Nutrien's February 2025 technical report on Rocanville in southeast Saskatchewan records 5.015 million tonnes of finished potash in 2024 and a ten-year average mill recovery of 83.5%.
The National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Rocanville Potash Deposit (KL 305), dated February 20, 2025, covers Nutrien Ltd.'s Rocanville operation in Saskatchewan, Canada. Potash ore has been mined and concentrated at Rocanville since 1970. The mill uses flotation and crystallization to produce near-pure potassium chloride (KCl), sold as granular and standard grade potash for agriculture.
Critical Data
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report date | February 20, 2025 | Not applicable | NI 43-101 technical report, Nutrien Ltd. |
| Operator | Nutrien Ltd. | Not applicable | Qualified persons: Jodi Derkach and Craig Funk |
| Production since | 1970 | Not applicable | Continuous sales since mining began |
| Finished potash, 2022 | 4.886 | Mt | 60.51% K2O average grade |
| Finished potash, 2023 | 4.972 | Mt | 60.47% K2O average grade |
| Finished potash, 2024 | 5.015 | Mt | 60.49% K2O average grade |
| Mill recovery, past decade | 82.4 to 84.9 | % | Average 83.5% |
| Concentration methods | Flotation and crystallization | Not applicable | Product is near-pure KCl |
| High-voltage power use | 112 | MVA | 82 MVA at the plant site, 30 MVA at Scissors Creek |
| Shaft inflow | Below 3 | L/min | Per shaft; mine inflow effectively nil |
Overview
At Rocanville, raw potash ore is processed on surface by two routes, flotation and crystallization, and the concentrated products are shipped to markets in North America and offshore. Most product leaves by rail, with some shipped by truck over the North American highway system.
Output has stayed near 5 million tonnes a year: 4.886 million tonnes in 2022, 4.972 million tonnes in 2023 and 5.015 million tonnes in 2024, all at about 60.5% K2O. Mill recovery over the past decade ranged from 82.4% to 84.9% and averaged 83.5%. On that record, the report anticipates no fundamental potash milling problems in the foreseeable future, and testing to optimize circuit performance and product quality continues.
Key Process Stages
Ore processing on surface. Potash ore is processed in the Rocanville mill on surface, using the flotation and crystallization milling methods shown in the report's simplified flow diagram.
Flotation and crystallization. Both methods concentrate the ore into finished potash products, near-pure KCl.
Finishing and shipping. Granular and standard grade products are made for agricultural use and shipped mainly by rail.
Additional Interesting Data and Summary
Process water comes from two licensed subsurface sources, the Welby Plains Surficial Aquifer and the Welby Plains Middle Aquifer. High-voltage power use is 112 MVA: 82 MVA at the Rocanville plant site and 30 MVA at the Scissors Creek site. The nearest towns are Rocanville (15 km), Moosomin and Esterhazy (both 50 km), and the nearest city is Yorkton (100 km).
The report recalls the major brine inflow of November 1984, when a production room broke into an unknown vertical solution-collapse structure and water entered at up to about 18,927 litres per minute (5,000 US gallons per minute). Mining was suspended, a concrete plug was installed by the end of January 1985, and the inflow was fully contained after four months. Since then there has been no significant ingress of brine, and inflow into each shaft is estimated at less than 3 litres per minute.
In summary, Rocanville produces about 5 million tonnes of finished potash a year, with a stable 83.5% ten-year average recovery from combined flotation and crystallization.
Key Processes
- Underground potash ore processed on surface
- Flotation
- Crystallization
- Production of granular and standard KCl products
- Shipment by rail and truck
Source: Nutrien Ltd., National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on Rocanville Potash Deposit (KL 305), Saskatchewan, Canada, February 20, 2025.
Technical report and processing history
The following archived source profiles have been consolidated here to preserve the project’s processing history and study context.
Rocanville Mine — 2017 Technical Report
Rocanville Mine — 2017 Technical Report
| Company | Nutrien |
| Mine | Rocanville |
| Date | 2017 |
| Region | Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Commodities | Potash |
Executive Summary
This section of the technical report details the recovery methods employed at the Rocanville mine. Potash ore has been mined and concentrated to produce saleable quantities of high-grade finished potash products since 1970. The products include granular and standard grade potash used for agriculture applications. Both flotation methods and crystallization methods are utilized to concentrate potash ore into finished potash products at the Rocanville mill.
