
Business of Western Potash Corp.
The Company is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition, evaluation and exploration of potash mineral properties in Western Canada. Western Potash Corp. has over 860,000 acres of potash permits and applications in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada. Western Potash was able to raise in excess of 45 million CAD from institutional and retail investors, including the IPO in May 2008.
The Company's immediate objective is to develop a world-class potash resource at its Solution Mining project in Milestone, Saskatchewan. The Company’s has completed the exploratory phase at Milestone and has issued an NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate which outlines the measured potash resource. The Company currently has no mineral production that yields any revenues.
Western Potash Corp. was formed when the opportunity to acquire key prospective ground adjacent to known Potash deposits in the province of Manitoba, Canada, presented itself. In July 2007 a private consortium obtained the potash rights on 555 square kilometers, adjacent to BHP Billiton’s Lease and Agrium’s Exploration permits, within 13km of Saskatchewan Potash corps’s Rocanville Potash mine.
During 2008 the Company carried out exploration activities on its Russell-Miniota and its Russell South properties that included the completion of 5 exploratory drilling wells totaling 4,849 m. During the year the Company completed175 line kilometers 2-D ground Seismic geophysical surveys on its Manitoba properties.
During the first quarter of fiscal 2009 the Company completed an additional four exploratory well totaling 4,566 m on its Russell South properties. Results suggest that the potash mineral prospects in that area warrant further drill testing to confirm their extent and the potential to be an economic mineral deposit. Grades determined by drill testing to date in the Russell South area compare well with those that are being mined at the neighboring Saskatchewan Potash Corp’s Rocanville Mine.
During May 2008 , the Company was granted three potash permits in south-eastern Saskatchewan. (Milestone Project) The three contiguous permits were granted by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources and comprise a total of 123,948 acres.
At the Milestone property in Saskatchewan, (500 sq miles) the Company’s purchase and subsequent interpretation of several line-km of two-dimensional seismic data confirmed the presence of potash prospective salt beds and highlighted a sizeable and attractive new exploration target within 10km of the drilling completed by Rio Tinto (and subsequently sold to Vale) during 2008.
The Company has completed Phase 2 of the exploratory initial drill program on the Milestone property. The best well intersected a total of 24.4 m of potash mineralization with an average grade of 18.2 wt .% K2O across three potash bearing members. All potash members, in particular the Esterhazy member, visually displayed very low carnallite content. A 3D Seismic survey is currently underway.
In addition, the Milestone project is characterized by a high minimum formation temperatures of approximately 65.5 degrees C. Temperature is important because higher formation temperatures improve the potash dissolution process, and reduce heat input required for the injected brines thereby significantly reducing production costs.
On February 2, 2010, the Company delivered its initial NI 43 1010 compliant resource calculation on the Milestone. The Company budgeted approx. 13.9million CAD for its exploration in Saskatchewan.
On February 18, 2010 the Company reported that it had identified a potential natural gas zone in all 9 wells drilled. All the private and oil and gas rights in the MIlestone area have been secured. The Crown PNG ( petroleum natural gas) right are located within the Company's current potash exploration permits.
Saskatchewan has the largest potash industry in the world, accounting for approximately 40% of the worlds trade in potash. The potash reserves in Sasktachewan are massive. By conservative estimates, Saskatchewan could supply world demand at current levels for several hundred years.
Western Potash Corp. is a junior mining company engaged in the acquisition, evaluation and exploration of potash mineral properties in Western Canada. The Company's objectives are to define and develop a world-class potash deposit in an ecologically sustainable, economically efficient and socially responsible manner while providing its shareholders with a unique opportunity to participate in the blue-chip dominated potash mining industry.
Western Potash will continue to search for appropriate mineral properties to add to its potash portfolio.
Our Competitive Advantages
- Potential natural gas within the Milestone area would significantly reduce project economics ( see Feb 18,2010 NR)
- Western Potash has a rare, highly leveraged opportunity to develop a prospectively world-class potash discovery.
- Global production is dominated by a tiny handful of major mining powerhouses. As a junior potash exploration/development company, Western Potash has very few peers in North America.
- 85% of Canadian potash mines are operating at or near capacity. There have been no new potash mines on the prairies in almost 40 years.
- Western Potash has a strong, proven management team and a large cash position.
- The Company benefits from exceptional regional infrastructure that makes for especially robust project economics.
- The Milestone property is amenable to Solution Mining which has the distinct advantage of having lower capital costs, reduced engineering risks and a reduced timeline to production start-up.
- Solution mining is scalable which means production can be scaled to the existing financial environmental. Mining can begin at 100,000 MT/Y.
- The Milestone project has a minimum formation temperature of 62C. which is a key parameter in the economics of solution mining. A solution mine, that can access a higher formation temperature, will produce more potassium chloride in solution as the solubility of potassium increases with temperature. The Company views formation temperature as offering savings in capital, energy and processing costs.
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