BHP's Jansen Potash-Mining Project in Canada Reaches Halfway Point

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The US$5.7 billion (C$7.5 billion) first phase (Stage 1) ("JS1") of BHP Group Limited's (Melbourne, Australia) Jansen potash-mining project in Saskatchewan, Alberta, is now more than 50% complete, the company said Monday, with first production on track for late 2026. The US$4.9 billion (C$6.4 billion) second phase (Stage 2) is under development, and the target date for the first production is 2029.

"As JS1 crosses the halfway mark, the focus now shifts towards the completion of the mill building and processing plant, port construction, finalizing infrastructure and gearing up to handover the project to operations," BHP said in a press release.

The under-construction Stage 1 entails constructing an underground mine, along with surface infrastructure, designed to produce 4.15 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of potash. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, potash is "used primarily as an agricultural fertilizer (plant nutrient) because it is a source of soluble potassium, one of the three primary plant nutrients."

BHP's investment in the Jansen project also includes funding to increase storage facilities at Westshore Terminals in Delta, British Columbia, home to BHP's main port facility that will be used to ship potash to customers via ocean-going vessels. Construction of the brownfield potash export facility, which will receive the potash by rail and feature storage capacity of 4.5 million tons per year, is underway and expected to wrap up in early 2026.

BHP is developing Stage 2, which involves the expansion of processing facilities and addition of rail cars, among other work, to boost production to 8.5 Mtpa.

A joint venture between Hatch (Mississauga, Ontario) and Bantrel (Calgary, Alberta) is performing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for Stage 1. Bantrel is a subsidiary of engineering firm Bechtel Corporation (Reston, Virginia). EPC firm Fluor Corporation (NYSE:FLR) (Irving, Texas) was selected to develop Jansen Stage 2.

The company also is evaluating two additional expansions at the Jansen mine, which would bring the production capacity from approximately 8.5 Mtpa to between 16 Mtpa and 17 Mtpa.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project and Plant databases can click here to read detailed information on the Jansen projects and click here for related plant profiles.

There are active and planned mining projects all across Canada, and Industrial Info is tracking about US$4 billion worth of mining-related projects across the country that are slated to kick off in the third quarter, most of which is attributed to projects with a medium-to-high likelihood (70% or more) of beginning construction as planned. For more information, see June 26, 2024, article - Canada's Miners Prep for Up to US$3.7 Billion in Project Starts.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).