This 2018 technical report describes the Cory potash facility's shift to a dedicated crystallisation plant with 0.8 Mt/y capacity, producing only white potash products since October 2017.
Report context
The Cory potash operation in Saskatchewan, Canada, has produced finished potash products since 1968. After a period of major expansion between 2008 and 2011, followed by operational curtailments in 2013, the facility reverted in October 2017 to a pure crystallisation plant producing only white potash products at a curtailed capacity of 0.8 million tonnes per year. This February 2018 technical report documents the processing route at that time, noting that Cory's long operational history,112.632 million tonnes of ore mined and hoisted to produce 35.486 million tonnes of finished product from 1968 to December 2017,means basic prospective metallurgical testing is not considered relevant.
Processing route
Crystallisation method and products
The Cory mill uses crystallisation to concentrate potash ore into finished products. A simplified process flow diagram exists in the report (Figure 23) but no equipment, flowsheet stages, or detailed process descriptions are provided in the cited sections. The method produces concentrated white potash products that are near-pure KCl.
Products include:
- High-grade specialised white soluble potash
- White granular
- Chicklets
- Prills
These products serve industrial, agricultural, and feed applications and are shipped to markets in North America and offshore.
Ore source and production history
Raw potash ore is processed on surface after mining. Over the 49 years from start-up to December 2017, the cumulative finished product from 112.632 million tonnes of ore represents a long-term operational recovery record. The report states that no fundamental potash milling problems are anticipated based on this long-term experience with potash geology and actual mill recovery.
Ongoing optimisation
Quality control testing and monitoring aimed at fine-tuning and optimising potash milling and concentrating processes is conducted continually at Cory, as at all Nutrien minesites and research facilities. Test work to optimise circuit performance and ensure product quality is carried out on an ongoing basis.
Key reported parameters
| Parameter | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Nameplate capacity (2011 expansion) | 3.0 million tonnes finished potash products per year | Historic design |
| Operating capability post-December 2013 curtailment | 1.4 million tonnes per year | Announced operational change |
| Operating capacity post-October 2017 curtailment | 0.8 million tonnes per year | Actual operating capacity |
| Finished production 2015 | 1.508 million tonnes | Actual |
| Finished product average grade 2015 | 61.45% K₂O | Actual |
| Finished production 2016 | 1.241 million tonnes | Actual |
| Finished product average grade 2016 | 61.56% K₂O | Actual |
| Finished production 2017 | 0.988 million tonnes | Actual |
| Finished product average grade 2017 | 61.96% K₂O | Actual |
| Mill recovery rate range (past decade) | 66.4% – 75.6% | Actual |
| Average mill recovery rate (past decade) | 72.0% | Actual |
| Cumulative ore mined (1968 to December 2017) | 112.632 million tonnes | Actual |
| Cumulative finished product (1968 to December 2017) | 35.486 million tonnes | Actual |
Project website: https://www.nutrien.com/about/our-business/locations?tab=potash
Project website: https://altiusminerals.com/royalties/cory/
Technical qualifications
This profile is based solely on the February 20, 2018 technical report for the Cory Potash deposit (KL 103B), Saskatchewan, Canada, prepared for Nutrien Ltd. The cited processing information comes from Sections 13.0 and 17.0 of the Markdown conversion of that report. Key limitations include: the simplified process flow diagram (Figure 23) is referenced but not reproduced in the cited text, so no equipment, flowsheet stages, or process chemistry details are available from these sections; the 3.0 Mt/y nameplate from the 2008-2011 expansion is historic and does not represent operating capacity in 2018; only finished product tonnages and K₂O grades are reported (not ore throughput or KCl content); and no tailings, water, or reagent data are provided in the cited sections. The report explicitly states that basic mineralogical processing and prospective metallurgical testing are not relevant given the long operational history; ongoing optimisation testing is described in general terms only.
Source: Nutrien Ltd., Cory Potash, National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on Cory Potash Deposit (KL 103B), Saskatchewan, Canada, February 20, 2018, Sections 13.0 and 17.0. of that report.