Production data over the past three years indicates a significant increase in output, with 2017 reaching 4.587 million tonnes of finished potash products at an average grade of 60.62% K2O. Mill recovery rates over the past decade have averaged 83.8%, ranging between 81.5% and 86.0%. Quality control testing is conducted continually to optimize circuit performance and ensure product quality.
The Rocanville mill processes raw potash ore on surface, and concentrated finished potash products (near-pure KCl) are sold and shipped to markets in North America and offshore. Given the long-term experience with potash geology and actual mill recovery at Rocanville, no fundamental potash milling problems are anticipated in the foreseeable future.
Website: https://www.nutrien.com/about/our-business/locations?tab=potash
Report Date: 2017
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Commodity: Potash
Rocanville — 2017 Technical Report
Rocanville — 2017 Technical Report
| Company | Nutrien |
| Mine | Rocanville |
| Date | 2017 |
| Commodities | Potash |
| Status | Operating |
Executive Summary
The Rocanville mine has been producing saleable quantities of high-grade finished potash products since 1970. The facility utilizes both flotation and crystallization methods to concentrate potash ore into finished products, primarily near-pure KCl, which are sold and shipped to markets in North America and offshore. Quality control testing and monitoring are conducted continually to optimize circuit performance and ensure product quality.
Production data from the past three years indicates a significant increase in output, with 2017 reaching 4.587 million tonnes of finished potash products at an average grade of 60.62% K2O. Over the past decade, actual mill recovery rates have remained stable between 81.5% and 86.0%, averaging 83.8%. Given the long-term experience with potash geology and mill recovery at Rocanville, no fundamental potash milling problems are anticipated in the foreseeable future.
Reports
- entities/Rocanville_Mine
Website: https://www.nutrien.com/about/our-business/locations?tab=potash
Report Date: 2017
Region:
Project Status: Operating
Commodity: Potash
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Rocanville — 2016 Technical Report
Rocanville — 2016 Technical Report
| Company | PotashCorp |
| Mine | Rocanville |
| Date | 2016 |
| Region | Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Commodities | Potash |
| Status | Operating |
Executive Summary
The Rocanville mine has been in operation since 1970, producing high-grade finished potash products for agriculture and industry. Over the past three years, production volumes ranged from approximately 2.48 million to 2.72 million tonnes of finished potash products, with an average K2O grade of approximately 60.5%. The facility processes raw potash ore on the surface to produce near-pure KCl for markets in North America and offshore.
Concentration of the potash ore is achieved through two primary methods: flotation and crystallization. These milling methods are utilized to concentrate the ore into saleable finished products. The process flow involves surface processing where raw ore is treated to separate the valuable potash minerals from waste material.
Quality control and monitoring are conducted continually to ensure continuous improvement of the milling and concentrating processes. Over the past decade, actual mill recovery rates have averaged 84.3%, ranging between 82.5% and 86.6%. Given the long-term history of potash geology and mill performance, no fundamental milling problems are anticipated in the foreseeable future.
Website: https://www.nutrien.com/about/our-business/locations?tab=potash
Report Date: 2016
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Project Status: Operating
Commodity: Potash
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
Rocanville Technical Report 2021
Rocanville Technical Report 2021
| Company | Nutrien |
| Mine | Rocanville |
| Region | Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Commodities | Potash |
Executive Summary
The Rocanville mine has been in continuous operation since 1970, producing high-grade finished potash products primarily for agricultural applications. The facility processes raw potash ore on the surface using a combination of flotation and crystallization methods to concentrate the material into near-pure potassium chloride (KCl) products. These finished products are distributed to markets across North America and offshore regions.
Production data from the past three years indicates stable output, with 2019, 2020, and 2021 volumes ranging between 5.001 and 5.285 million tonnes. The average grade of the finished product over this period has been approximately 60.5% K2O. Mill recovery rates have remained consistent over the last decade, averaging 83.2% with a range of 81.5% to 84.4%, suggesting no fundamental milling issues are anticipated in the near future.
Continuous quality control testing and optimization efforts are conducted at the site and Nutrien research facilities to fine-tune the milling and concentrating processes. This ongoing commitment to performance monitoring ensures product quality and operational efficiency at the Rocanville minesite.
Reports
- entities/Rocanville_Mine
Website: https://www.nutrien.com/about/our-business/locations?tab=potash
Report Date:
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Project Status:
Commodity: Potash
Throughput:
Mine Life:
Mine Type:
Ore type:
