BHP Ltd., Melbourne, said on Jan. 20 its current investment program to complete the shafts at the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan was 89 percent complete, up from 86 percent in October (GM Oct. 23, 2020).
The group last October increased the budget to fund the completion of the shafts by US$272 million, raising the budget for the current scope of work to US$2.972 billion. The additional costs followed delays to the shafts’ completion as a result of initial challenges with placement of the shaft lining, since rectified, and impacts from the group’s COVID-19 response plan.
BHP last August revealed it had pushed back the final investment decision for Jansen Stage 1 to mid-calendar year 2021 from February 2021 (GM Aug. 21, 2020). Jansen Stage 1 currently is designed to provide between 4.3 million and 4.5 million mt/y of potassium chloride production capacity on completion.