An the Overview in on Geologic Setting and Exploitation of Permian Potash in Zechstein Basin

The paper is written based on the basis of the author's' substantive experience on potash exploration and exploitation overseas, personal visits at operating potash mines in Germany, face-to-face communication with German potash institutes and abundant historic data. It is with an overview for on geologic setting, current status of exploitation and mining technologies of German potash. Meanwhile, it this paper aims at providing a reference for domestic potash exploration and as well as its integrated exploitation through the research in geological setting, history of formation and mining technologies of Germany martial-face potash. German potash was formed in Zechstein Basin in Permian period, which was situated relatively steadily in shallow continental shelf area of continental block. Eight cycles have been found in Zechstain Basin(Z₁-Z₈) and each cycle was deposited in similar sequence. The sequence of deposit from bottom to top is: clastic rock→carbonate→anhydrite→halite→sylvite→roof of anhydrite. The discovery of super large-scale Permian potash basin displays that most potash resource in the world, which is normally contained in sub-basin, comes from martial-face. Meanwhile, the change of some specific elements, such as bromine and rubidium, could be indication of potash deposit. The method should be used in the potash exploration in China. Potash could be mined by either conventional mining or solution mining. Conventional mining was more popular in past many years. However, solution mining has been improving and it has more advantages compared with conventional mining.