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Home , Carnallite, Intrepid Potash, Kainite, Langbeinite, Leonite, Potash

summer 2008 New Mexico —Past, Present, and Future Potash is the general term for natural and production and supplied 19 percent of the than the long-term average of $120 per manufactured water-soluble compounds potash used in the U.S. Most potash used metric ton. In 2008 potash prices are of in combination with in the U.S. today, however, is imported already in excess of $500 per metric ton. , , , , and from , . nitrate. Potash is used directly or indirectly Imports from Canada, , and History of Potash Production in by everyone every day because it is an , declining reserves and grades, New Mexico essential element in plant and animal life. and increasing , transport, and Potash was originally leached from heated Most potash is used in (potassium environmental costs have caused a decline pots of ash, hence the name. Large- is the “K” in the “NPK” fertilizer rating, in the number of potash producers in scale potash use started in in along with , N, and , 1859. The potash P). Therefore, potash markets closely was initiated during World War I as the parallel agricultural supply and demand. result of a German embargo that drove The remainder is used in chemicals and prices above $450 per metric ton. Wartime pharmaceuticals, substitutes, , potash (used in the manufacture of matches, glass, and storage batteries. ) was produced at more than a New Mexico potash production is in an hundred plants throughout the U.S., each area that covers about 425 square miles with very small output. The bedded potash southeast of Carlsbad and southwest of deposits in Eddy County, New Mexico, Hobbs. This area of shallow, high-grade were not discovered until 1925. ore was designated the “Potash Area” in The first commercial potash from New 1934 by the Secretary of the Interior. It Mexico was shipped in March 1931. lies within a larger 58,000 square mile area A 20-mile railroad spur from Carlsbad underlain by lower-grade potash . was run to the mine and later to other The Potash Area includes both state and (photo courtesy of Dennis Tasa) operations. By 1934 eleven companies federal lands that are managed by the were exploring for potash in southeast Bureau of Land Management. New Mexico, from seven in 1985 to two New Mexico. In 1936 Union Potash & leases are available only through competi- in 2008. The average sylvinite ore grade Chemical, Texas Potash, Independent tive bidding, and the area is protected from in New Mexico has decreased from 25–30 Potash & Chemical, New Mexico Potash, most oil and gas development. The Waste percent in the 1950s to and Carlsbad Potash merged into what is Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) for nuclear about 14 percent today; ore now Mosaic and began producing mainly waste storage is on the southeast edge now averages 8–10 percent potassium sylvinite and langbeinite in 1940. of the Potash Area. Commercial potash oxide. But even at current extraction rates Potash was discovered in Saskatchewan, is produced primarily in Eddy and Lea the potash reserves in the state’s Potash Canada, by New Mexico potash companies Counties, which contain the three mines Area should last for decades, and recent in 1952. Many factors prevented major and four plants operated today by two advances in processing may extend this production until the late 1950s, with companies, Mosaic Potash and Intrepid significantly. exports to the United States commencing Potash. Taxes and other benefits such as employ- in 1962. In 1964 U.S. consumption per- Potash production in New Mexico is 70 ment in a rural area are substantial. From manently exceeded domestic production. percent sylvite and 30 percent langbeinite. 2000 to 2004 annual severance taxes on The maximum New Mexico production New Mexico is in fact the only producer New Mexico potash production averaged was 2.84 million metric tons of potassium of langbeinite in the world. New Mexico $3,318,652 and nearly a thousand people oxide in 1966–67; production then ranked eighth in world potash production were employed in the potash industry. decreased steadily as lower-cost Canadian in 2006 at 825,000 metric tons of potas- Regional payroll attributable to potash was potash imports eventually exceeded sium oxide. In that same year the state about $300 million. Prices were $290 per domestic production in 1971. Canada accounted for 77 percent of U.S. potash metric ton in 2006, significantly higher

Published by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources • A Division of New Mexico Tech Potash Production and further cleaned by leaching Today () with water. Some associ- Abundant lower-grade ated minerals, such as (a hydrated reserves exist in ) and , are southeastern New carried over as contaminants. As the high- Mexico, but high- grade ores are depleted, mixed sylvinite- grade potash is nearly langbeinite ores and langbeinite-kieserite depleted. Langbeinite ores have to be mined and processed. (potassium-magnesium Technology for efficient separation of these sulfate) and sylvinite minerals is unavailable, and some of the (sylvite and halite) valuable minerals are lost to tailings. are the major potash Salt and clay tailings in the Potash minerals mined. Area are stockpiled and monitored for All mines in the salt leakage. Waste brine is evaporated in Potash Area are impoundments or flows into local natural underground. The lakes where it is harvested. Methods for room-and-pillar mines are relatively clean, dry, and orderly, because the beds are laterally extensive and nearly flat. Each mine has at least two or three shafts for safety The Secretary of the Interior’s Potash Area (in pink), also referred to and ventilation. Mines as the Known Potash Leasing Area, Potash Enclave, or Carlsbad Potash are connected under- District. