Potash mining in Udon - what is the latest ?

[FrazeeDK]

and that applies to pretty much all the State Owned Enterprises (SOE's).

[parrot]

Interesting info out of Laos:
Sino-Agri International Potash Co., Ltd
Autgust 2,n86 20o2c31 ·
THROUGH THE ACQUISITIONS, ASIA-POTASH INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT (GUANGZHOU) CO LTD (000893.SZ) WILL BECOME THE LARGEST MONOMERIC #POTASH RESOURCES COMPANY IN ASIA.
On the evening of July 30, Asia-Potash International announced that to purchase 56% of equity interest in NongJia Resources with the assets of a potash mine has not yet been put into operation during the reporting period which located in Nongbok Village, Khammuon Province of #Laos amounted to RMB 1.764 billion. The listed company intends to pay the transaction of RMB 1.684 billion by way of issuing shares and RMB 80 million in cash.
Through this transaction, Asia-Potash International will acquire the ownership of high quality potash resources in Laos, which will increase the amount of pure potassium chloride (KCl) reserves to over 800 million tons.
Asia-Potash International invested a total of RMB 400 million in cash from its own funds to further increase the registered capital of its wholly-owned subsidiary Sino-Agri International Potash Co., Ltd. for the 1 million tons/year potash #fertilizers transformation and expansion project, subsequently the company will construct the additional 2 million tons/year potash project respectively.
Potassium is one of the three essential nutrients for plant growth and development and has an irreplaceable role in accelerating metabolism, promoting photosynthesis and enhancing resistance, as well as being one of the minerals necessary for human and animal growth.
And
The first cargo train of the China-Laos Railway bound for China began on December 3rd, 2021, with a cargo of potash products manufactured by a China-Lao joint venture named Sino-Agri International Potash Company.

[parrot]

More info:
http://www.asia-potash.com/en/about/about.aspx
The company has active layout for a long-term development and carrys out diversified strategies, its subordinate SINO-AGRI International Potash Co., Ltd (hereinafter referred to as “SINO-KCL”) has the right to exploit 35 km2 area of potash salt deposits in Khammuane Province, Lao PDR. The area has a proven K-Mg ore mf reserve of 1,002,000,000 tons, equivalent to 152,000,000 tons of pure potassium chloride resources. The previous 100,000 t/a potash fertilizer verification project completed by SINO-KCL has made a significant breakthrough in the world's K-Mg salt deposit (carnallite) exploitation field. SINO-KCL is also the first enterprise that has achieved industrial mass production and economic benefits in newly-born potash salt regions worldwide and keeps its leadership in the industry. Up to now SINO-KCL has already launched the construction of a 500,000 t/a potash fertilizer expansion project and is striving for the development goal of 1,000,000 t/a steadily.

[FrazeeDK]

Asia Pacific Potash still has their small office out in Nong Takai village not far from their large claim...https://www.google.co.th/maps/@17.26854 ... 8192?hl=en I'd throw out a prediction and that is that whatever parent company owns Aisa Pacific Potash Corporation will sell their ownership rights to some large Chinese mining company in the next fw years. Getting that "high speed" standard gauge rail to Udon with a large rail siding to load Potash ore would be only logical... Here's Asia Pacific's website.. Not a lot of activity at all with their last press release being 7 years ago... http://www.appc.co.th/en/index.html Googling a bit more shows the Aisa Pacific Potash company to be owned by Italian Thai...

[FrazeeDK]

oh, on that Potash development project up in Laos. Wanna bet that the concession was granted to offset interest payments on the loans Lao took?? Next will be the giant bauxite (source of aluminum) deposits down in the lower panhandle of Laos. They were assayed by Aussie companies back around 2006 and shortly thereafter the Lao government put an indefinite hold on development.. The deposits extend over into Vietnam which have been mined for a number of years..

[stattointhailand]

If its owned by Italian Thai, it's not surprising theres not much action ........ can't track potash. trap it, shoot it and hang it on the wall

[FrazeeDK]

ah, but they've got the mining rights, an approved EIA and can afford to sit on their prospective cash cow indefinitely. Or until some huge Chinese mining company offers them a huge amount of money for it.. or a joint venture buy-in... Wait till those standard gauge tracks reach Udon, it'll be sooner rather than later... Then we'll see movement on the mining.. By then the Udon Industrial Estate, adjacent to the mining claim will be in full swing too.

