Drilling success at third potash site

Preliminary results from its temporary site at Raikes Lane, south of Sneatonthrope, indicate a 22-metre thick seam of high grade polyhalite. Polyhalite is processed to create a high-value fertiliser and is the main target of York Potash’s current drilling.

York Potash welcomed the news and said it is making good progress with the exploration programme needed to define a potash resource.

The high grade material was found between 1,498m and 1,521m below the surface and the mineral cores extracted have been sent to the British Geological Survey for detailed analysis.

Graham Clarke, operations director of Sirius Minerals, the parent company of York Potash, said: “This is another pleasing result for the project and continues our good progress to date. We look forward to completing further drilling sites as quickly as possible and advancing the detailed proposals for the mine.”

York Potash will now conduct a ‘deflection’ at the Raikes Lane site, where a second core is extracted at an angle from the original hole. This deflection could help to further define the extent of the potash deposits.

When the deflection work is finished, the rig will travel to the company’s fourth site at the lay-by south of the Flask Inn.