Earlier this week BHP Billiton began another series of open houses at their new office location in the Town of LeRoy.

The sessions are a chance for local residents and stakeholders to meet with representatives from the mining company and ask questions regarding the Jansen site.

Head of Corporate Affairs Chris Ryder talks about what types of questions they face during the open houses.

"Questions about the status of the project, how's it going, very similar to the questions I get from you actually. People are generally just very interested, they want to know how the shafts are going, they want to know how much work is being done this year, how many people are on site, just general questions about the project."

Ryder did say the low commodity prices are effecting the company's bottom line so they have tightened the budget for the site but that hasn't slowed their progression.

"Commodity prices are a lot lower now than they were a year or two ago and that has an impact on cash flow so we've been asked to progress the project but do it in a way that is fiscally responsible and we've been doing that. In terms of our outlook on the potash market, the long term fundamentals remain good, we think potash is a good business and we think Saskatchewan is a great place to do business."

Their focus this year will continue to be to sink the shafts and prepare for production.

"Our focus for the next year or two is going to be very much on sinking and lining both of the shafts as well as maintaining the site and doing the study work that we have to do to prepare the project to take it to the board for them to give us final approval to finish constructing the whole mine," Ryder explained.

The plan is still to be digging potash sometime after the year 2020.

You can hear from Ryder in his interview with Bolt FM's Ronald Quaroni below.