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant was removed from the Potash Area, and no potash mining or petroleum drilling is allowed there. ground, and working faces are now 6 miles nationalized potash in the mid-1970s, and or more from the main shaft. Heavy American owners were bought out. Thus machines known as “continuous miners” remove softer potash beds as thin as 4 feet. Sylvinite ores from underground mines are began the long decline of the domestic crushed and ground in saturated brine. Clay potash industry, as these American compa- The harder langbeinite is broken with minerals are removed in several stages, and solid- nies were left with higher-cost, lower-grade ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosive. liquid mixture () is treated with chemicals domestic production. The International Mechanical loaders, underground crush- that render sylvite surfaces hydrophobic Trade Commission forced an antidumping ers, subsurface conveyor belts, and hoists (water-repellent). Air is then injected into the send potash to the surface. Room-and- pulp and sylvite floats to the surface and is thus agreement with Canadian producers in separated from halite, which sinks. The froth is 1988, to prevent them from selling below pillar mining removes 60–75 percent of then skimmed off with paddles to obtain sylvite cost. This led to increased prices, which the potash. Subsequent pulling of support concentrate. The red color is from occluded iron kept Horizon Potash in operation until pillars increases yields to over 90 percent. oxide minerals in sylvite. Tailings, mostly halite, 1996 and led to reactivation of Mississippi Potash plants use a combination of are stockpiled in tailings dams. Chemical in 1988. fines separation, flotation, heavy-media, leaching, and crystalliza- returning tailings to the mine are being tion circuits designed for studied, but they are costly. a specific sylvinite ore. Potash minerals are also recovered from Fine-grained potash ores the in and from Great are processed by froth Salt Lake in Utah by solar evaporation and flotation in saturated separation of the salt mixtures by flotation. brine where sylvite is In Michigan and Canada sylvite is recov- preferentially floated. Clay ered from deep-seated orebodies and from minerals in the potash ore mines with water infiltration problems by adsorb flotation reagents, in situ solution mining. Depleted conven- which increases cost and tional mines have also been successfully reduces recovery. Ores converted to solution mining for residual with clay content greater potash recovery, as at the than 5 percent or very operation near Moab, Utah. Planned con- A “continuous miner” at the Intrepid underground version of the Eddy Potash mine in New potash mine. The drum-like cutter head to the right fine-grained potash are treated by an rotates as it moves into the potash ore. The broken ore energy-intensive cyclic process of dis- Mexico to a solution mining operation is in drops into the hopper below to be pulled onto a con- solution in hot brine, solution purifi- the permitting phase. veyor belt that brings ore to the rear of the miner for cation, and vacuum recrystallization. hauling to the hoist and plant. The reddish potash in the walls and ceiling show tool marks from the cutter Langbeinite ores are concentrated head. Photo courtesy of Jim Lewis of Intrepid Potash. by gravity separation in coarse sizes new mexico matters 2 summer 2008 The Future of New Mexico Potash The potash industry has been subject to oversupply worldwide. This glut has been buffered mainly by withheld Canadian production (they have until recently produced only 60 percent of their capacity) intended to keep prices high by limiting supply. This is changing as , Russia, and become major potash consumers. The emergence of India and China as major economies trading on world markets has led to significant balanc- ing of potash supplies, with the caveat that increased prices will bring increased supply. Exploration and development of potash was very active worldwide in 2008 driven by low stockpiles of potash in consum- ing countries, and very high prices are expected to hold well after 2010. Increased transportation costs and demand for potash products unique to New Mexico (such The Geology of Potash tions: the Castile Formation (oldest), as langbeinite) partly protected regional Potassium is the seventh most abundant the Salado, potash-bearing mainly in the markets. The Potash Area in New Mexico element in the earth’s crust and the sixth McNutt Member, and the Rustler and is today a mature mining district with in seawater. It is a major constituent Dewey Lake Formations. The Salado amortized capital costs and lower-grade of many surface and subsurface brines. Formation hosts twelve potash zones, potash resources available at greater depth, Most potash deposits were precipitated eleven of