Potash mining in Udon - what is the latest ?

[bamboo]

High Stakes, Hard Lines Pose Threat to Peace in Udorn Thani
Wednesday February 16, 2005 01:13 PM
By Peter McCaslin
Potash, a coarse, reddish mineral used to make chemical fertilizers, is giving rise to more than just high crop yields in the province of Udorn Thani. Plans by Asia Pacific Potash Corporation (APPC) to build a

[skipvice]

http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/udon_thani

more information on udon potash and the opposition to it.

[bamboo]

Where in Udon are the mining projects ?

[mackayae]

Sombun is about 17 km south of the ring road just east of highway 2. A few kms south of Non Sung. It's in Amphur Prachak Sinlapakhom.

[FrazeeDK]

Drive south from Udon, past the military camp in Non Sung, past the turn-off to Nong TaKai and down into the flats.. You'll see the turn-off heading East marked with a sign in Thai/English for Prachak Sinlapakhom. turn left there and driv eover the railway tracks.. To your left should be a road/entrance into the APPC area.. The area extends from the railway line East some ways and North almost to the watershed of the Nong Takai ridge.. The Potash in this area is very deep, up to 500 meters. When mined it will NOT be Open Pit mining but shaft mining. The problem with mining Potash is that to extract the mineral content of it for fertilizer requires a "washing" of the mineral. The residue of this "washing" process is essentially salt. Since the mining area is in a key watershed that breaks North to the Mekong and South to the Non Han Khumpawapi lake/depression, any foul-up in the handing of the Potash residue will essentially kill whatever area the salt spreads to...
About 15+ years ago, several other Thai and Foreign companies did similar Potash mining in the Chaiyaphum area. They left behind a moonscape unable to grow anything..
Could APPC be an environmental steward, a large employer (500+) and provide a huge income bump to UdonThani Province..?? Yes, IF, they invest the proper amount of money into good environmentally friendly technology.. Howeve, history has shown in Thailand many times that money does indeed talk, and that large profit margins will definitely override any concerns for the right of several thousand Isaan farmers, their health or their concerns about the future of their livelihoods.
Expect evasion from the government on this issue, and if the chao na of the area protest, expect the police and company goons to bust heads...
It's sad but true that this may happen.. If handled correctly, this enterprise could be a true boon to the area, providing alternative employment for up to 20 years...

[FrazeeDK]

Drive south from Udon, past the military camp in Non Sung, past the turn-off to Nong TaKai and down into the flats.. You'll see the turn-off heading East marked with a sign in Thai/English for Prachak Sinlapakhom. turn left there and driv eover the railway tracks.. To your left should be a road/entrance into the APPC area.. The area extends from the railway line East some ways and North almost to the watershed of the Nong Takai ridge.. The Potash in this area is very deep, up to 500 meters. When mined it will NOT be Open Pit mining but shaft mining. The problem with mining Potash is that to extract the mineral content of it for fertilizer requires a "washing" of the mineral. The residue of this "washing" process is essentially salt. Since the mining area is in a key watershed that breaks North to the Mekong and South to the Non Han Khumpawapi lake/depression, any foul-up in the handing of the Potash residue will essentially kill whatever area the salt spreads to...
About 15+ years ago, several other Thai and Foreign companies did similar Potash mining in the Chaiyaphum area. They left behind a moonscape unable to grow anything..
Could APPC be an environmental steward, a large employer (500+) and provide a huge income bump to UdonThani Province..?? Yes, IF, they invest the proper amount of money into good environmentally friendly technology.. Howeve, history has shown in Thailand many times that money does indeed talk, and that large profit margins will definitely override any concerns for the right of several thousand Isaan farmers, their health or their concerns about the future of their livelihoods.
Expect evasion from the government on this issue, and if the chao na of the area protest, expect the police and company goons to bust heads...
It's sad but true that this may happen.. If handled correctly, this enterprise could be a true boon to the area, providing alternative employment for up to 20 years...

[bamboo]

Thanks for the info - in the articles they never say where the mines are. My gf lives down in Kumpawapii - I guess this area is in the danger zone, bummer. I hope they can stop the project or at least make sure it is done safely.

[dan115loop]

Does anyone know if Nong Kon Kond is in this area.

Thank you

[Jere]

Code: Select all

Does anyone know how to contact the Udon Conservation Club or any Udon or Issan NGO that might be working on or know about this issue?

I can be reached at jerelocke@yahoo.com or 084-020-4857

[FrazeeDK]

call my nephew, Prasompan at 810605229. He is the abbot pf a Wat in Ban Na Di about 3-4km from the mining site. He was involved in a community action group against the mine about 4 years ago and probably still has an interest.. He speaks minimal English so if your Thai isn't top notch, have a Thai question him on what's up with the mine.

[Aardvark]

A Project like this could be invaluable to Udonthani province, a serious injection of money and jobs could make a significant difference to many locals lives. Sadly not just in Thailand Mining companies will always put profit before envioronmental concerns and the local population will be left to pick up the pieces.

[Fred the Farmer]

I wonder if it true that APPC are trying to use a mining technique or maybe a water treatment technique that has never been used before on this scael??

