GREY:MGXMF - Post by User
Post by
Wangotango67on Aug 02, 2022 8:36am
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Post# 34865150
PUROPSING - MAG
PUROPSING - MAGDoes one purpose the magnesium for...
EV Batteries
Storage of electricity
Stroage of Hydrogen
Or... Fertilizer ?
If one researches worldwide - most fertilizers are performed via - solution mining.
World is experiencing - drouts - water evaporation - at excellerated rates.
Crunching my own numbers...
Comparing to - Albany Potash - which produces 3.2 million tonnes of Potash / annum
Uses - 17, 520,000 tonnes of water / annum ( grade 20% K )
If one used a ( sodium chloride solution ) to convert the Magnesite
One would need double the chloride to pair with the magnesium.
8 million tonnes x 2 = 16 million tonnes of water chloride.
Quick math - 2.5 x greater yield in magnesium hardrock mining vs solution.
2.5xless water used.
One could take it further -and cut the 43% grade down to 12% standard fertilizer - stretch it out.
Essentially....
Less water would be used to convert the magesnium.
One could take it even further -
Magnesium chloride and the conversion of sodium to a sodium carbonate.
Which is still used as a fertllizer.
Double fertilizer effect - again - could outperform solution mining.
Wrote another post - inboxed myself - may as well share it...
Pertaining to the 9 fertilizer companies in Sask Canada - solution mining.
Diefenbaker Lake.
I would say... Canasdaneeds a blended value of, hardrock and solution mining.
To allieviate the - water issues. Many areas around the world are seeing significant changes due to excess consumption of water used for solution mining.
Potash -
Can be mined deep underground - but, once mined a cavity is created which then creates instability
of the geology. Solution mining is the nneeded to support the empty cavity from salt depletion.
Add water to cavity to support mined hole fromcaving -
mineral grades become affected - competing salts all vying for the water molecule bond.
Solution mining requires mega water - nearby lakes + city waste water ( not kidding )
Water taken from one source to pump below does affect the water cycle above grade
Solution mining also requires evaporation ponds.
Water evaporated by sun is abosrbed and dropped elsewhere - thus affecting the local water cycle
HARDROCK MINING
43% grades - above grade - it does not require solution mining - higher the grade less water needed
No deep underground cavity to implode causing geo strata land disturbences.
SOLUTION MINING
This provides the context to discuss the origin and distribution of salt dissolution-induced collapse of overlying strata. These structures are observable near surface in Alberta at oil sand mines, and used to characterize similar structures distributed across the southern Saskatchewan potash mining areas where their morphogenesis could only be inferred from seismic imaging and sparse drill hole information. These observations provide insight into how brine seeps result in geohazards that variously impact most of the southern Saskatchewan potash mines.Both natural dissolution and salt removal by mining may result in structural displacements that can potentially compromise the integrity of seals created by limestone beds above mine workings.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169136819300976
So... deep salt cavern mining - add hot water = solution mining.
Salt caverns lose their salts by dissolution and a cavity is created.
Nearby lake water or affluent is required to pump in cavity to prwent - collapsing.
If water ( sent below 0 creates a brrine and is still pumped above and placed into ponds-
The sun evaporates to createa concentrate salt. Thus.... more water loss.
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Hardrock mining is looking all the better - eh ?
Israel's dead sea - take water from red sea.
North America potash mines - neeed water for ( prevention of collapse + continual solution mining )
Water is taken from nearby sources - lakes, rivers, effluents.
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Electric Blue Evaporation Ponds ( dyed blue ) ( usa moab - utah )
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/potash-evaporation-ponds
Saskatchewan - Lake Defenbaker - water used in 9 potash mines
The estimated water usage for nine of the projects is nearly 90 million cubic metres of water per year, according to the Ministry of Economy.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/researcher-says-water-management-will-be-high-priority-as-potash-mining-expands-in-sask-1.4539095
June - 2022 - how's the water levels at Lake Defenbaker this year ?
https://www.ckom.com/2022/06/10/water-levels-at-lake-diefenbaker-not-ferry-high/
The case for - hardrock mining.
Magnesium fertilizer.
Potash + Phosphates are not enough. ( plant defienciencies )
Incorporating a magnesium fertilizer would allieviate the preassure on - solution mining + water consumption. Above grade lake waters needed to fill caverns to prevent collapses -
Who uses a large portion of our Canadian Potash fertilizers ?
USA.
Most likely the reason of the - large merger - that took place in 2016....
Potash Corp + Agrium = formed Nutrien.
WHY- stock is in limbo.
XMG - halted
WESTERN - relocated to the states ( interesting )
though... they're into mag metal.
Nat Gas - ammonia = nitrogen
And... global leaders want the reduction of nitrogen.
The ANSWER could point to - hardrock magnesium depoists.
= fertilizers.
Potassium chloride (KCl) is available in three different grades: 50% K, 41% K, and 33% K. The two latter forms contain substantial amounts of sodium chloride
Magnesium fertilizers contain on average 12% grades.
By injecting magnesium fertilizers into the regime of fertilizer consumption for agricultural uses could translate to a 12% ( water reduction ) applied to - potash mining using evap ponds.
Could reduce potash's water consumptions all the more if - one factors in -
1 - water needed to support hollow cavity
2 - loss of water due to evaporation ponds
WESTERN POTASH
Performs their operation a tad different - ponds are still used but less water needed
Relying on ( hot to cold ) temp fluxes which drops the potash out quicker
https://www.westernpotash.com/about-potash/prairie-potash
Water needed for fertilizers vs nature vs humans.
hardrock mining might use less water - if - conversion chemistry was utilized.
Just ideas....