REPORT No.

11

MAGNESIUM
in

Saskatchewan

by
R. V. TOMKINS
1953

DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES

Geological Sciences Branch
Industrial Minerals Division

HON. A. C. CAMERON J. T. CAWLEY

Minister Deputy Minister

PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN

Reprinted 1969
 CONTENTS

Introduction 5

Magnesium and Magnesium Compounds 6

Magnesium Compounds 6
Magnesium Metal 7
Sources 8
Supply 10
Canada 10
United States 11

Magnesium in Saskatchewan Lakes ............ ... . 16

1. Big Quill Lake 17
2, 3. Redberry and Basin Lakes 18
4. Little Manitou Lake . 19
5. Aroma Lake . ..... ........ ........ 20
6. Muskiki Lake . 21

Summary . 22

References .. 23

Map of Central Saskatchewan showing locat ion

Magnesium-bearing lakes . .. ... 13-14

8
 Magnesium 1n Saskatchewan

During the first World War, when supplies of German potash

were cut off, the alkali lakes of Saskatchewan were investigated
by a number of parties in the hope of finding a domestic source
of this valuable mineral. They found no potash, but large reserves
of sodium sulphate, and lesser quantities of magnesium salts were
discovered. The Dominion Department of Mines conducted an
exhaustive survey of sodium sulphate deposits (2) and a multi-
million dollar industry has resulted from this work, but there has
been no production of magnesium compounds.

At one lake an attempt was made to recover magnesium com-

pounds. The Canadian Salts and Potash Company of Canada
Limited shipped brine from Muskiki Lake to a pilot plant at
Kitchener, Ontario, where magnesium compounds were to be
extracted from brine shipped from Muskiki Lake. The excessive
cost of transporting the brine prevented economical operation, so
an evaporating plant was built at Muskiki. Dried salts from this
plant were shipped to Kitchener, where Epsom salt, Glauber's
salt, and magnesium carbonate were manufactured. This, too,
proved uneconomical and operations were discontinued.

With the discovery of natural gas and oil fields in Saskat-

chewan, and the establishment of large metal1urgical and
chemical industries in Western Canada, it appears timely to recon-
sider our magnesium resources for the possible production of
magnesium compounds or magnesium metal. This report includes
a summary of the properties and uses of the more important
magnesium compounds, some statistics on magnesium metal and
magnesium compounds, a review of the technology of production
of these materials, and details of the Saskatchewan lakes contain-
ing significant amounts of magnesium.

5
 Magnesium and Magnesium Compounds
MAGNESHJM COMPOUNDS
By far t he most important compound of magnesium is the
oxide, magnesia (MgO). T his is used in very large tonnage as a
refractory, and is t he raw material for production of magnesium
metal and other magnesium compounds. The more important com-
pounds are listed in Table I, with t heir formulas, and the per-
centage of magnesium a nd magnesium oxide which they contain.

TABLE I
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS

Name Formula '% Mg % MgO

Magnesium oxide
(magnesia) MgO 60.3 100.0
Magnesium chloride,
anhydrous . Mg CJ, 25.5 42.3
Magnesium chloride,
hexahydrate MgCl, . 6H,O 12.0 19.8
Magnesium sulphate,
anhydrous .. . MgSO, 20.2 33.5
Magnesium sulphate
(epsom salt) MgSO• . 7H,O 9.9 16.3
Magnesium carbonate,
basic* 3MgCO, . Mg(OH) , . 3H,O 26.6 44.1
Magnesium
hydroxide . Mg(OH), 41.7 69.1

*The formula g iven here is one of a number of basic magnesium carbonates

which may be p repared.

Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium oxide is produced by calcining magnesite (mag-
nesium carbonate) rock, brucite (a natural magnesium hydroxide),
or magnesium hydroxide precipitated from various brines. When
the calcination temperature is from 1560 - 1760 deg. C., the pro-
duct is known as "dead-burnt magnesia" or "refractory magnesia".
It is iner t and is used exclusively for making magnesia brick,
ramming mix, or other refractories. The major use of magnesia
refract ories is in the open-hearth furnaces of the steel industr y.
Magnesia brick fuse at 2200 deg. C. and will withstand 1750 deg.
C. under load.
When the calcining temperature is in the range 800 - 1200 deg.
C. the product is called "caustic-calcined magnesia". It is chem-
6
ically reactive and is used in the manufacture of other magnesium
compounds and magnesium metal. Another use of magnesia,
which is relatively small compared to those given, is in
magnesium oxychloride cement. A 20 percent solution of mag-
nesium chloride is reacted with magnesium oxide
3Mg0 + MgCI, + 7H,O = 3MgO.MgCl,.7H,0
forming a hard strong product, used extensively for terrazzo
flooring.
Some magnesia is used as a fertilizer, and as a filler for rubber.
The terminology is somewhat confusing as magnesia is com-
monly called caustic-calcined or dead-burned magnesite, denoting
the rock from which the product was made. This term is also
applied to mag nesia made from sea-water, in spite of the fact that
magnesite does not enter into its manufacture.
Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium chloride is used primarily as the raw material in
the production of electrolytic magnesium, and in the oxychloride
cement mentioned above. It is prepared by the action of hydroch-
loric acid on magnesium carbonate, hydroxide, or oxide. Another
method of production from the oxide is utilized by Basic Mag-
nesium Limited in which process the magnesia is pelleted with
carbon and reacted with chlorine at 850 deg. C. according to the
following reaction :
MgO + C + Cl, = MgCI, CO+
Magnesium Sulphate
In its hydrated form, magnesium sulphate is the familiar
epsom salt. It is prepared commercially by the action of sulphuric
acid on magnesium carbonate or hydroxide, and is used extensively
as a sizing and fireproofing agent, and in pharmaceuticals.
Magnesium Carbonates
The lightweight basic magnesium carbonates are used
very widely in making insulating materials. These are made by
reacting magnesium hydroxide with carbon dioxide, or by
dissolving magnesium bicarbonate (Mg (HCO, ) ,) from dolomite
(MgCO, . CaCO,) with carbon dioxide under pressure, and then
boiling off some of the carbon dioxide to form the basic carbonate.
Magnesium Hydroxide
.Magnesium h ydroxide is mainly an intermediary in the forma-
tion of other compounds, and is precipitated from magnesium-
bearing solutions by calcium hydroxide or slaked lime. It finds
some use in medicine as "milk of magnesia".

MAGNESIUM METAL
Magnesium is the lightest of the commercial metals, having
a density only 1.74 times that of water. It finds its major applica-
tion at present in the production of lightweight alloys for aircraft,
7
but it is being utilized more and more in other fields where
strength and light weight are at a premium. In wartime the
demand increases enormously because of the vast number of
aircraft produced, and because it is a main component in
incendiary bombs.
Three processes are used to prepare metallic magnesium:
electrolysis of magnesium chloride, carbon reduction, and ferro-
silicon reduction.
Electrolysis is conducted in ceramic-lined steel cells using
steel cathodes and graphite anodes. The magnesium chloride is
melted and some sodium chloride is added to lower the melting
point of the bath. Molten magnesium collects at the surface, while
chlorine is collected at the anode.
In the carbon reduction prncess or Hansgirg process, magnesia
and carbon in the fol'm of petroleum coke are heated in an inert
atmosphere in an arc furnace to 2100 deg. C. The magnesia is
reduced to magnesium metal by the carbon which forms carbon
monoxide, and the vaporized magnesium is drawn off and cooled
by introduction of cold natural gas. The magnesium is in the form
of a dust and is collected by electrostatic precipitators. It is
redistilled under high vacuum to obtain a pure product.
In the ferrosilicon process, ferrosilicon and dead-burned dolo-
mite (a mixture of lime and magnesia) are pelleted and charged
to a furnace where vacuum and heat (1150 deg. C.) are applied
and this reaction occurs
2Mg0 + 2Ca0 + Si = 2Mg + Ca,SiO,
The magnesium distills into a condenser, and the calcium
silicate remaining in the r etort, being infusible, is readily removed.