And that the holding ponds for the waste treatment water are designed to withstand a 1 in 100 year flood???? I think that should be enough to make people think twice with global warming these days?!

Also when hear stories like projects of the Underground in BKK, and how contractors get forced to cut cost or loose the contract, so therefore continue knowing the structures are not 100% safe!!

Better to build a dam and let the farmers farm I would say?

[parrot]

I haven't seen anything in the news recently about the mine. More than 20 years of effort in trying to get clearance for the mine......no doubt, big money is involved. I wonder what else.

http://udonpotash-news.blogspot.com/201 ... -kids.html

[FrazeeDK]

looks like pure public relations from Asia-Pacific Potash's little office in Ban Nong Takai.. I drive through there every couple of weeks taking the wife out to visit her sister.. No development on the mine front BUT, the area which Parrot showed way back when that is designated for the mine remains fallow. The Nong Takai lake was embanked and dredge out 3-4 years ago no doubt to in the future provide the large amount of water needed for Potash mining. The "property lines" for the designated mine area have rows of pine trees plant, some for many years now and a narrow area set off by bamboo fencing for a number of kilometers.. My speculation is that within a few years we'll see the Asian-Pacific Potash Company that has the concession bought out by a company partnered out of China.

The new industrial park north of Nong TaKai and east on Non Soong is under heavy clearing and preparation is just north of the designated mining area east of the railway track. As an aside, the State Railway of Thailand has done minimal improvements to the Nong Takai rail siding area that is supposedly there also to support the new industrial park... Substantial 20MW high tension lines have been installed from the main power distribution park 12km east of Udon on Rte 22 back to the Industrial Park area.. I would imagine their presence would complement a future mine opening. Some concrete roads have been poured into the industrial park area from Nong Takai northwards

[parrot]

Thanks for the update. We don't get out that way as much as we used to.

For the record, there was an earlier 1990's attempt at the industrial park......roads, buildings, power lines....but the project never took off. I haven't seen anything in the press of late.......wonder if there are any industries moving or planning to move to the area.

[Barney]

I think the backside dropped out of the metric ton price by a considerable amount few years ago.
A check of the 5 or 10 year market might explain.
Until a good recovery cost and more importantly contracted sales made then a new project may just sit on the back burner.
There are plenty of existing operating mines at the present that are supplying world needs and they can most likely absorb the low price. The last thing existing mines and processing facilities would want is another new operation coming on to the market, especially the Canadians.



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[the-monk]

Yes... Nutrien the Canadian giant just bought Australia RURALCO...

[FrazeeDK]

Here's the link to the Udon Thani industrial estate website: https://www.udonindustrialcity.com/

Parrot is correct that the original industrial estate was built back around 98-99. the two lane bridge over the railway and a 700 meter road with lots of clearing of jungle.. It flopped and the "industrial estate" lands were slowly taken over by houses and shacks.. About a year ago when the government was ramping up the project I drove through and saw most of the squatter houses, some of which were quite nice, being demolished and "for rent" and "for sale" signs on my others.. The government is offering some very good terms and seems to be pushing in the right direction to entice factories into the zone.. However, a key to the project will be transportation and the State Railway of Thailand has yet to dual track from Bangkok to Udon and has NOT done any significant development in the railway siding in Nong Takai about 3 km from the industrial estate area. That of course begs the question as to why they just wouldn't put a railway spur directly into the estate...

[FrazeeDK]

I agree that the Udon Potash deposits might be left fallow for a few more years.. That transportation nexus is not developed yet plus there are considerable deposits in Chaiyaphum northwest of Khorat currently under exploitation. http://www.apot.co.th/projects.php?id=65&cate=proj

Chaiyaphyum's potash mines, at least many years ago were "poster childs" for how not to do it. Massive spills of potash waste (primarily salt) created a moonscape around the mining area at the time.. Perhaps this new development will do things in a more responsible manner...

Original assays of Udon stated the sylvinite deposits were roughly 23-24% Potassium which is pretty high. Estimates are it would provide at least 25 years of potassium for fertilizer production in Thailand. They are 300-500 meters deep and span east of Udon southwards to the Nong Takai area. They would require vertical shafts and a cavern/column technique.. The problem is that "washing" the sylvinite to extract the potassium requires huge amounts of water. Nong Takai is on a watershed break that feeds water southwards to the "Red Lotus Sea" and northwards in creeks and rivers to the Mekong.. Pollution of these water sources would devastate crop production.. Plus, the detritus left after extracting potassium, if not properly contained can result in massive dust pollution particularly during the dry season.. Plans are to put the detritus left from potassium production back into the mine spaces..

[parrot]

That of course begs the question as to why they just wouldn't put a railway spur directly into the estate...

Too many bennies and a lifelong employer make for little incentive to improve. SRT has a pretty poor track record......nearly 70 years of losses. Meanwhile, Thai Air attributes their losses to high fuel costs.....but that doesn't seem to affect the other airlines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Rai ... erformance
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com ... ys-losses/
Over the years, we've know people who work for both organizations. Lifelong employment, lots of bennies, little incentive to improve.