After the ore is extracted, it is generally transferred by bridge conveyor, shuttle cars or load-haul-dump units to a system of conveyors that carry it to underground storage bins, prior to haulage to the surface through a shaft by automated skips. On rare occasions shallow mines may use a decline and conveyor arrangement. Solution mining is currently used at a number of operations in North America. The process relies on the greater solubility at elevated temperatures in brine of sylvite in comparison to salt (NaCl). Commonly, brine is heated on the surface then injected into the orebody through wells. The heated brine absorbs sylvite from the orebody and is then pumped back.