SOURCES
Magnesium ranks eighth among the elements in abundance.
Sea-water contains 0.13 % magnesium and provides a virtually
unlimited and practical source. Until comparatively recently, how-
ever, practically all magnesium was obtained from magnesium-
bearing rocks: magnesite (MgCO"), dolomite (CaCO,.MgCO, ),
and brucite Mg (OH),. Although the sea remains an unlimited
source, the economics of production and location allow the rock
sources to predominate.
Major deposits of magnesite in the United States occur in
Washington and Nevada, and a large brucite deposit occurs in
Nevada. Austria, Manchuria, Greece, and Czechoslovakia are
large producers of magnesite. A large deposit occurs in British
Columbia, which is not worked as yet. Canadian Refractories
Limited mines a high-lime magnesite at Kilmar, Quebec. The
Aluminum Company of Canada recovers brucite from an ore which
is about 70 % limestone, the remainder being small individual
brucite grains.
8
 Magnesium is r ecovered from sea-water by two plants in
Californ ia, one in Texas and one in New J ersey. In California,
sea-water bitterns, the residue from the solar evaporation of sea-
water to produce common salt, are a source of magnesium. These
contain 6-9 % magnesium chloride and 4-6 % magnesium sulpha te.
In Michigan, three plants use magnesium bearing brines from
deep wells (2,500 - 3,000 feet) as a raw material for production
of caustic magnesia. The brines contain a mixture of chlorides of
sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium, magnesium chloride
comprising about 10 % by weight of the total brine.
The mineral carnallite, KCI.MgCl2 .6H 2 0, has long been
mined at Stassfurt, Germany, for its potash content, magnesium
compounds being produced as a by-product. International Minerals
a nd Chemical Corporation a t Carlsbad, New Mexico, has recovered
carnallite from la ngbeinite (2MgSO,.K,SO,) by r eacting it with
potassium chloride. The carnallite was then decomposed yielding
solid potassium chloride and a magnesium chloride solution.
Magnesium metal was produced from this during the war, before
larger facilities were established elsewhere. The magnesium is
now incorporated in fertilizers.

Carnallite has been identified in association with other potash

salts in a number of drill cores taken in Saskatchewan. Cole (3)
reports eig ht feet of carnallite below the main potash (sylvite)
zone in Prairie Salt No. 2 well near Unity. As the potash deposits
underlie a very large ar ea comprising most of southern Saskat-
chewan, there is t he possibility that carnallite beds may be dis-
closed which could prove to be a n important source of magnesium.

METHOD OF RECOVERY FROM BRINES

The basis of all methods of r ecovery of magnesium from
brines is to precipitate it as the insoluble hydroxide using calcium
h ydroxide (milk of lime) as the pr ecipitant.
MgCl, + MgSO, + 2Ca (OH) , = CaCl, + CaSO, + 2Mg (OH) ,
If there is much sulphate present in t he original brine, too
much of the slightly-soluble calcium sulphate is formed, and this,
too, precipitates. In such cases, it is necessary to remove the
sulphate first by addition of calcium chloride.
CaCl, + MgSO, = CaSO, + MgCl,
The calcium sulphate is removed (it is a valuable by-product:
gypsum) and the slaked lime is t hen added:
Ca(OH) , + MgCl, = CaCl, + Mg (OH) ,
Calcium chloride is formed here, and this can be recycled to
the first step, so that all the calcium chloride needed is enough
to start the process a nd make up losses.
9
 In sea-water the sulphate concentration is low enough that
this pre-treatment is not required.
A variation known as the Chesny process uses slaked calcined
dolomite instead of lime as the precipitant. The magnesium
present in the dolomite is thus added to the product. The dolomite
is first calcined
MgCO,.CaCO, = MgO.CaO 2CO,+
and slaked
MgO.CaO + 2H,O = Mg(OH) , + Ca(OH),
The mixed hydroxides are then added to the brine as in the other
processes.
The precipitated magnesium hydroxide is settled and filtered
off, then calcined to make either caustic or refractory magnesia,
or may be treated with the appropriate acid to make basic mag-
nesium carbonate, magnesium chloride, or magnesium sulphate•.
It will be noted that these processes are applicable to brines
of widely varying magnesium content. With more concentrated
brine (such as is found in Little Manitou Lake) it may be possible,
after consideration of the temperature-concentration relationships
involved, to devise a sequence of evaporations and crystallizations
which would result in recovery of a magnesium salt.

