Intrepid Potash Inc. on Nov. 2 announced the successful completion of the Eddy Shaft Brine Extraction Project (Project) at its HB solar solution mine (HB) in Carlsbad, N.M. after an eight-month permitting process.
Intrepid said the Project provides access to a high-grade brine pool in the Eddy Cavern that was originally targeted by the IP30A extraction well, which failed and was plugged and abandoned in fourth-quarter 2022.
The Project utilizes the existing Eddy Shaft to access a 270-million-gallon brine pool with a potassium chloride concentration expected at over 9%. The company says this translates to 85,000-110,000 potash product tons, which will be incremental to its brine sources at HB. By utilizing the Eddy Shaft, Intrepid said it avoided the time and capital associated with drilling and only incurred costs related to the installation of a new pump system and corresponding surface infrastructure.
Intrepid expects the production contribution from the Project to begin in second-half 2024 and carry into 2025, with this brine source and extraction point becoming a consistent, longer-term contributor to Intrepid’s production as it continues brine injection over time. The Project’s brine pool is currently being extracted at a rate of approximately 750 gallons per minute. The company expects the brine to be pumped into ponds by the start of the 2024 summer evaporation season.