7.5c SP -> $1.11 SP Target (Largest Potash Deposit in West-Europe) $30M MC, page-1091

https://www.eichsfelder-nachrichten.de/news/news_lang.php?ArtNr=303782


Drilling work takes about a month

Preparations for the drilling site near Haynrode have been completed, the site is now optimally prepared for drilling. The special device was already delivered a few days ago. Now it is ready for drilling to a depth of up to 692 metres to bring the potash salt seeds to the surface...

Despite partly winter conditions, we have remained on schedule with our preparations. Now we are happy to actually carry out the first confirmation drilling," says Jason Wilkinson, Managing Director of Südharz Kali GmbH. The company stands for modern and sustainable potash mining, without permanent salt heaps or saline wastewater.

032On behalf of Südharz Kali GmbH, H. Anger's Söhne Bohr- und Brunnenbaugesellschaft mbH has been preparing and carrying out the drilling since mid-November 2021. "Each drilling is a unique piece, an interplay of task, geology, technology to be used and the aspects of water, mining and environmental law," explains Andre Zucker, plant manager of Anger.

All these aspects were discussed, evaluated and integrated in the preparation between the client, specialist planner, the competent authorities and the drilling company. But: "Flexibility in the event of changes in drilling in compliance with the aforementioned core aspects is and still remains the alpha and omega. Because 'unfortunately, it is and remains dustier in front of the hoe," Zucker continues.

The drill rig, which is integrated into a special truck, weighs 43 tons and has a height of almost 18 metres with the mast installed. In the so-called deck mountains - these are all rocks above the salt rocks - the rock is "broken" into small parts with a roller chisel, pumped from the borehole deepest to the surface in the flow of the drilling fluid and thus creating a tube. To protect the groundwater-carrying layers, waterproof pipes are installed in the borehole and cemented.

If the bore reaches the salt horizon - this is the range from approx. 530 metres depth, the potash salts are still stored about 120 m lower - the drilling process is changed. First, the upper area of the borehole is closed off by another cemented piping with respect to the Salt Mountains. After testing and removing the shut-off, the rope core drilling method is used. Thus, the drill cores can be cut out of the rock as a whole by means of a drill bit and pulled to the surface undamaged in the so-called inner tube. When the drill core has been removed, the inner tube is reinstalled to the very bottom and the next core is drilled.

Various drilling rinses are used during drilling work. They are used to stabilise the borehole, to clean the borehole sole and to cool the roller bit and drill bit in the borehole. This is a well-mounted, groundwater-compatible way of drilling. The drilling fluids are pumped, "recycled" and reused in a self-contained system. They are composed in such a way that there is no impact on the environment and the pierced rocks. The aim of drilling is to convey and investigate mainly drill cores of the potash salt rocks, but also of the rocks above and below to the daily surface. Each drill core is about 3 metres long. In total, drill cores with a total length of around 160 metres are taken out of the depths. Every measure in the field of preparation, implementation and final dismantling of the drilling are accompanied geologically and engineering by the Thuringian engineering company ERCOSPLAN.

These drilling activities last about four weeks and are carried out - as well as the preparation of the drilling site and the subsequent restoration of the initial state - taking into account the strict legal requirements of environmental and nature protection and in particular the regulations for the protection of groundwater. All activities are authorised by the authorities of the Free State of Thuringia and the authorities of the district of Eichsfeld and are monitored during implementation. After completion of the drilling work, the borehole is completely refilled to the surface, the drilling site is dismantled and the utilised surfaces are restored to their original state.

The confirmation bore near Haynrode is the first of two confirmation boreholes in the Ohmgebirge in order to be able to physically evaluate the potash salt deposit there. The second confirmation bore is planned near Worbis.

The mine property "Ohmgebirge" is one of three mine owners that the company has acquired in the traditional southern Harz potash district. The mine property "Ohmgebirge" in the area of the village locations Kirchworbis-Haynrode-Brehme borders on the old Kaligruben Bischofferode and Sollstedt. The potash salts available here were already recognised as recognised reserves for later production during the 1980s. The Ohmgebirge is also the first project to concretely drive southern Harz Kali.