BHP awards new contracts to First Nation partnership at Jansen project in Saskatchewan

HOUSTON (ICIS)–BHP announced that as construction advances at the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan it has awarded three new contracts in partnership with local First Nation communities.

The contracts covering camp management, site services and raw ore and handling foundation and include representation from the six First Nations surrounding the Jansen site, with whom BHP has opportunity agreements, were first developed in 2012 and aim to create long term mutual benefit for BHP and First Nation communities.

“Across our operations, it is our ambition to create long-term relationships with Indigenous Peoples based on trust and mutual benefit, and these contract awards demonstrate this ambition in action,” said Vandita Pant, BHP chief commercial officer.

The camp management contract has been awarded to Wicehtowak Frontec Services while the site services and raw ore/handling foundation contracts have been awarded to 2Nations Bird.

BHP said the three and a half year contracts are valued at over C$260m ($188.1m) and will support more than 400 local jobs with over 50% planned to be Indigenous.

Since sanctioning Jansen Stage 1 in August 2021, the company said a total of C$470m in contracts have been awarded to Indigenous businesses in the region.

BHP said it now anticipates operations starting in late 2026 and had previously estimated an initial yearly production capacity of 4.3m-4.5m tonnes, which if it materialises would increase Canada’s production by nearly 22%.

$1=C$1.38