Anglo American Expands Resource Hunt in Southern Lower Saxony, Digging for Salts Too
Widening Quest for Resources in Southern Lower Saxony - Expansion of raw material exploration in the southern region of Lower Saxony by the company
Here's some 'low-down' on the latest mining revival happening in the German heartland, Southern Lower Saxony. The multinational mining firm, Anglo American Exploration Germany, will now search for salts in the area, not just metals, share reveals from the Lower Saxony State Mining Authority LBEG. Their attention will be drawn to rock and potash salts, among other things.
The focus is on a specific zone - approx. 1,961 square kilometers termed Leine-Salt. It falls in the western Harz foreland, lurking south of Hildesheim and Salzgitter and north of Göttingen. The Leine-Salt region encompasses towns such as Einbeck, Seesen, and Herzberg am Harz.
The company's been probing underground for deposits of copper, lead, gold, or silver in the region already. To aid their quest, a georadar-equipped aircraft is taking to the skies from Hildesheim. The permit for this salt expedition, like the one for digging metals, runs till the year 2028.
The firm's also got exploratory missions humming in Thuringia. If their search hits the motherlode of resource deposits for commercial-scale mining, another permit would be needed.
Some scientists have tested a novel measurement technique on the eastern Harz to gauge resources. The initial findings hint that remnants of rare ores might still be nestled deep in the Harz subterranean.
A jewel in Europe's mining crown, the Harz boasts the continent's largest and oldest mining district, its mining roots stretching over 3,000 years ago. At one point, the region was extensively mined for silver, copper, lead, and zinc, among others. Mining in the Harz wound down in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the last mine shuttering in 2007.
- Southern Lower Saxony
- Thuringia
- Germany
- Hildesheim
- Copper
- LBEG
- Europe
- Salzgitter
- Göttingen
- Einbeck
- Seesen
- Mining
- Harz
Tidbits from the Field:
While the scope of this particular dig is limited, it's worth mentioning that salt has historically held great value in Europe. It was usually sourced via mining or boiling brine springs. Given Germany's rich geological past, it isn't a stretch to imagine viable salt deposits enjoying a comeback.
- To enable Anglo American Exploration Germany to extract salt from the Leine-Salt region in Southern Lower Saxony, they might require additional funding from the finance industry.
- Vocational training programs in the energy sector could be beneficial for the local community in Southern Lower Saxony, as the mining industry expands, creating more job opportunities.