SUPPLY
Canada
In Canada, Dominion Refractories and The Aluminum
Company of Canada are the only primary producers of magnesium
compounds. Dominion Refractories mines magnesite, while
Aluminum Company mines brucitic limestone, both of which are
dead-burned for refractories.
Dominion Magnesium at Haley, Ontario, reopened in 1950
after being shut down since 1946. This company has a capacity
of 5,000 tons of magnesium metal annually, and uses the ferro-
silicon process. The major portion of their production is exported
to the United Kingdom (9).
Commercial Alcohols produces "85 % magnesia" basic mag-
nesium carbonate insulation from magnesium hydroxide and waste
carbon dioxide from fermentations. Value of Canadian production
of magnesitic dolomite and brucite ranged from $1.1 to $1.5 million
according to the U.S. Bureau of Mines (8) from 1944 to 1950.

*Information in the foregoing sections was obtained mainly from references

(1) and (6), and the reader is refened to those texts and their bibliographies
for further details.

10
 TABLE II
IMPORTS OF MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS INTO CANADA
1949 - 1952

Compound Year Tons Value

Magnesia, dead-burned or caustic .. 1949 4,683 $382,559

1950 5,987 567,896
1951 6,520 430,607
1952 10,600 534,000*

Basic Magnesium Carbonate 1949 988 127,208

1950 1,677 188,651
1951 1,177 135,565
1952 266 40,000•

Magnesium sulphate (epsom salt) 1949 2,783 120,881

1950 2,793 100,644
1951 3,065 95,005
1952 2,260 78,500*

Magnesium Compounds n.o.p . .... 1949 429 100,131

1950 615 151,301
1951 955 231,405
1952 1,270 259,000*

Magnesium oxide and carbonate, 1951 3,155 250,510

gr ound, for insulation 1952 3,640 284,000*

*Prorated from eleven months imports

Source: T rade of Canada.

Imports of magnesium compounds 1949 - 52 are given in

Table II. Magnesia is. imported mainly from the United States;
magnesium sulphate from Germany and the United States; mag-
nesium carbonate from the United Kingdom; and other compounds
from the United States.

United States
Magnesium Compounds (8)
In 1950, 376,887 tons of magnesia was produced in the United
States, of which 335,440 tons was refractor y magnesia. Of the
total, 63.3 % was produced from rock (brucite, magnesite, dolo-
mite) and the remainder from brines. Average value of refrac-
tory magnesia was $44.47 per ton, and of caustic-calcined mag-
nesia, $99.81 per ton . These prices represent increases of 50%
and 58% respectively from 1946 prices - $29.54 and $63.18. In
11
October 1949, refractory magnesia (from rock) at Washington
plants ~old at $36.30 in bulk, while the current price (March,
1953) is $39.56.
Dead-burned dolomite valued at $21.7 million and comprising
1.76 million short tons was produced in 1950, for use in refrac-
tories .
Precipitated magnesium carbonate estimated to be worth
$8.3 million dollars was produced in 1950, representing 54,663
tons, of which all but 7,389 tons was used by the producers.
Because of t he limited number of producers, no production
figures for magnesium sulphate or magnesium chloride have been
disclosed since 1945. In that year 27,610 tons of magnesiu.m sul-
phate (100 % basis) representing about 57,000 tons of epsom salt,
and valued at $1.38 million dollars was produced. Magnesium
chloride produced, including that used for production of mag-
nesium metal, totalled 121,475 tons (also 100 % basis). Epsom salt
is currently (March, 1953) selling at $43 per ton, and magnesium
chloride (hexahydrate) at $50 per ton according to Chemical and
Engineering News.
Principal import of the United States is dead-burned mag-
nesite and periclase, which up to 1950 was obtained chiefly from
Canada. In 1950, 11,839 tons were imported from Austria and
2,104 tons from Canada.

Magnesium Metal (9)