[parrot]

The effort to mine potash in the Udon area has been ongoing for nearly 40 years. Maybe the stars are beginning to align with the war in Ukraine and the high price of fertilizer.
https://www.prachachat.net/economy/news-925714

[parrot]

The Cabinet has given the green light for potash mining in Udon Thani province to solve the problem of expensive fertilizer. Suriya is expected to open up to 2 million tons of the first lot of mines per year in 6 months - 1 year.

[FrazeeDK]

http://www.appc.co.th/en/company_overview.html

[FrazeeDK]

http://www.dmr.go.th/download/lao_thai5 ... ash%20.pdf

[FrazeeDK]

by the way, the Nong Takai lake was dredge out years ago by APPC but never kept up properly. It has never been filled which would be necessary to process the ore.

[FrazeeDK]

drove out to visit the sister-in-law south of Udon. Drove by the Asia Pacific Potash company office headquarters in Ban Nong Takai. Noted five brand new white Toyota 4 door pickups with Bangkok plates. Survey team arriving??? Usually there are one or two vehicles sitting in front of the place... The sign does say "information center". Maybe the next time I drive by I'll stop and ask what's up... https://www.google.co.th/maps/@17.26861 ... 8192?hl=th

[FrazeeDK]

latest update on the Potash mine. Seems Italian Thai Development has Asia Pacific Potash as their front company. IT owns 90% of the mine concession. https://www.thaienquirer.com/45208/shar ... don-thani/

[mak]

The maximum level of subsidence projected for the Udon South mine over the mine life will be less than 70 cm.
Where is the water coming from?
Thailand’s Minerals Act, which allows mining below 100 m depth without the property owner’s consent.

[parrot]

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/over-my-de ... Pz7KbtTQDY

I wouldn't be a fan of having a mine only 100m below my land/home......in the US, much less Thailand.

[FrazeeDK]

most of the assays Canadian Pacific Potash did back in the 90's show the 1-2 mteter thick syulvinite deposits at 300-500 meters below the surface.. the deposits run from the Nong Takai area north-northeast on the east side of Udon. The south deposit (which I guess indicates another mine in the future) will be a large shaft down to the deposit level then a pillar and cavern process pulling out the sylvinite ore and leaving roughly 4 meter high caverns. The ore is moved to the surface where it is "processed" to extract the potash that the assays rated at 23% which is quite high. The talings would be stored on the surface in covered areas to prevent any leaching of the primarily salt residues into the surface water tables. After a specificed period (don't know how long) the detritus will be moved back into the caverns Processing the ore requires water and lots of it. The company claims their extraction methods will reuse the water to prevent overuse of water in the area. The direct employment is estimated to be 300-500 workers with likely another 1500 tangential jobs. Remember too that this minehead is immediately adjacent to the large Udon Industrial Estate.. The assayed potash available is estimated to meet 100% of Thailand's potassium based fertilzer needs for 25 years.

[rick]

Hmm, 70 cm. it will probably not be an even level of subsidence across the area, also it would only take a few cms to cause damage to many foundations. And we can guess that proving the mine was responsible may be difficult. No wonder the locals are very hostile to the project.
And then there is the waste water. K Cl and Na Cl are both highly soluble, and is bound to be in the waste water. It would take some considerable effort to stop it escaping (and not forgetting accidents or unusual weather could also cause runoff). Once it is out there, it isn't something you can 'clean up'. Potential pollution of waterways and water supplies.

[Doodoo]

K Cl and Na Cl
are potential hazards, dependent on the levels in the waste water of the mine

K CL is used in many substances for human consumption
"Medical use
Main article: Potassium chloride (medical use)
Potassium is vital in the human body, and potassium chloride by mouth is the common means to treat low blood potassium, although it can also be given intravenously. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[10] Overdose causes hyperkalemia which can disrupt cell signaling to the extent that the heart will stop, reversibly in the case of some open heart surgeries.

Culinary use
It can be used as a salt substitute for food, but due to its weak, bitter, unsalty flavor, it is often mixed with ordinary table salt (sodium chloride) to improve the taste to form low sodium salt. The addition of 1 ppm of thaumatin considerably reduces this bitterness.[11] Complaints of bitterness or a chemical or metallic taste are also reported with potassium chloride used in food."

As for Na Cl
This is SALT used widely through out the world Many countries that have ice/snow covered roads use salt freely to melt this. Used Medically, culinary, firefighting, etc In Canada about 10 to 20 million tons of salt is used every winter season to keep the roads and walkways safe.

[fatbob]

How doe's rice grow if the fields have a high salt level, and all other plants.... and the water table, were not talking salt on french fries....