BHP Billiton has received approval from Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment to move ahead with the development of its Jansen potash mine after the Ministry found BHP had appropriate plans in place to deal with any adverse impacts while enhancing the benefits of the project.
With the announcement, BHP will move ahead with the project that is expected to employ 1,900 people during the construction phase and create approximately 1,000 jobs once the mine becomes operational.
BHP’s board still has to give final approval to the project sometime in 2012. Last Thursday, the company announced a further US$488-million to support the development of the project.
The company plans to move forward with mine development and engineering along with initial surface construction and sinking the first 350 metres of the mine shaft.
Once complete, BHP expects to pay over CDN$90-billion in royalties and taxes to municipal, provincial and federal governments with 65 per cent of those payments being made in Saskatchewan.
The mine is expected to start producing saleable potash in 2015 and has an estimated 70-year life span.
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