Salt deposits in Poland - the current state and perspectives for management of the resources

Abstract

The rock salts occur in Poland (Central Europe) in two salt bearing formations of the Upper Permian (Zechstein) and the Neogene (Middle Miocene) and the potash salts - in the Upper Permian only. The total resources of rock salts are estimated at over 84 x 109 Mg. The share of Permian salts is here predominating as resources related to 4 thick rock salt complexes with extent comprising almost two thirds of the area of Poland are estimated at over 80 x 109 Mg in 15 documented salt deposits both of stratiform and diapir types. These deposits are currently exploited in 2 underground salt mines and 2 solution mines and annual output totalled about 3.1 x 106 Mg in 2007(mainly from the diapirs). The most perspective future use of these rock salt deposits is construction of safe underground cavern storages for oil and gas(now 2 such ones already exist) and depositories. The Neogene deposits (stratiform and stratiform-folded), exploited in the past millennium, occur in a limited area in southern Poland and are now only of historical-touristic value. The potash salts, quite frequent in the Permian evaporite complexes, are documented in one salt diapir in central Poland where they are mainly represented by carnallite and kieserite with resources > 72 x 106 Mg and are occasinally exploitated on limited scale. They are also documented in sulphate horizons accompanying the rock salt seam in northern Poland (4 deposits of polyhalite with resources of ca. 0.67 x 109Mg). However, low market prices of potash products offered by the neighbouring countries e.g. Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, make exploitation of these domestic potash salt resources uneconomic