them in the McNutt Member. with the goal of extending current opera- from evaporated seawater or nonmarine The area underlain by these twelve ore tions by embracing new technology. water in restricted environments in an zones covers about 1,900 square miles. Activity by other industries—notably extremely arid region, such as estuaries, The McNutt Member of the Salado agriculture, the , and where outflow of evaporation-concen- consists of sylvite and langbeinite with deep geologic waste disposal—can affect trated brine is restricted. The result is halite, , and other potash min- the production of potash from southeast bedded potash in large, high-grade depos- erals. The potash minerals we see today New Mexico. The fact that potash is used its amenable to low-cost mining and are secondary, recrystallized from the today primarily as a fertilizer ties it to cyclic processing. There are few places on Earth primary marine minerals that originally trends in the agricultural industry, which today with conditions sufficiently arid to precipitated from the mineral-rich brines, in turn are related to complex interactions produce significant potash deposits. and their distribution is independent of between weather and climate; advances Potash-bearing are in Upper original lithology. Typical mixed sylvinite in crop genetics, science, and farming Permian (Ochoan, 250 million years old) ore from the Salado contains about 60 practices; GNP of importing nations; farm marine rocks in the Delaware Basin of percent halite and 30 percent sylvite, 5 income; population growth; distribution- west Texas and southeast New Mexico. percent langbeinite, 2 percent polyhalite, system efficiency; freight rates and back- The Ochoan Series contains four forma- and 3 percent insolubles. hauls; taxes; and tariffs. Current two-year contracts for potash are at a very high unit state of New Mexico and the nation. replaced by innovative flotation methods price of $550–625 per metric ton. Another promising avenue for research with improved recovery and significant that benefits both the potash industry and cost savings. Ongoing Research at the Bureau the oil and gas industry is the possibility of The long and productive history of In collaboration with Mosaic and Intrepid using produced brine from nearby oil fields the potash industry in southeastern New engineers, an international team at the in solution mining or in processing plants. Mexico has benefited the state and the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and This would alleviate the problem of how nation. After declining since the 1980s, Mineral Resources introduced new reagent to dispose of produced brines and provide increasing demand coupled with new and process modifications to increase the a benefit to both the potash and petroleum technology, developed through the New efficiency of potash recovery from existing industries. To make it work, hydrocarbons Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral ores. Both companies are reviewing and and toxic gases must be removed from Resources, is bringing increased revenue to implementing these results. The implica- the produced brine and potash producers the state’s potash producers, which will add tions of this research are significant in must be assured of a dependable supply of decades to mine production while increas- terms of increased recoveries, reduced produced brine. ing contributions to the severance tax fund energy and reagent costs, and more effec- Current efforts are also underway to that benefit us all. tive utilization of potash resources, given eliminate the cyclic heating and cooling the large tonnages of potash processed. of brines used to dissolve and precipitate —James Barker and Ibrahim Gundiler This extends the life of the New Mexico various constituents of potash ore. This potash industry, to the benefit of both the high cost, energy intensive process could be new mexico earth matters 3 summer 2008 James Barker is Associate Director and Senior Industrial Minerals Geologist at COMPOUND POTASSIUM OXIDE the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and CHEMICAL FORMULA Mineral Resources. He is manager of the OR MINERAL (PERCENT) Potassium oxide K O 100.00 Perlite Testing Laboratory. 2 Sylvite KCl 63.17 Ibrahim Gundiler is Senior Metallurgist at Sylvinite KCl + NaCl 10–35 the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Langbeinite K2SO4 · 2MgSO4 22.70 Mineral Resources, and manager of the KCl · MgCl · 6H O 16.95 Metallurgy Laboratory. He initiated the 2 2 KCl · MgSO · 3H O 18.92 ongoing potash research program at the 4 2

bureau, in collaboration with New Mexico K2SO4 · MgSO4 · 4H2O 25.69

producers. Polyhalite K2SO4 · MgSO4 · 2CaSO4 · 2H2O 15.62

Common potash minerals found in southeastern New Mexico. The potassium Patrick Walsh is a subsurface fluids in potash minerals and fertilizer is reported as potassium oxide to compare geologist with the New Mexico Bureau of fairly diverse and composition. Sylvite and langbeinite are Geology and Mineral Resources. produced from sylvinite and langbeinite ore, often associated with carnallite, kainite and leonite. Polyhalite is currently considered a waste mineral in the Potash Area and underlies about 27,000 square miles in New Mexico and Texas. However, it could be a potential source of potash if cost-effective processing technologies can be developed. One metric ton = 2,205 lbs (1,000 kg)

