Australian Potash Limited (ASX:APC), has announced the successful transfer of brine from the pre-concentration pond into the first harvest pond at the Lake Wells sulphate of potash project pilot evaporation pond network.

Focused on advancing the Lake Wells potash project, Australian Potash is a minerals exploration and development company.

As quoted from the press release:

The pilot pond network at Lake Wells comprises 1 large pre-concentration pond and 3 smaller, harvest ponds. The raw, hypersaline brine was pumped into the pre-concentration pond using one of the five (5) already installed production bores at the project. As the brine evaporates further through the harvest ponds, various sodium and magnesium salts are crystallised out of it until it becomes highly concentrated with potassium bearing salts. It is anticipated that the final transfer of brine into the final harvest pond will occur within the next 4 – 6 weeks, resulting in the crystallization of ‘feeder’ or harvest salts in the harvest ponds. It is from these blended harvest salts that SOP is processed and refined.

Managing Director Matt Shackleton commented: “Across the four major work streams we are progressing through the definitive feasibility study, the pilot ponds generate data essential to our understanding of the climatic-evaporation conditions, and the quality and amount of potassium salts we are able to produce. This successful initial transfer of pre-concentrated brine into H1 represents a major step in these areas. Australian Potash Limited. Based on modelled average daily evaporation rates, we anticipate the evaporation process will be finished in the next 4 – 6 weeks. As evaporation rates are heavily correlated to daily temperatures, this process will speed up as we head into the hot part of the year.”

Click here to read the full announcement