In terms of volume it is very difficult for brine potash producers to compete with the hard rock miners that dominate the industry. The volumes of brine liquid are immense and the concentration of potash considerably lower compared with its rock counterpart.
Jordan based Arab Potash Co. (APC), however, has positioned itself as the second largest producer of the predominately fertiliser mineral in the Middle East and all from extracting and processing potash from the Dead Sea.
In terms of potash production from brine, APC is the second largest in the world with a 2.5m. tpa output. It is sandwiched between the leading producer, Israeli Chemical Ltd with a 5m. tpa capacity and SQM SA of Chile which has the ability to mine 550,000 tpa from its operation in the Atacama Desert.
The Dead Sea is one of the world’s richest sources of dissolved minerals such as potash,...