Potash and Petroleum in from a well in southeast New Mexico much of the Potash Area from oil and gas Southeast New Mexico caused a mine shaft explosion that injured production, or allowed only limited petro- Southeast New Mexico is rich in two ten workers. Oil wells must now be more leum drilling, and the area was set aside as natural resources in particular, potash and than a quarter of a mile from existing a strategic resource. Operators drilled over petroleum, resulting in conflict between mine workings (for gas wells it is a half 2,600 wells in the 425-square-mile Potash the two industries. The proximity of mile), and potash mining companies allow Area. Well density is considerably higher potash and petroleum resources, their the same berths around existing wells. outside the Potash Area, averaging five relative rarity, safety issues, and regula- In 1934, before these safety concerns wells per square mile. Conventional, verti- tions have led to both legal had arisen, the U.S. government withdrew cal drilling is not permitted throughout and political conflicts. most of the area, so directional This is exacerbated by and horizontal wells that are fluctuating production more expensive to drill will be costs and prices of both required to tap the valuable commodities. Sedimentary petroleum resources below the potash. rocks below the potash- 360 bearing zones contain oil High oil and gas prices have and gas resources. As many increased the pressure to allow 62 as nineteen reservoir zones 180 more drilling, and increasing are producible at depths 243 potash prices have increased from a few hundred to more the value of the potash 176 resource as well. The federal than 12,000 feet below 31 62 government will attempt to the potash zones. Most of 180 the oil and gas production balance the interests of these within the area is from the two industries through regula- Brushy Canyon and the WIPP tion, but creative solutions such as directional drilling and Morrow Formations. The 285 extraction of these resources 31 N compromise will be necessary provides a great economic to maximize future exploita- benefit to the state and the tion of both resources. nation, due to income from Loving 128 oil and gas leases and tax —Patrick K. Walsh revenues. But the extraction of the petroleum resources represents a significant hazard to the potash mining Petroleum wells in and around the Potash Area. Many wells were drilled industry. In 1973 gas leaking near the edge of the area, but the center has almost no wells due to restric- tions on drilling. new mexico earth matters 4 summer 2008 b u r e a u n e w s Miocene Fossil Discovered Data Preservation Bureau geologists Dave Love and Richard The bureau is beginning its second Chamberlin and New Mexico Tech year of cooperation with the National graduate student Colin Cikoski discovered Geological and Geophysical Data a nearly complete fossilized skeleton of an Preservation Program, a federal program oreodont while mapping in the Bosque funded by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 del Apache National Wildlife Refuge this and administered by the U.S. Geological spring. Oreodonts are a group of extinct Survey. The program was designed to help herbivores that roamed the West between state geological surveys and other energy 35 and 10 million years ago. The Bosque organizations catalog, digitize, and other- del Apache animal belongs to a species of wise develop their collections for listing large oreodont that lived near the end of in a national repository for geological and Volume 8, Number 2 that period. Gary Morgan, paleontologist geophysical data, such as well records, cut- Published twice annually by the from the New Mexico Museum of Natural tings, drillers’ logs, core, analyses, and New Mexico Bureau of Geology History and Science, describes it as having and Mineral Resources geologic and mine maps. The physical col- Peter A. Scholle a large head, a small trunk, rather short lections will continue to reside at the state Director and State Geologist legs on a longish body, and resembling a geological surveys. Under the direction a division of cross between a pig and a camel. Museum of Ron Broadhead, the bureau’s principal New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology personnel completely recovered the fossil senior petroleum geologist and head of Daniel H. López and transported it to Albuqueque where it the petroleum section, an inventory of the President is being prepared and will be added to their bureau’s data collections was completed 801 Leroy Place collection. Early results indicate that it is in 2007–2008: 122,000 rock and mineral Socorro, New Mexico 87801-4796 (575) 835-5420 by far the most complete known specimen samples and drill cuttings as well as 2.2 of Merychyus major. million other data items, including well Albuquerque Office 2808 Central SE logs; water, coal and mineral analyses; well Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 Rockin’ Around New Mexico and mine records; and maps. Ron’s team, (505) 366-2530 Twenty-one New Mexico teachers attended in collaboration with bureau librarian Visit our main Web site this year’s three-day educational workshop Maureen Wilks, now will start adding geoinfo.nmt.edu on geology and natural hazards in July of to the number of bureau data collections Board of