Potash firm to erect drilling rig

A DRILLING rig will be set up on the edge of a North Yorkshire village as part of an ongoing search to find the best location for a multi-million pound potash mine.

By The Newsroom

Published 19th Aug 2011, 11:39 BST

Sirius Minerals will erect a temporary drilling site on Raikes Lane, south of Sneatonthorpe, after it was given the go-ahead by the North York Moors National Park Authority planning committee.

Plans for a second site at a lay-by off the A171, west of the Flask Inn, are also expected to be passed in the coming weeks.

The temporary works are part of the company’s drilling programme – which has been set up to investigate the UK’s only seam of potash and establish the extent of the mineral deposits.

Four sites have previously been approved and drilling has already started at a site near Hawsker.

The managing director and CEO of Sirius, Chris Fraser, said: “This continues the good momentum of the project as we do all we can to finish this phase as quickly as possible.

“The results from the temporary drilling programme will ultimately help us to plan the wider project.”

North Yorkshire A171