mining sodium sulphate in Saskatchewan

MINERAL RESOURCES OF SASKATCHEWAN

Ormiston, Sask. Southern Saskatchewan has many alkaline lakes. The sodium sulphate deposits can be seen around the edges of the lakes. Sodium sulphate remains when the water is removed.

One method of obtaining the salt is to pump the water into smaller ponds and allow it to evaporate. Then the crystals can be gathered. The harvested salt is piled near the plant. After the salt is processed in the plant the dried sodium sulphate is stored. The product is transported to customers by truck and by rail.

Chaplin plant near the Trans Canada Highway,
80 km. west of Moose Jaw. The deposit is under a shallow lake.
Saskatchewan has 21 major deposits. There are five plants :
Chaplin (Chaplin Lake)
Fox Valley (Ingbrigt Lake)
Palo (Whitehorse Lake)
Ormiston (Horseshoe Lake)
Cabri (Snakehole Lake)

Uses for Sodium Sulphate
Some of the product is used for the pulp and paper industry. Sodium sulphate is mostly used for detergents (laundry and dishwashing soap), carpet deodorizers, corn starch, glass, dyes, textiles, tanning and in the chemical industry.

MINERAL RESOURCES

images courtesy of saskmining.ca
Sask.Energy and Resources

J.Giannetta

Ormiston, Sask.	Southern Saskatchewan has many alkaline lakes. The sodium sulphate deposits can be seen around the edges of the lakes. Sodium sulphate remains when the water is removed.
	One method of obtaining the salt is to pump the water into smaller ponds and allow it to evaporate. Then the crystals can be gathered. The harvested salt is piled near the plant. After the salt is processed in the plant the dried sodium sulphate is stored. The product is transported to customers by truck and by rail.
Chaplin plant near the Trans Canada Highway, 80 km. west of Moose Jaw. The deposit is under a shallow lake.	Saskatchewan has 21 major deposits. There are five plants : Chaplin (Chaplin Lake) Fox Valley (Ingbrigt Lake) Palo (Whitehorse Lake) Ormiston (Horseshoe Lake) Cabri (Snakehole Lake)
	Uses for Sodium Sulphate Some of the product is used for the pulp and paper industry. Sodium sulphate is mostly used for detergents (laundry and dishwashing soap), carpet deodorizers, corn starch, glass, dyes, textiles, tanning and in the chemical industry.