Potash

Potash

     Potash is used for many different reasons but the main one being fertilizer. On August 13, 2010 a permit was issued to Dakota Salts LLC. They will be doing one test well in Lignite, North Dakota. They are actually bringing the rig up from Mexico because there is such a shortage on availabe rigs right now.This is the first well looking for potash in 30 years. The company is also using grant money to see if once the potash is removed, the mines can be used to hold compressed air from wind farms.

     The drilling process will be similar to what they do when drilling for oil in ND. They will drill horizontally into the potash formation, take waste oil-field water, the water will bring the potash to the surface where it will be removed. Then it will be put on a train and sent West.

     The studies done show that there is approximately $10 trillion recoverable potash resources just in North Dakota. Their plan is to have four potash processing plants in four different counties, Divide, Burke, Bottineu and Renville. There will be a pipeline carrying the potash to these plants. Each plant will need approximately 100 employees. Each plant will produce approximately 2 billion tons of potash.
     The hole left behind after getting the potash out of the ground will be about 150 feet tall by 300 feet wide and 2 miles long. They are wanting to connect these caverns to the wind generators to hold the excess compressed air produced. They are also thinking these caverns could hold natural gas.
     Interesting.