BHP’s Jansen potash mine completes 1000 m deep shafts

This milestone is a big step towards bringing online the project which is planned to be the largest potash producing mine in the world, providing a rich source of potassium to keep soils fertile and maximise food production.

According to a company statement, BHP worked with its partners to leverage the latest technology and innovative solutions for this ambitious project, which marks the first instance of mechanised shaft sinking in the world and entails artificial ground freezing to a depth of 800 m. This ground freezing technique prevents water inflow and ensures ground stability during shaft excavation. Once excavated, a primary and final liner created a waterproof seal to protect the shafts from underground aquifers.

The shafts are one of the most technically risky parts of developing a greenfield project like Jansen and their completion will significantly reduce the development risk. Larger diameter shafts like these (7.3 m in diameter) require the outfitting of only one shaft for stage 1, significantly reducing upfront capital. For future stages, the same two shafts enable options for multiple sequenced brownfield expansions of more than 16 million tpy of production, subject to business and regulatory approval.

Simon Thomas, President of Potash, comments:

“The team’s safety record and performance since January 2020 has exceeded our plan. Our approach to safety, work planning discipline and continuous improvement – along with our collaborative and integrated team approach – really shone in the final stages of this project.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/02112022/bhps-jansen-potash-mine-completes-1000-m-deep-shafts/