Reward deal $20M, page-18

Team Kalium had its chance. Read the feasibility, the Germans considered a number of processing options but decided on kainite>schoenite, halite flotation. Of course none of the iron ore pioneers (or Smoothy) were in a position to really understand much/any of the evaporation or processing. Same applied to SO4, Middlemas knew F all about it, he knew that SOP was fashionable just like uranium had been.
Big difference at RWD was Mick Ruane was doing his own evaporation trials back in 2008-9, reporting the results and understood what he was doing. Ruane and Hinchcliffe at RWD were developing their own flowsheet, in-house well over a decade ago. These guys knew that Kalium and SO4 would struggle long before now. I was at an AGM when flotation was discussed. “SOP is too slippery” or something similar.
It would be interesting to know why Compass Minerals is successful but the West Australians (even with N American input) have been unsuccessful.
Cheers. And watch future developments closely.