Shaft sinking specialist UMS Group has announced that Kore Potash PLC has appointed it as the owner’s agent for their shaft and underground mining front-end engineering design phase, marking another significant project addition to its growing mining portfolio.
Through the development of the Sintoukola potash basin in the Republic of Congo, Kore Potash is working to bring a number of globally significant potash deposits into production. The focus is on two high-grade projects: Kola and DX, starting with high-grade project Kola with a planned production of 2.2 Mt/y of Muriate of Potash over 31 year life. Kore’s projects aim to be among the world’s lowest-cost potash producers due to their favourable location, large size, very high-grade and shallow depth of the deposits.
The Kola shaft will be 270 m deep using vertical conveyance for sylvinite ore, personnel and equipment. The potash ore will then be transported via a 35 km overland conveyor to the process plant at the coast and then the final MOP shipped via a dedicated jetty for export to Brazil and West Africa. Mining will be room and pillar utilising continuous miners and shuttle cars.
UMS stated: “This appointment demonstrates the trust our clients place in UMS’s proven expertise in complex underground mining projects. Our team is excited to bring our engineering excellence to this important development phase. Thank you to the Kore Potash team for choosing UMS Group as your trusted engineering partner. We look forward to delivering exceptional results that support your project’s success.”
The appointment was mentioned in Kore Potash’s Q2 2025 operational review: “During the Quarter, UMS, a UK-based engineering firm, was appointed as the Owners’ agent for the shaft and underground mining Front End Engineering Design (FEED) due to be completed before financial close as the very first phase of construction concerns the mine site and shaft. It is expected that most of the engineering work shall occur during the second half of the year.”
A final Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for the Kola Project with PowerChina International Group Ltd was signed in Brazzaville in the presence of the Minister of Mines, Republic of Congo on the 19th of November 2024.