Regents this year. The participants divided their that will be available through the USGS- Ex Officio time between hands-on field instruction managed national digital catalog, as well Bill Richardson around Socorro with geologists from the as through the bureau. Persons interested Governor of New Mexico bureau and New Mexico Tech, and indoor in a particular area eventually will be able Reed W. Dasenbrock exercises at the Sevilleta National Wildlife to query the national digital catalog, and it Secretary of Higher Refuge Educational Laboratory. Acting ref- will direct the user to the state geological Appointed uge manager, Dennis Prichard, described survey holding that information. Richard N. Carpenter President Sevilleta’s unique educational mission and Sixth Decision-Makers Field 2003–2009, Santa Fe new facilities. The focus of the teachers’ Jerry A. Armijo field work included soil development, rec- Conference Secretary/Treasurer ognizing distinctive soil properties, using Planning is underway for the 2009 2003–2009, Socorro soil information to decipher the paleo- Decision-Makers Field Conference. The Ann Murphy Daily seismic histories of faults, and examining 2009 conference will be the sixth such 2005–2011, Santa Fe the evidence for episodic fault movement. conference that the bureau has hosted Abe Silver, Jr. Earthquake safety drills and building- since the program was initiated in 2001. 2007–2013, Santa Fe exercises demonstrated the It will focus on resource issues related to Dennise Trujillo need for school safety plans and a review of urban growth in the Albuquerque region, 2007–2009, Socorro school structural hazards. Discussions on including a broad range of water issues, Editors emergency preparedness were led by David geologic hazards, and the development of L. Greer Price Jane C. Love Freeborn, state hazard mitigation officer. resources in an urban setting. Dates for the New Mexico’s Department of Homeland conference have been set for May 19–21, Layout and Graphics Security and Emergency Management 2009. For more information, contact Doug Gina D’Ambrosio was the major funder of the workshop. Bland at [email protected]. Leo Gabaldon Julie Hicks Financial support was also given by the New Mexico Mining Association and the Earth Matters is a free publication. For subscription information please call Women’s Auxillary to the American Insti- (575) 835-5490, or e-mail us at tute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. [email protected] For information on next year’s workshop, Cover photo of Ship Rock, New Mexico contact Susie Welch ([email protected]). © Gary Rasmussen new mexico earth matters 5 summer 2008 n e w publications Geologic map of the of poorly consolidated earth materials that may pose liquefaction Albuquerque– hazards. This map also contains derivative maps selected to portray Rio Rancho metro- geologically important features in the metropolitan area, such as politan area and elevations of ground water levels, and the mostly buried boundary vicinity, Bernalillo between generally poorly consolidated and saturated aquifer materials and Sandoval Count- and the more consolidated ies, New Mexico by underlying materials. The Sean D. Connell, 2008, gravity anomaly map is 2 oversized sheets, scale a geophysical dataset that 1:50,000, ISBN 978-1- shows major geological 883905-26-2. Available structures buried beneath September 2008. the metropolitan area and $24.95 plus shipping vicinity. and handling and taxes, where applicable. Avail- able folded or rolled ($5.00 additional ship- ping charge for rolled).

This new geologic map is a compilation of sixteen 7.5-min quadrangle maps and encompasses an area from Tijeras Arroyo on the south to Santa Ana Mesa north of Santa Ana and San Felipe Pueblos, and from the crest of the Sandia Mountains westward across the Rio Grande and Geologic map of the Albuquerque metro- politan area from sheet 1. onto the Llano de Albuquerque (West Mesa) west of the city limits of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. A preliminary edition of this map was For more information about these and other bureau publications: issued in 2007 as Open-file Report 496. • Visit our Web site at http://geoinfo.nmt.edu This geologic map graphically displays information on the distribu- • Write or visit our Publications Office on the campus of New tion, character, orientation, and stratigraphic relationships of rock and Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, New Mexico 87801 surficial units and structural features. The map and accompanying • Call (575) 835-5490 cross sections were compiled from geologic field mapping and addition- • E-mail us at pubsofc @gis.nmt.edu ally from available aerial photography, satellite imagery, and drill-hole Payment (check or money order payable to NMBGMR) must be data (many published and unpublished reports, examination of enclosedwith mailed orders. Telephone orders may be paid wiht lithologic cuttings, and from the interpretation of borehole geophysical VISA, American Express, or Master Card. log data). The map and accompanying cross sections represent the most informed interpretations of the known faults in the Albuquerque–Rio Rancho area that are presently available. In addition to the positions of many faults, the cross sections show the approximate vertical extent

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