General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Potash mineral.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

25.0 cm

Width

8.5 cm

Height

4.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Mining and Metallurgy

Category

Mineral exploration

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Kalium

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Saskatchewan

Period

1950s - 1960

Canada

Taken from Acquisition proposal: The samples come from the deposits in Belle Plaine, SK and were drilled during the exploration phase by the Kalium Chemicals (later IMC Potash and finally since October 25, 2004 after a merger with Cargill, Mosaic Company). The Belle Plaine is the world's first solution mine, opened in 1964. The potash lies about 1600 m below the surface here. Water is pumped down a series of bore holes and pumped back up with the dissolved potash in it. This mine's rated capacity is 2.8 million tonnes per year. Still in operation today, the Belle Plaine mine is considered the world’s lowest-cost potash mine, producing high-purity white potash for use in industrial products such as water softeners, alkaline batteries, and food sweeteners and additives. Although large deposits of potash were discovered in Saskatchewan in 1943, it was not until the 1950s and 1960s that serious exploration was undertaken. Production at Kalium Chemicals’ solution mine in Belle Plaine and at Noranda Mines’ potash operation at Colonsay, southeast of Saskatoon, began in the early 1960s. By 1996, following a series of acquisitions and mergers, four Saskatchewan mines had come under one operator, IMC Kalium, the potash unit of the American fertilizer giant IMC Global. In 1999, IMC Kalium was renamed IMC Potash. Today, IMC Potash is the world’s largest producer and seller of potash for industrial and agricultural uses.

Function

To asses potash reserves.

Technical

Taken from Acquisition proposal: Core samples are drilled at the exploration stage during the search for resources in areas of possible deposits. Each core sample is divided in two, one-half stays with the mining company and the other half is sent a provincial depositories. The company’s half is often dissolved by assayers to estimate mineral reserves. Cores are usually kept under strict control and access to cores is limited, since they can provide competitive information on the value of deposits. The number on the core denotates the well from which the core was drilled and the depth of deposits.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Handwritten print with black marker "5886".

Missing

no

Finish

Semi-circular core sample with pink, white and light grey crystals. Black handwritten print. Sample is bagged and should not be taken out of the bag.

Decoration

N/A