News out just now. WOW speaks why the volume January 24, 2017, Vancouver, BC – Western Potash Corp. (WPX: TSX) (FSE: AHE) (the “Western”, “the Company”) is pleased to announce that the Company organized a technical review meeting in Beijing on January 19th, 2017, with a focus on the applied Horizontal Selective Mining method to be used at its Milestone Pilot Project. The Milestone Pilot Project’s full detailed engineering was completed by AMEC Wheeler Foster & Agapito Inc. in November 2016. The purpose of the meeting was to further explore possibilities of optimizing the engineering plan and mitigating potential risks of the project.
Western Potash and Agapito presented the project’s background information and the main mining methodology. The expert group conducted an in-depth and comprehensive review on of the mining methodology, and is supportive of the project. The expert group consists of six leading Chinese potash industry professionals, including Mr. Zheng Mianping, Director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mr. Wang Shijun, Chief Geologist of Qinghai Salt Lake Group, Mr. Liu Xiaoli, Deputy Director of Changsha Engineering & Research Institute, Mr. Chen Xin and Mr. Feng Yuehua, both are Senior Engineers of Changsha Engineering & Research Institute, and Mr. Zhang Chunfang, Senior Engineer of China BlueStar Lehigh Engineering & Research Institute.
The expert group confirms that Western Potash’s world-class potash resources is best suited for solution mining & crystal pond processing techniques, which are energy efficient and environmental friendly. The innovative “horizontal drilling + selective solution mining + crystal pond” technique will significantly reduce the project CAPEX and waste salt generation if proven successful. Most importantly, this pilot project will further prove the accuracy and reliability of the new mining technique so as to provide a basis for the development of Western’s larger project.
The expert group suggests that more testing be completed in order to further optimize the project plan, particularly in terms of the brine concentration and its continuity. The experts also suggest that multiple uses of individual drilling wells be explored.
Also attending the meeting were representatives from China National Petroleum and Chemical Planning Institute, China Inorganic Salts Industry Association, China Development Bank- Beijing Branch, Beijing Tairui Innovative Capital Management Ltd., China BlueChemical Ltd., Guoxin International Investment Corporation Ltd, and China CAMCE Engineering Co. Ltd.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Geoffrey Chang”
Geoffrey Chang
Chairman