Sigmundshall, a mine in North Germany,
the newest ESTA Kieserite production facility
of K+S KALI GmbH
Many customised machines support the miners to mine up to 30,000 t of crude ore daily, operating five days per week to ensure a continious supply to the refineries.
Work involved is the exploration of the stratum, securing and controlling the strata, blasting the rock, cutting the new working face and transporting the cut ore to the surface. In order to avoid any water seepage, which could inevitably flood the mine, exploitation only begins at 350 metre depth and goes down as far as 1400 metre. Mining beyond 1400 m depth is generally avoided due to extreme temperatures of over 50°C resulting not only in difficulties for miners but also to mining machines.
