IC Potash announces commencement of preparation of the Ochoa Project Prefeasibility Study

TORONTO, Feb. 2 /CNW/ --
TORONTO, Feb. 2 /CNW/ - IC Potash Corp. ('ICP' or the 'Company') (TSXV:
ICP; OTCQX: ICPTF) is pleased to announce the commencement of the Ochoa
Project Sulphate of Potash ('SOP') Pre-feasibility Study.  Through this
study and concurrent environmental work, the Company will establish the
engineering basisfor the Ochoa Project for mining, processing, and SOP
marketing.    

This announcement complements recent operating progress including two
successful drill programs, the establishment of substantial measured
and indicated resources, and the completion of the Preliminary Economic
Assessment, which indicated that the project has a projected Net
Present Value of $1.4 billion with a discount rate of 10% and
production level of 660,000 short tons. 

Mr. Sidney Himmel, President and Chief Executive Officer of IC Potash
stated: 'I am very pleased with the operational progress made to date. 
We are on plan with our primary strategic goal to be in production for
2014. To achieve that, we have assembled an excellent team of
accomplished professionals to complete this study and will now move
quickly to establish the economic engineering parameters for the
Project.'         

Pre-Feasibility Team: 

    --  Lead Engineering Firm and Project Manager: The lead engineering
        firm will be Gustavson Associates, LLC. of Colorado
        ('Gustavson').  Gustavson will provide the mining and
        processing plans, and initial detailed engineering.  Gustavson
        is a global consulting firm consisting of mining engineers,
        geologists, economists and geophysicists.  
    --  Mineral Processing: Process optimization and confirmation will
        be carried out by a team of highly experienced potash
        processing chemical engineers. This highly experienced team has
        worked with numerous global corporations as consultants and
        represents some of the leading authorities on the processing of
        potassium salts.  Collectively, the team has over 100 years of
        experience directly related potash salt processing. 
    --  Pilot Testing:  Hazen Research, Inc.   ('Hazen') of Golden,
        Colorado, will perform bench scale and pilot process testing,
        including the evaluation of prior work carried out by the
        Bureau of Mines, and prior corporate pilot plant testing of
        polyhalite to SOP processing.  The objectives will include the
        optimization of SOP recovery, including the minimization of
        water usage and required acreage for solar evaporation. 
        Hazen's professional staff includes over 150 highly trained
        professionals in the fields of chemical and metallurgical
        engineering.  Hazen has internationally recognized expertise in
        pilot plants, minerals beneficiation, physical separations,
        thermal processing, and hydrometallurgy.  
    --  Hydrology and Environmental Work: The hydrology work will be
        managed by Intera Geosciences and Engineering ('Intera') of New
        Mexico.  Intera is highly experienced in water resource
        management related to water supply, quality, rights, transfers,
        and management.  Intera has expertise in the south-western
        United States with clients including industry and state,
        federal, and municipal agencies, and has expertise in providing
        models of hydrologic system conditions.  
    --  Processing Equipment Design and Selection: This work will be
        carried out by FLSmidth, a leading supplier of equipment and
        services to the global minerals industry, employing more than
        10,000 people world-wide.  Product expertise includes ore
        feeding, sizing, crushing, and milling, automation and control
        systems including mix optimization, conveyor engineering, and
        expertise in emissions and water systems. 
    --  Rock Mechanics: This work will be carried out by Advanced Terra
        Testing of Colorado ('ATT').  ATT has expertise in the
        provision of physical test data for mining engineering projects
        word wide, including rock mechanics and geosynthetics. 
    --  SOP Marketing and Pricing: This work will be carried out by
        CRU.  CRU, formerly known as British Sulphur Consultants, is
        the leading business consultancy and publisher for the
        fertilizer and chemical industries. The company forecasts
        fertilizer markets internationally. CRU has established a
        worldwide reputation in minerals and chemicals consulting over
        a period of 50 years. 

Randy Foote, Chief Operating Officer of the Company stated: 'With the
team of engineering, hydrological, processing, and marketing
professionals in place, I am fully confident that we are on the right
path towards the development of a major Sulphate of Potash production
facility.  We believe that this study should be completed within
approximately 9 months.  I am very excited to be managing the
engineering planning and design with this team of professionals, with
many of whom I have worked with in the past in potash production.' 

All scientific and technical disclosures in this press release have been
prepared under the supervision of William J Crowl, a consultant to IC
Potash who is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National
Instrument 43-101. 

About IC Potash Corp. 

IC Potash intends to become a primary producer of Sulphate of Potash
('SOP') by mining its 100%-owned Polyhalite Ochoa property in New
Mexico. SOP is a non-chloride based potash fertilizer that sells at a
substantial premium over the price of Muriate of Potash ('MOP'), the
most widely used fertilizer in the world. Typically SOP sells at a
premium of over 40% to MOP. ICP is focused on being the lowest cost
producer of SOP in the world. The SOP market is approximately six
million tonnes per year and SOP is a significant fertilizer in the
fruit, vegetable, tobacco, potato, and horticultural industries, and
for agriculture in saline and dry soils and soils in which there is
much agriculture with varieties of crops, such as for example in China,
India, the Mediterranean, and the United States. ICP's Ochoa property
consists of over 100,000 acres of federal subsurface potassium
prospecting permits and State of New Mexico Potassium mining leases. 

Forward-Looking Statements 

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain
forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown
risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject
to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the
control of ICP, including, but not limited to, risks associated with
mineral exploration and mining activities, the impact of general
economic conditions, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory
approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing.
Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of
such information, although considered reasonable at the time of
preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance
should not be placed on forward-looking statements. 

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER
(AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE)
ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. 

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Please visit www.icpotash.comor contact: Sidney Himmel, 1-416-624-3781