pedler and Meadows 2018 SMA paper_FINAL

Pedler_Meadows-Oct 17-A-1330-1400

Podaima-Oct-18-B-0830-900

Pollock-Oct-17-B-1530-600

Povalyaev-Oct 17-B-0900-0930

Proulx-Oct 18-A-1330-1400

Riess-Oct 17-A-1600-1630

Rykaart-Oct 18-A-0900-0930

Schabert-Oct 17-A-1500-1530

Searcy_Benson Oct 17-0930-1000

Tallon-Oct 18-A-1100-1130

Traylor-Oct 17-B-1330-1400

Webster-Oct 18-B-1330-1400

Wittrup-Oct 18-A-0800-0830

Wittrup-Oct 18-B-1400-1430

Yates-Oct 18-A-1130-1200

Zwarich_Message-Oct 17-B-1400-1430

Following is the 2018 SMA GeoVenture Blog August 19 - 24
Day 1 Orientation and Welcome BBQ, August 19, 2018

GeoVenture 2018 kicked off with an Orientation Workshop which included Introductions; Itinerary review; Curriculum Link Outline; Introduction to Rocks and Minerals; Overview of Saskatchewan Mining Industry; distribution of curriculum-related material.

The day finished off with a Drill and Grill dinner at Saskatoon Inn attended by SMA Board members.

Day 2 Potash - Solution (Mosaic Belle Plaine and Potash Interpretive Centre), August 20, 2018
By John Nicholson, St. Joseph High School, Saskatoon and Majak Mapiour, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

We had a nice breakfast at the Saskatoon Inn and boarded the bus for the Mosaic potash mine at Belle Plaine. This mine is the largest solution mine in the world and produces more potash per year than the United States. It also generates its own electricity and consumes as much natural gas per year as the city of Moose Jaw. The 64 km2 mine site has about 1900 km of underground pipes that pump hot water down 1500 m to dissolve the potash. Belle Plaine mine consumes 19 000 L per minute (24/7) and all is kept on site.

What is potash?
Potash is the name given to potassium compounds and potassium containing materials, the most common of which is KCl. The name comes from the middle Dutch potaschen which means pot ash, referring to its original production of soaking wood ash in pots. The name of the element potassium comes from potash. Potash ore is a mixture of KCl, NaCl, Fe2O3, clay and other trace salts.

Potash Mining
There are two ways to mining potash: conventional mining and solution mining. In Mosaic Belle Plaine solution mining is used. Natural gas is burned to turn water to steam. The steam is put through two turbines to generate electricity. 90% of power needed to run the plant is produced on site and the rest is supplied by SaskPower. The steam exits the turbines as hot water, which is then pumped into the cavern to mine KCl. The recovered brine solution from underground is sent to either the refinery or the cooling ponds.

In the refinery, the brine solution is pumped to the evaporators (8 in total), where steam is used to evaporates some of the water causing the NaCl to settle out of the solution. Then the stream is directed to the crystallizers to recover KCl.  Subsequently, the wet KCl is dewatered, dried, sized, compacted, and/or stored. The cooling ponds use natural evaporation to settle out the KCl. Two dredges are used to recover the KCl from the ponds.

Potash Interpretive Centre, Esterhazy, SK
After our drive from Belle Plaine Potash Mine, we arrived in Esterhazy at about 7:00.  We were treated to a wonderful, homemade Ukrainian supper of perogies, cabbage rolls, and Grayson sausage at the Esterhazy Bowl Arena. Socializing and interacting with the others in our group was a very nice touch to the evening as we all sat together at one large, square table, where we were served our supper.

We then walked over to the Potash Interpretive Centre. Outside of the centre there was a tall, 20 foot statue of a miner and an old train car out on the front lawn.  When we entered the centre, we were greeted by our tour guides who were retired employees of the mine.  We learned about the backbone of the Esterhazy economy, which is potash.  

The interpretive centre is a great place to go to learn about the history of the potash industry and how it is important not only to the people of the area, but also all around the world.  The information was displayed through murals, maps of the local mines and the patterns they used for mining, a life-sized diorama of the area being mined, miniature models of the equipment used, and videos.  

We learned about the construction of the mines and how the technology has changed throughout the years. Where once there was a lot more physical labour, many of the mines operations are carried through by computers and automation. Safety measures are also considered more effectively than in the past.

The Potash Interpretive Centre is an excellent place to visit to experience what a working potash mine is like, without actually being able to visit a mine.
          

Day 3 Potash – Conventional Underground (Mosaic Esterhazy K1 & K2), August 21, 2018
A Mine Called K1
By Melanie Charnetski, Eaton School, Eatonia; Lanna Abbott, Lumsden High School; Violet Dubitz, SMA

Now this is the story all about how,
We learned about mining underground.
We’d like to take a minute,
Just sit right down,
We’ll tell you how we became the queens of a mine called K1.

In Southeast Saskatchewan, born and praised,
In Esterhazy is where spent one full day.
Gearing up, maxin’, descending all cool,
Traversing the tunnels, gettin’ all schooled,
When a couple of guys, who were up to some good,
Took us on a tour of their neighbourhood.
We got in some good sights, and we weren’t even scared,
Brad said, “Take as many potash samples as you dare.”

We whistled for a ride, and when it came near,
We thought to ourselves, “What a career!”
If anything we could say this trip was rare,
And we thought, “Time for the mill, yo holmes, to the stairs!”

We arrived at the mill around 12:08,
And we learned about size and importance of grade.
They showed us their kingdom, our tour was done,
Thank you, best wishes to the mine called K1!