Production

The Starobin potash salts deposit makes up the JSC Belaruskali raw material base and is considered as one of the largest deposits in the world. Today the JSC Belaruskali main production is represented by six mines and four beneficiation factories. The replenishment of the ore base is the most important task of the modern stage of the Starobin deposit development.

Within a couple of years, two mines have been built, this resolved the issue of a reliable raw material base for several decades. One of the new mines – Krasnoslobodsky mine, will ensure the operation of the Second Production Unit for more than 40 years ahead. In addition, an opportunity is being considered to start mining its non-commercial  reserves  in the volume of 94 million tonnes. It has been a year since the Berezovsky mine, with the estimated reserves of 247.5 million tonnes, was commissioned. During the construction of the new mines, the latest achievements in the mine construction have been implemented.

Over the past few years, the complete technical re-equipment of the sylnite beneficiation factories is going on. Obsolete and worn-out equipment is being replaced by the new, more productive and economical one, rational changes are being introduced into the schemes of potassium chloride production, technological lines are being improved.

This year JSC Belaruskali received the right to use the subsoil within the limits of western part of the Nezhin area of the Starobin deposit. There is an opportunity to mine the Darasinsky section reserves that make up 180 million tonnes. Next year, it is planned to start uncovering the fourth potash level at the Second Production Unit.

At the third and the fourth Production Units, the reserves of the first potash level are classified as promising to be mined. Improving the mining and processing technology of the potash salts allow us to consider reserves at the depths over 1,000 metres as a replenishment source of the ore base. JSC Belaruskali has also begun constructing a full-scale mining and processing integrated plant at the Petrikov deposit (Gomel region), the potash salts commercial reserves thereof make up 1.8 billion tonnes.