November 21, 2014

Press-service of the Uralkali Company has published pictures of a giant sinkhole in the ground resulting from flooding of the Solikamsk-2 mine (Perm region, Russia).

November 18, 2014 the company reported that  it detected higher levels of brine inflow in its Solikamsk-2 mine. The Company introduced an emergency plan and evacuated personnel to above ground. The concentration and volumes of brine inflow were being closely monitored. To ensure industrial safety, all work in the mine had been suspended. The Company informed the relevant state authorities about the incident.

November 21, 2014 Uralkali announces further information regarding the development of the accident at the Solikamsk-2 mine. A sinkhole with a diameter of 30-40 metres has been detected to the east of the Solikamsk-2 production site, outside the metropolitan area. To ensure safety in the area of potential soil subsidence, access to the site has been prohibited.

The Solikamsk-2 minefield is adjacent to the Solikamsk-1 minefield. Together with geologists from leading scientific establishments, the Company continues to closely monitor these minefields and will provide further updates on the situation in due course.

Alexander Baryakh, General Director of the Mining Institute of the Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Science:
“The site where the inflow of brine has been detected completely overlaps with the site of the incident which happened at Silvinit Solikamsk-2 on 5 January 1995. This enables us to conclude that the 1995 accident and its consequences are directly linked to the accident on 18 November 2014. There is currently no threat to the surrounding populated areas”.

Uralkali (www.uralkali.com) is one of the world’s largest potash producers and exporters. The Company’s assets consist of 5 mines and 7 ore-treatment mills situated in the towns of Berezniki and Solikamsk (Perm Region, Russia). Uralkali employs ca.11,300 people (in the main production unit). Uralkali’s shares and GDRs are traded on the Moscow Exchange and London Stock Exchange, respectively.