British Mining No. 121 – Cleveland Potash’s Boulby Mine, 1982 by Roger Bade

This is a rather different NMRS Monograph, in that it concerns a still-active mine, albeit one that no longer produces potash. Save for holiday closures, Boulby has operated almost continuously from 1975 to the present. In 1982, the author worked there while on a student placement from the Royal School of Mines. This monograph is based on reports which he made at that time and describes in detail the geology of the area, the equipment used and the methods of mining potash from Primary and Secondary Ore deposits.

The original equipment and room-and-pillar mining choices had to be modified once it became apparent that the weak strata above were leading to roof collapse, necessitating a different approach. Shaft sinking was plagued by water ingress, and freezing was employed for part of this work.

There is a detailed description and flowsheet of the company’s processing plant, a summary of the environmental aspects which had to be considered in the project and a description of personnel and employment conditions at the mine.

A particular feature is the inclusion of many diagrams illustrating the various stages of ore extraction and the equipment used. There is also a brief account of the mine’s development, post 1982, and its evolution from a producer of potash to rock salt and polyhalite, a mixed potassium/calcium/magnesium sulphate, marketed as ‘Polysulphate’ for use as a fertiliser.

The book contains 112 pages with 101 illustrations and an index.