Magnesium metal is one of the most strategic of war
materials, but until recently had limited peacetime uses. World
production, estimated at 150,000 tons annually from 1941 - 1945,
dropped to 26,000 tons in 1946, then climbed back to 44,000 tons
in 1950. Primary production of magnesium averaged 87,747 tons
during the 1941 - 1945 period in the United States, reaching a
maximum of 170,000 tons in 1943 (4). In 1946 only 4,317 tons
were produced, but by 1950 this figure had risen to 15,726 tons. The
price has r emained relatively steady rising from 20.5 cents per
pound in 1943, to 24.5 cents per pound i!1 1953.
In 1950, one plant, Dow Chemical Co. at Freeport, Texas,
accounted for the entire production of magnesium metal in the
United States. The total United States capacity is about 130,000
tons, of which about 70,000 tons (the plant s using sea-water) is
economic at the present price of magnesium. Cost of production
at the remaining plants ranges from 28 to 60 cents per pound ( 4).
Six idle plants were reactivated during 1951 and have been
producing magnesium for the national stockpile. At least two of
these have closed down again in 1953.
"Resources for Freedom" has this to say about the future of
magnesium in peacetime uses:
"Magnesium can be obtained at moderate cost in unlimited
amounts, but its large scale use awaits technical improvements in
14
alloying and fabricating the metal. If these improvements can be
achieved, there will be a tremendous fut ure for magnesium,
especially as a structural metal" ( 4, p. 73).
"Sufficient progress is being made in improving both the
performance of magnesium and the techniques of its fabrication
to warrant the h ope t hat it may have a gr eatly extended market
by 1975. That market may be anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000
tons depending on the tech nologic progress made" ( 4, p. 75).

15
 Magnesium in Saskatchewan Lakes
The following is a summary of informat ion available on
Saskatchewan lakes containing more than 100,000 tons of mag-
nesium in solution. The most recent information was obtained by
the staff of the Resources Utilization Branch. "Sodium Sulpha te
in Western Canada" by L . Heber Cole (2) of t he Dominion Depart-
ment of Mines, and "The Saline L akes of Saskatchewan" by
Dr. D. S. Rawson and J. E. Moore (5) of the University of
Saskatchewan have been r eferred to freely.
Some of the quantities in "Natural Sodium Sulphate in
Saskatchewan" (7) have been revised in view of new data on
lake depths and areas. Where available, aerial photographs were
used to obtain the area of lakes accurately. Soundings of the lakes
were conducted by R. A. Ruttan, Biologist, Department of Natural
Resour ces. With the exception of Muskiki Lake, none of t he sodium
s ulphate lakes (2,7 ) contain sufficient magnesium in solu tion to
s upply a commercial operation for very long. The larger deposits
might have enoug h magnesium in the salt bed, but this would be
available only as a by-product of sodium sulphate production as
the magnesium comprises less t han 3 % of the salt bed. The maj or
ions found in all the lakes are magnesium, sodium, sulphate, and
chloride.
Six lakes contain over 100,000 t ons of magnesium in solution
and at concentrations greater than the 0.13 % found in sea-water :
Big Quill, Redberry, Basin, Little Manitou, Aroma, and Muskiki.
Redberry, Basin, Big Quill a nd Aroma Lakes con tain under 0.67<,
magnesium, and under 10 % total salts. The magnesium would
have to be r ecovered from these by precipitation as magnesium
hydroxide. Muskiki and Little Manitou Lakes have brines con-
taining over 1 % magnesium and over 15 'Iv total salts and the
desired salts could possibly be recover ed by use of controlled
crystallization and evaporation, as well as by precipitation of
magnesium hydroxide.
The locations of these lakes a re given on the accompanying
map, and details of area, depth, and tonnage of magnesium are
given in Table III. Specific gravities were measured at 60 deg. F .
compared to water at the same temperature.
It is unfortunate that Manito Lake in the west par t of t he
province cannot be included as a magnesium sour ce. In 1938,
according to calculations based on t he data of Rawson and Moore
(5) , this lake contained over four million tons of magnesium. The
concentration at that time was 0.328 % while recent samples
analyze about 0.03 %. Apparently the magnesium has been nearly
all precipitated by incoming waters cont a ining carbonates. There
was no carbonate in t he lake in 1938 while recent analyses show
0.1 %. Akerlund and Soda Lakes in the same area contain relatively
large amounts of carbonate compared to other lakes in Saskatche-
wa n, a further indication that the ground waters in that area are
high in car bonate (7) .
16
 Little Quill Lake was also investigated as Rawson and Moor e
show a concentration of 0.18 percent magnesium in 1939. The lake
has now r eceded very much and appear s t o be only a few inches
deep wher e it does contain water. A sample tak en in June, 1952,
contained only 0.6'i1r total solids and only a trace of magnesium .
The brine has apparently migrated from this lake, in addition to
normal dr ying-up. It is possible t hat during a period of low water-
table, the brine passed through the bed of the lake to some
unknown point at a lower level. Ther e are extensive low salt
marshes to the nor t h of Little Quill Lake which may be the site
of the lost salts.

