Intrepid Potash North Mine, New Mexico

Intrepid’s North Mine site is used as a compaction plant and a final processing and storage location, for granular muriate of potash from the HB solution mine and mill. Before that, the North Mine site was an active underground potash mine for many years, started in 1956 by the National Potash Company. Intrepid bought the plant and mine in 2004, when it acquired the potash assets of the Mississippi Chemical Company. The tailings pile covers a square mile, and additional ponds are used to store and process water for solution mining operations. Beneath the plant site are several square miles of room and pillar mine workings. They extend south under the highway, and connect with Intrepid’s East Mine.