Whitby, Scarborough and Boulby

[Bryan]

Went down the mine tuesday.
Had a briefing and intro to the mine first then changed into Hi Vis Tee shirt, Shorts, Hard hat and Boots.
8 minute trip down the shaft to 1100m below. Deepest hole in UK.
Then a tour around the workings by ex BT transit crew carrier.
Saw drill teams probing ahead up to 2 km from the face so the geologists could work out which way to go next.
At the face were the shuttle vehicles for shifting the product to the conveyors. then the actual face cutters all these machines are electric powered with lots of trailing cables.
The face we visited was about 7 mile North East of Skinningrove and about 800m below ground and sea level.
Temperature here was about 35 C if we had gone to the southern end off Sandsend, which is deeper, then the temp would have been about 45 C.
Amazing to see the way that the roadways cut into the Potash collapse over a few years. They are cut out at 3.8m height and in about 4 years the height is down to about 1.5m some are recut to keep them open but most are abandoned.

The new mine if and when it gets going will be deeper still so a lot hotter. It also seems definate that the product will be pumped out to Teeside by at least a twin pipe system (Slurry out and water / Brine return). Although the guide we had said if he had the choice he would have a 3rd pipe in the trench as a backup.

If anyone is interested in a visit. I can recommend it and have the contact name if required, PM me.
We were on site between 09.30 and 16.45 with underground time between 12.00 and 16.00.

[seacoaler]

Their is planning in for the Potash processing plant , it is going to be at ICI Wilton , no rail services to deliver incoming potash, all by pipeline. Delivery of finished product will be by conveyors to Teesport and lorries . However the plant is being built adjacent to an ICI railway line and it is stated that 'as the mine develops it is likely a proportion of the material will be transported by rail'
extract-

Location plans-

[cambois]

With that volume of potash and a limited number of potential destinations rail has to be in with a real chance if the freight companies get going and try to develop their business.

[Bryan]

The current transport set up from Boulby is by train to Teeside.
Then it is almost totally shipped out by sea, both Potash and Roadsalt.

Although there is some road haulage from there for salt delivery.
The Boulby trains do not go any further than Teeside.

They use small coasters for delivering salt to ports along the South Coast.
Potash goes by bulk carrier all over the world.

[Solario]

It also seems definate that the product will be pumped out to Teeside by at least a twin pipe system (Slurry out and water / Brine return).

Hi Bryan,

Can you explain the "Brine return". I presume that the "slurry out" is the potash in suspension but I cannot fathom why brine should be sent the opposite way, or am I being a bit thick?

[53C]

It also seems definate that the product will be pumped out to Teeside by at least a twin pipe system (Slurry out and water / Brine return).

Hi Bryan,

Can you explain the "Brine return". I presume that the "slurry out" is the potash in suspension but I cannot fathom why brine should be sent the opposite way, or am I being a bit thick?

Does the brine go round in a circle ?, slurry out brine round in return, re-mixed then out carrying product/ brine again.
The liquor just goes round and round.!

Question if anyone can answer, for transport I asume in Bulk, is this say by Road bulk tippers or Bulk trailers discharged by blowers?
For rail Bulk wagon , grab discharge or doors at the bottom.?Or again Tanker type with blowers discharge?
Or by another type of movement?

[Bryan]

The brine solution is the return liquid as described by the guide last week.
His comment was that he would advocate 3 pipes with one as a back up or for use in high demand periods.

The planning permission for the new mine includes reference to road haulage, not a good sign for the locals.

[seacoaler]

The salt is delivered in bulk road tippers , don't know about the potash. but their is a small wharf near my workplace whoch loads coasters with nitram fertiliser from bulk tippers sheeted over.

[Solario]

Bryan/53C
Many thanks for your replies.

It has prompted several other questions in my mind but I think that they are well beyond the scope of this forum.

Solario

[60044]

I take the references to road transport as being from Teesport, not from the mine. Anything moved by road from the mine would be unprocessed material.

What do they do with waste material at Boulby? Is it the case that there is relatively little of it?

[53C]

I would also think the road deliveries would be finnished product from the Wilton site.
143 deliveries a day would be welcome in the Teesport area, considering the work that has been lost to that area with the run down of the Steel Industry etc. .Drivers employed and all the other people involved in running transport.! Wage packets , good news. That amount of movements alone employs a good number of people.

[Bryan]

Bryan/53C
Many thanks for your replies.

It has prompted several other questions in my mind but I think that they are well beyond the scope of this forum.

Solario

If you don't ask we wont know.

[Bryan]

I take the references to road transport as being from Teesport, not from the mine. Anything moved by road from the mine would be unprocessed material.

What do they do with waste material at Boulby? Is it the case that there is relatively little of it?

The slide that was put up on the presentation stated Road Movements on up to 350 days from the new mine site.
This new mine has nothing to with the existing mine at Boulby and any comments here are by Boulby staff although the information is in the public domain.

Waste material from Boulby is pumped out to sea and is approved for dumping by natural spread underwater. It is constantly monitored for any effect on the local ecology. So we were informed.

[Eden Blyth]

Sorry Richard, this is probably getting way off topic now, but....

Anybody fancy a good conspiracy theory?

When I went to the Sirius potash mine consultation ay Whitby, I let on that I was worried about the effect of the new mine on the existing Boulby one.
The reply was that they would be no threat, because Cleveland Potash (Boulby) were mining predominantly potassium chloride, whereas York Potash (Sirius) would be after polyhalite at Sneaton, the former used mostly by UK, and the latter by continental farmers. I said that I was still worried that YP could threaten CPL by poaching their workforce, and the reply was ...”anyway, it could well be that the two companies could merge in the future, or one could take over the other...”

So what if....

CPL are, I believe, about at the limit of southerly working because of ventilation difficulties. A new air shaft to the south might be very useful to them. YP would be faced with big transport problems in getting their product 35 miles to Wilton, to the extent that they are prepared to discuss putting it into solution, piping it to the treatment plant, and resolidifying it, with all the energy that would involve. As we face inexorable price increases in world energy supplies, a cheaper transport system would probably be high on YP’s wish list.

I think – and you may know different after your visit, Bryan – that Boulby now extends to the village of Ellerby, about 61/2 miles WNW of Whitby. YP’s promotional videos show that their acquired mineral rights extend northwards to within about 4 miles of there. As far as I know, a geological fault, a few hundred feet of vertical separation and those 4 miles would be the only barrier to them being run in together.

Am I stepping into fantasy land if I suggest that a 4 mile tunnel would cure both CPL’s ventilation and YP’s transport problems? Underground dry haulage and surface rail to Wilton would surely make better economic sense than a pipeline?

Perhaps Boulby’s haulage and winding systems couldn’t be economically upgraded to cope, I wouldn’t know, but if they could, this area may end up with a very big but reasonably unobtrusive mine, giving much employment along the North East Coast, much help with our balance of payments, and yet guaranteeing a long term future for a transport system dear to all our hearts, some of it 150 years old!

I wonder if CPL and YP are talking to each other?

Might be a conspiracy theory, but I find it quite an intriguing one.......

[woberty]

Talking to relation who lives in Sneaton.
They have been told unofficially that there will be 3 pipes to Teesside.