TABLE III
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION ON SASKATCHEWAN
MAGNESIUM LAKES

Map Area , Depth , Specific M&gne~ium

No. Lake Acres F eet Gravity % by weight Tons

1 Big Quill 64,000 4.3 1.050 0.56 2,200,000

2 Red berry 15,800 43.4 1.012 0.194 1,850,000
3 Basin 13,600 29.0 1.010 0.157 850,000
4 Little Ma nitou 3,100 2.8 1.193 2.3 325,000
5 Aroma .. .. 1,720 8.3 1.057 0.58 120,000
6 Muskiki .. 4,480 1.1 1.192 1.36 110,000

1. Big Quill Lake

Big Quill Lake covers about 100 square miles in Townsh ips
33, 34, Range 16; Tp. 32, 33, 34, 35, R. 17; T. 32, 33, 34, R . 18;
all West of the Second Meridian. It is approximately 100 miles
North of Regina, on the Winnipeg-Edmonton branch of the
C.P.R. The villages of Dafoe and Kandahar on this railroad ar e
within a mile of the South shor e of the lake.
The lake is shallow, having an average depth of 4.3 feet
(maximum: 5.6 feet), and is dr ying up at rather a fast rate.
Rawson a nd Moor e give an a rea of over 100,000 acres in 1939,
while aerial photos show the present area to be about 64,000 acres.
As would be expected, the salinity has increased (Table IV).

TABLE IV
INCREASE IN SALINITY OF BIG QUILL LAKE

Mont h Year Percent Total Solids

-- ----------------------- - --
May 1920 1.655
J une 1938 2.85
July 1939 3.00
June 1947 5.77
Aug ust . 1949 5.60
J une 1952 4.65

17
 With the exception of 1949, all summers have been abnormally
wet and cool since l 947, so tha t there was actually an increase in
the level of ma ny lakes in Saskatchewan. While t he rise in salinity
may be temporarily halted or reversed, with the r eturn of drier,
warmer weather, the r ecession of the lake will likely begin again.
Three recent analyses of Big Quill Lake are shown in Table V.

TABLE V
ANALYSES OF BIG QUILL LAKE
Percrnt l1y w cir1ht

Component June, 1947 August, 1949 June, 1952

Magnesium sulphate 2.61 2.79 2.48

Sodium sulphate 2.33 2.02 1.54
Sodium chloride 0.72 0.70 0.63

TOTAL* 5.77 5.60 4.65

Specific Gravity 1.053 1.050 1.043

•The total includes s mall amounts of carbonates anJ bicarbonates.

Based on the 1949 a nalysis, the lake contains 10.9 million

tons of magnesium s ulphate, 7.9 million tons of sodium sulphate,
and 2.7 million tons of sodium chloride.

2, 3. Redberry Lake and Basin Lake

Redberry and Basin Lakes may be considered together con-
veniently. Both are large deep lakes, occurring in parkland, and
their brines contain less than 2 7,, of total salts and less than
0.2 % magnesium. Processes applied to sea-water would be
applicable to recovery of magnesium. The salinity is increasing
slowly as shown in Table VI.

TABLE VI
INCREASE OF SALINITY OF REDBERRY LAKE

Month Year Salinity, ppm.

1926 11,600
August 1931 11,500
June 1939 13,800
June 1940 13,400
August 1950 16,500
July 1951 15,000

18
 Redberr v Lake is found in Townships 42, 43, 44, Range 8, and
Tp. 43, 44, Range 9, West of the Third Meridian, and is about 40
miles North-Northwest of Saskatoon. Redberry, a village on the
Denholme-Shellbrook branch of the C.N.R. is about two miles
from th e North s hore of the lake. Reclberry Lake covers a bout
25 squa r e miles, has a n average depth of 43.4 feet, a nd a maxi-
mum depth of 83 feet.
Basin Lake is located about 70 miles Northeast of Saskatoon
in Townships 41, 42, Ranges 23, 24, West of the Second Meridian.
lt is about 4 mi les East of St. Benedict on the Humboldt - Prince
Albert line of the C.P.R. Bas in L ake covers 21 squar e miles, has
an average depth of 29 feet, and a maximum depth of 54 feet .
Recent analyses of Redberry and Basin Lakes are g iven in
Table VII; other pertinent data are found in Table III. Redberry
Lake contains about 1.85 m illion tons and Basin Lake about
850,000 tons of magnesium.

