Information Only - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - U.S. Department of ...

VI-i
T ABLE OF CONTENTS
OUTLINE OF MINING IN THE CARLSBAD POTASH DISTRICT
VIol
The early years
VI-I
Current status _. . . . . VI-I
Carlsbad in relation to other producing areas
VI-2
Outlook for the future
VI-2
CURRENT MINING METHODS
Conventional mining
Continuous mining using drum miners
Mineral processing
VI-3
VI-3
VI-4
VI-5
ESTIMATION OF MINING, PROCESSING, AND CAPITAL COSTS
VI-5
4th ore zone .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI-6
lOth ore zone
VI-6
Market prices for products
VI-6
Estimate of capacity
VI-7
Estimate of development cost and time to bring into production . . . . . . . . VI-7
Historical trend of mining and processing cost versus market price
VI-7
ENGINEERING ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF POTASH RESERVES
Assignment of discount factor
CONCLUSIONS
Reserves within WIPP
Additional study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Combined study area
The effect of changes of mining and processing costs
VI-S
VI-S
VI-S
VI-9
VI-9
VI-9
FIGURES
Figure 1. Room & pillar mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. VI-IO
Figure 2. Continuous mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. VI-l!
Figure 3. Continuous mining with barrier pillars , VI-12
Figure 4. Mineral processing for mixed ore , VI-13
TABLES
Table 1. Carlsbad potash production and productivity from 1932 to 1993 . VI-14
Table 2. Operating companies and their-capacities
VI-15
Table 3. Salient potash statistics
VI-16
Table 4. Summary of operating and development factors
VI-17
Table 5. Case I - 4th ore zone cash flow (WIPP area)
VI-IS
Table 6. Case 2 - 4th ore zone cash flow (WIPP area) . . . . . . . . . . . .. VI-19
Table 7. Case 3 - 4th ore zone cash flow (WIPP area) . . . . . . . . . . . .. VI-20
Information Only