A minor earthquake that occurred earlier today near US fertilizer producer Mosaic's potash Esterhazy operations in Saskatchewan is not expected to affect the mine's production.
Seismic activity on Tuesday morning was felt near the producer's Esterhazy location in a mined-out area of the K3 mine, but all employees are accounted for, and safety inspections have been completed, Mosaic said.
The Canadian government reported the 3.4 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, calling it a "suspected mining-induced event".
"Mining induced seismic activity in this area is common, and our facilities are engineered with seismic loading in mind," Mosaic said. "While the recent event occurred far from current mining areas and presents no immediate safety concerns, we continue to advance our understanding of the geological properties of the K3 ore body and will work with external experts to review seismic activity," it added.
Mosaic's Esterhazy operations received attention late last year following a worker fatality resulting from a mine collapse at the K3 underground mine.
The Esterhazy site has a nameplate capacity of 7.8mn metric tonnes/yr of potash and three mines — K1, K2 and K3 — with K3 completed in 2022.