TABLE VII
ANALYSES OF REDBERRY LAKE AND BASIN LAKE
JULY, 1951
Percent by weight

Component Redberry Basin

Magnesi um .... 0.178 0.150

Sodium 0.205 0.216
Sulphate 1.050 0.906
Chloride 0.020 0.057
Carbonate 0.027 0.022
Bicarbonate 0.020 0.032

TOTAL 1.500 1.883

4. Little Manitou Lake

Little Manitou Lake is a nar row lake about 12 miles long
running roughly parallel to the main line of the C.N.R. in Town-
ship 32, Ranges 24, 25, 26, West of the Second Meridian. Young,
Xena, and Watrous on t he C.N .R. ar e within 4 miles of the lake.
Soundings show t he average depth of Little Manitou L ake is only
2.8 feet, and recen t aerial photographs show the area is now 4.82
square miles. Maximum depth is 5.2 f eet. The lake level has
dropped t en feet or more during the past t wenty years.
As ther e is us ually some crystallized Gla uber's salt
(Na,SO, . lOH,O) on t he bed of the lake, it is difficult to estimate
19
the total amount of salts present. However, the magnesium
remains in solution, so that a fair estimate of the amount of mag-
nesium available may be obtained. Based on the July, 1951
analysis, Little Manitou Lake contains approximately 325,000
tons of magnesium.
- - - -- - · - - - -- -- -- --
TABLE VIII
ANALYSES OF LI'ITLE MANITOU LAKE
Percent by weight

Date Aug., '49 Sept., '49 Nov., '49 May, '51 July, '51 June, '52
-----
MgSO, .. 11.24 11.43 9.00 6.66 10.195 8.23
MgCl, . . 3.29 2.61 0.10 1.49,
Na,SO, 0.27 1.32
NaCl 7.22 7.30 4.44 3.53 7.07 4.65

TOTAL .. . 18.9 20.2 17.0 12.8 17.3 14.4

Specific
Gravity 1.178 1.193 1.156 1.116 1.162 1.135

Because of the alternate deposition and re-solution of sodium

sulphate as Glauber's salt, the composition of the brine varies
with the climatic conditions, and of course, with the time of t he
year. Table VIII shows this variation. It may be noted that the
ratio of chloride to magnesium ions remains approximately con-
stant as would be expected; these ions do not enter into the forma-
t ion of Glauber's salt.
The sample of November, 1949, was taken when a large part
of sodium and sulphate ions had been precipitated as Glaubei·'s
salt, leaving the brine rich in magnesium chloride. The May, 1951
and June, 1952, samples are also rich in magnesium as not much
of the Glauber's salt precipitated during the winter had dissolved.

5. Aroma Lake
Aroma Lake is located in the west side of Township 38,
Range 18, West of the Third Meridian. The Saskatoon - Macklin
branch of the C.P.R. is about a mile from the North end, while
the main line of the C.N.R. passes the same distance frorri the
South end. The Unity gas field is about 30 miles West.
The area of Aroma Lake is approximately 3 square miles and
its depth averages 8.3 feet, r eaching a maximum of 16 feet. Two
analyses of the brine are given in Table IX.
20
 TABLE IX
ANALYSES OF AROMA LAKE
Percent by weight

Component August, 1947 July, 1951

Magnesium sulphate 2.61 2.91

Sodium sulphate 4.45 2.68
Sodium chloride 0.83 0.68

TOTAL 7.89 6.27

Specific Gravity . 1.076 1.057

6. Muskiki Lake

Muskiki Lake is situated about one mile North of Dana, a

station on the Winnipeg - Edmonton branch of t he C.N.R. in
Townships 38, 39, Ranges 26, 27, West of the Second Meridian.
This lake was the site of the first attempt to produce commercial
amounts of sodium sulphate in Saskatchewan, and the only
operation to produce m agnesium salts. Neither was successful,
although a great deal of money was spent.

