Salt Mining Operations Bring Big Spending in North America

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Salt not only is a tasty and essential mineral, but also is used in industrial and other home applications, such as water-softening and deicing. To this end, salt mining represents the production of a key, if inexpensive, commodity throughout the world. In addition, the salt caverns left behind after the mining process are valuable reservoirs for crude oil, natural gas and, more recently, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, as the caverns provide large, impermeable storage areas. Examples of salt caverns appearing in the news in this regard come seemingly weekly as the U.S. refills its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, located in subterranean salt domes in Louisiana and Texas, following large releases of oil in 2021 and 2022.

Industrial Info is tracking more than US$3 billion worth of active salt-mining projects throughout the world, including more than US$1.4 billion worth in North America. In the U.S., Louisiana leads in spending in this sector, while in Canada, the lead goes to Newfoundland, a province that dominates North American salt-mining spending.

Newfoundland's lead in the sector comes from several projects, the largest one in the late planning stage for a location near Saint George's. Atlas Salt Incorporated (St. John's, Newfoundland) is establishing North America's newest salt mine at the Great Atlantic salt deposit. Atlas plans to develop the mine as an underground, mechanized room-and-pillar operation with a process plant to produce 2.5 million tons per year of salt over a 34-year mine life. Construction is planned to kick off next year, with operations set to kick off in 2028.

But Atlas has longer-term plans for the mine. Beginning in the early 2030s, a project could be performed to expand the salt mining to a deeper level, increasing production to 4 million tons per year and extending the mine's life to 47.5 years. As currently envisioned, this expansion would begin production in 2034. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Project Database can learn more by viewing the project reports on the grassroot construction and expansion.

The mine at the Great Atlantic deposit will be North America's newest salt mine in decades, but there's still plenty of other spending at existing facilities for both capital and maintenance projects. Moving westward in Canada to Ontario, Compass Minerals International Incorporated (Overland Park, Kansas) will soon begin construction on a new mill at its room-and-pillar salt mine near Goderich that will enable the mine to sustain its 6.5 million tons per year of production and will shorten the haulage distance to the mining area.

A couple of years ago, Compass began a program of rebuilding and/or replacing seven continuous miners at the mine. The five-year program involves replacing three of the machines and overhauling the remaining four to help sustain the mine's existing production. The replacement/rebuild project is expected to be completed in 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports on the mill addition and continuous miner projects.

Moving south into the U.S., one finds Compass both underway and planning projects at its salt-mining complex in Franklin, Louisiana. Last summer, Compass began refurbishing and renewing the mine's infrastructure to support migration from the 1,500-foot level into the 1,300-foot zone to sustain the 2.2 million tons per year of salt production. This is expected to be completed later this year. In addition, Compass is upgrading the complex's barge dock facilities with a new loadout operation and docking area, which is expected to be completed in mid-2025. Compass has several other future projects planned for the facility, the most important being a migration of the mining operation to the 1,700-foot level in a couple of years. This move will help sustain the mine's production from 2032 through 2068. Compass has no current plans to take the mine deeper than 1,900 feet. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the current level migration, barge dock facilities and lower-level development.

Elsewhere in the U.S., United Salt Corporation (Houston, Texas) will soon launch the Phase II expansion of its evaporated salt plant in Saltville, Virginia. Phase I increased production by 15% to 225,000 tons per year and a second phase will add another 25,000 tons per year of capacity, bringing salt production to 250,000 tons per year. The mine produces salt for culinary, agricultural, industrial and swimming pool applications. The project is expected to be completed toward the end of next year. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Metals & Minerals Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).