World-class seam of potash unearthed as mine plans finalised

Sirius Minerals confirmed yesterday that an intersection of the substance almost 280ft thick had been located in the North York Moors National Park in an ongoing exploratory drilling programme.

The seam of potash has been found at Mortar Hill, south of the village of Sneaton, and provides more evidence of the extent of the deposits of potash under the national park. It emerged in October last year that one of the world’s most extensive seams of potash, which is a key component in fertiliser, has been discovered in the North York Moors.

The managing director and chief executive officer of Sirius Minerals, Chris Fraser, said: “The latest results from our drilling programme continue to build confidence in the extent and quality of the world-class polyhalite resource at York Potash.

“Following detailed analysis of both drilling and the recently acquired seismic data, the company is now working to upgrade the size and category of the resource estimate.”

The Yorkshire Post revealed earlier this month that Sirius Minerals had confirmed the location earmarked for the potash mine will be disclosed in the coming weeks.

Once the long-awaited announcement is made, both the company and the North York Moors National Park Authority will embark on a wide-ranging public consultation before a full planning application is due to be submitted by the end of the year.

It is hoped the potash mine, which is expected to cost as much as £2bn to build, will bring a massive employment boost with up to 5,000 jobs to the Yorkshire coast, which is one of the region’s unemployment blackspots.

But the proposals have split opinion as the potash seam is centred on the North York Moors National Park and concerns have been voiced that a major mining operation would destroy one of the country’s finest landscapes.

The national park authority’s director of planning, Chris France, has already maintained the go-ahead for the exploratory drilling work is no indication that the overall scheme will be approved. He stressed that while the authority is supportive of mineral exploration, national planning policies dictate a very different approach to mineral extraction.