TABLE X
ANALYSES OF MUSKIKI LAKE
Percent by weight

Component Aug., 1949 May, 1951 July, 1951 May, 1952

Magnesium sulphate . 15.58 4.28 6.79 7.53

Sodium sulphate 12.30 6.70 11.67 7.08
Sodium chloride 2.05 0.45 0.88 0.83

TOTAL . 29.93 11.43 19.34 15.44

Specific Gravity . 1.319 1.103 1.192 1.152

Depth, inches 2 18 13t 18

21
 The lake was thoroughly prospected by Cole in the early
twenties (2, pp. 85-98) . The lake is approximately 7 square miles
in a rea. Depth of th e urine is va r iable, as in all sodium sulphate
deposits. It was 18 inches deep in the spring of 1951 , a wet, cold
year, and 13~ inches deep in July, 1951. In some years the lake
is practically dry by Au g us t. Analyses and depth of brine in recent
years are given in Table X. Although a thin layer containing up
to 75 7,. magnesium s ulphate is formed between the Glauber's salt
and ice in the winter, it does not seem likely t hat this could be
economically harvested over so large a n a rea. Therefore brine
would have to be used as the source of magnesium. Because the
amount of brine varies greatly, and is usually available for only
about four months, this lake is not attractive for development as
a magnesium source alone. Also, the t otal tonnage is r elatively
small, estimated at 110,000 tons of magnesium. It will be noted
that Cole estimated 2.5 million tons of hydrated magnesium
sulphate to he available as interm ittent crystal, which would all
be present in the brine. This is equivalent to 250,000 tons of
magnesium . One explanation for the 140,000 tons differ ence might
be t hat it has been gradually lost as insoluble magnesium carb-
onate (precipitated by car bonat e bearing waters) during t h e past
30 years. Loss by seepage through the lake bed during periods
when the water t able was low could also explain it.

Summary
In the six Saskatchewan lakes described, there is five and
one-h alf million tons of magnesium in solution, which could be
extracted by m orlifications of methods pr esently used. In add i-
tion, there is evidence of underground magnesium r esources in
the form of carnallite, associated with the salt and potash beds
underlying Saskatchewan.
Production of r efractory mag-nesia in Saskatchewan appears
possible, and will become more attr active as natur al gas becomes
available generally. The United States is importing magnesia in
increasing quant it ies in spite of large domestic output. The
economics of production here, and of transportation to t he con-
suming cent r es in the E astern United States would have to be
thoroughly investigated.
The fut ure of magnesium as a peacetime metal depends on
t he technological progress in developing means of alloying and
fabricating it for new useR, particularly as a structural material.
The most economical plants are those using sea-water as raw
mater ial, and provided t hat a large enough plant could be estab-
lished using lake brine, and cheap fu el and power are made avail-
able, t he production of magnesium in Saskatchewan could prove
to be competitive with other sources.
Certainly if it can be shown that pr oduction of either
magnesia or magnesium is sound economically, the raw material
necessary can be obtained in Saskat chewan.
22
 REFERENCES
1. Birch, Raymond E., and Wicken, Oscar 1\1., "Magnesite and
Related Minerals" Ch. 24, pp. 521-541 from "I ndustrial
Minerals and Rocks" published by The A merican Ins titute of
Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, New Yor k, 1949.
2. Cole, L.H., "Sodium Sulphat e of Western Canada", Canada
Dept. of Mines R eport No. 46.',, 1924.
3. Cole, L.H., "Potash Discover ies in Western Canada" , Bull.
C.1.M.M., March l!l48.
4. President'sMaterials P olicy Commission, "Resources for
Freedom" Vol. II, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington 25,
1952.
5. Rawson, D.S .. and Moore, J.E . "The Saline Lakes of Saskatche-
wan", Can. J. Research D, 22:141-201, 1944.
6. Shreve, R.N., "The Chemical Process Industries", p. 306-311
and p. 208-215, McGraw-Hill, New Yor k, 1945.
7. Tomkins, R.V., "Natural Sodium Sul phate in Saskatchewan" ,
Saskatchewan Dept. of Natural Resources, T ech. & Economic
Series R eport No. 1, 1948.
8. United States Bureau of Mines, "Magnesium Compounds" ,
Minerals Y earbook, 1950.
9. United States Bureau of Mines, " Magnesium" , Minerals Y ear-
book, 1950.

23
 REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN :
Printed by LAWRENCE AMON, P rinter to t he Queen's Most Excellent Majesty
1953
~>

Reprinted 1969