Export Potash Projects in the Americas Underscore Worldwide Upswing in Demand

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--A number of potash mining projects being developed in the Americas highlight increasing demand brought about by elevated and subsidized farming and biofuels development in potash consuming nations. For example, Potasio Rio Colorado S.A (PRC – Buenos Aires, Argentina), a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RTP) (London, England), is developing a potash solution mining project in Argentina’s Mendoza province, which is scheduled to begin construction by the end of 2009 or early 2010.

The company presented an environmental impact study (EIS) last January to provincial authorities for the project in the Malargue Department southwest of Mendoza Province in Argentina.

The $900 million project’s output is expected to be 2.4 million tons per year with a design that allows for expansion.

The project will utilize solution mining technology where hot water is pumped into the deposit and extracted by way of surface wells, instead of the traditional open pit or underground mining technologies. Once the solution reaches the surface, it is pumped to a crystallization and purification plant to be processed. The finished product would most likely be railed to Bahia Blanca, Argentina, where it would be stored for export to potash-consuming nations, such as the U.S., China, Brazil and India.

Potash is a mineral used mainly as a fertilizer in the farming and agriculture industry.

Leading potash miner and fertilizer producer Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Incorporated (NYSE:POT) (PotashCorp) (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan), which claims 22% of the world’s potash capacity, is in the midst of a significant expansion program at its Canadian mines, most recently announcing plan for a new $1 billion underground mine in New Brunswick. For details, view related June 12, 2007, news article - PotashCorp Rolls On with Ambitious Potash Mine Expansion Program in Canada.

View Project Report - 66000136

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) provides marketing communication services ranging from industrial database solutions to market forecasting, custom analytics, and specialty promotions that support high-level image campaigns.