Verkhnekamsk Potash Company (VPC, a part of Acron Group) says it completed the skip shaft sinking at the Talitsky mine construction site in Russia on 27 November 2020. The Talitsky mine shafts were constructed by contractor FSUE Construction Department No 30. Upon completion of the skip shaft sinking, a depth of 413.9 m was reached and over 56,000 cubic metres of rock were raised to surface. When cage shaft sinking was completed earlier in April 2020, a depth of 363.1 m was reached and 54,500 cubic metres of rock were raised to surface.

Maxim Shlyapnikov, Head of the VPC Department of Underground Facility Technical Supervision, described the project’s status: “To date, the shaft has been secured at the aquifer section, and water barriers have been built. We also completed consolidation of the rock mass, and construction of a grout curtain is underway. In 2021, we plan to reinforce the mine shafts which will complete the project.”

Acron Group is developing this potash deposit in the Perm Krai through VPC in Berezniki as part of its investment program, with the goal of launching a new mining and processing facility with capacity to produce 2 Mt of potassium chloride (KCl) per year.

Development of the Talitsky area of the Verkhnekamsk potassium-magnesium salt deposit is one of Acron Group’s priority projects as it moves to create a new potash raw materials base. The license area is 69.5 square km, located within the territory under the control of the city of Berezniky and Usolsky municipal district, Perm Krai, on the eastern edge of the southern part of the Verkhnekamsk potassium-magnesium salt deposit.

In 2008, the company obtained the subsoil use license PEM 14465 TE and began exploration in the licence area that made up the project’s first stage. Based on the exploration findings, a feasibility study of final conditions and potash deposit calculation of the Talitsky area of the Verkhnekamsk potassium-magnesium salt deposit were performed.

In 2009-2012, VPC developed the project design, performed preliminary work and obtained approval from the State Expert Review Board for the project “Construction of vertical mine shafts.” In late 2012, VPC began preparatory work for shafts freezing with the subsequent shafts sinking.

In 2013-2015, VPC continued design work, obtained a positive finding from the state expert review board for construction of the underground mine and external engineering network at the Talitsky mine. Preparation for shaft freezing and further sinking was underway. In 2016, the state expert review board issued a positive finding for VPC’s construction of linear structures and surface facilities at the Talitsky mine. The company continued preparation for freezing and sinking of the mine shafts.

In 2017, VPC completed general preparation for vertical shaft freezing and subsequent sinking. The company completed detailed engineering documentation for construction of the Talitsky mine auxiliary infrastructure (natural gas supply and railroad facilities). In 2018, the company started to sink the two shafts simultaneously with ground freezing technology.