By Igor Bestemianov
A second potash facility is to be built by 2017, annually producing over 1m tonnes of potash fertilisers and creating about 1,500 new jobs. Global agricultural producers are greatly in need of fertilisers, ensuring a buoyant market.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry’s Geology Department tells us that the investment project envisages production of potash fertilisers from an as yet undeveloped site in the Minsk Region: the eastern part of Nezhinskoe section. In addition, the Smolovskoe and Lyubanskoe sections of the Starobinsky potash salts deposit are to be mined for the new facility. Large deposits of potassium ore will be developed by the new facility: over 1bn tonnes of raw salts. No final geological exploration has yet been conducted at the Starobinsky potash salts deposit — so even greater volumes may yet be found.
The Gomel Region is also believed to be rich in potash salts — in particular, at Oktyabrsoe and Petrikovskoe (Mozyr District) deposits. The first stage of a contest has been announced for the latter, aiming to find an investor for further industrial development of the deposit and the construction of an ore mining and dressing plant. Known deposits of raw salts at Petrikovskoe account for over 1bn tonnes.
