Kaliwerk Krügershall Teutschenthal

Kaliwerk Krügershall Teutschenthal, today generally known as GTS Grube Teutschenthal, is a former potash and rock-salt mine in Teutschenthal, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, that has been converted into one of Europe's most modern backfill mines. The operation is run by GTS Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of the Bavarian Geiger Unternehmensgruppe since the beginning of 2008. The mine's historical identity is bound up with the Kaliwerk Krügershall Aktiengesellschaft, founded in 1905, which extracted potash and rock salt for roughly eighty years before mining ceased in 1982. Since 12 May 1992, the site has been used for backfilling rather than extraction, filling the underground cavities created by decades of potash mining with mining-foreign mineral wastes. The mine lies immediately north of Teutschenthal railway station, and its mining field extends in a bow-segment shape about 6.5 km in a northwest-southeast direction. Underground, the shaft installation has been connected since 1925 at the 713-metre level with the neighbouring Salzmünde and Angersdorf mining fields. The surface area affected by the interconnected fields is roughly 10 by 2.5 km. The original potash deposit belonged to the Zechstein sequence, with carnallitite of the Z2 horizon mined at K2O grades of 6 to 10 percent and rock salt of 82 to 94 percent NaCl. Today the operation is a safety and environmental undertaking. More than 100 employees work at the backfill mine, which places over 200,000 tonnes of mining-foreign mineral waste per year at a depth of around 700 metres. The purpose is to protect the surface from subsidence and rockburst hazards by filling the non-stand-safe underground cavities left by the former potash and rock-salt mine. The task was assigned to the operator by the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The underground cavities, spread over 14 square kilometres, provide disposal security for mineral wastes for years to come. The company's history reflects the turbulent course of the German potash industry. Founded in 1905 as Kaliwerk Krügershall AG, the enterprise passed through the Burbach-Kaliwerke AG from 1929, Soviet-administered SAG operation after the Second World War, East German VEB Kali- und Steinsalzbetrieb Deutschland from 1952, VEB Kombinat Kali from 1970, and VEB Kalibetrieb 'Ernst Schneller' Zielitz from 1988. From 1 June 1990 the Treuhandanstalt became sole shareholder of KALIMAG GmbH. Mining work at Krügershall/Teutschenthal ended on 11 May 1992, and backfill operations began the following day under GTS Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs-GmbH. Since 2008 the site has belonged to the Geiger Group, which markets the operation under the Grube Teutschenthal brand as part of its mineral-substance treatment services.

The history of the site begins with exploration. In 1902 the Internationale Bohrgesellschaft zu Erkelenz, led by Anton Raky, began deep drilling near what would become the Krügershall/Teutschenthal shaft. The exploration borehole 'Teutschenthal I' struck rock salt at 450.8 metres and a 55.3-metre-thick potash deposit at 634.7 metres. By 1905 nine further boreholes had been drilled, including 'Langenbogen I', which reached rock salt at 551.4 metres and potash between 721.4 and 765.9 metres. Mining claims were staked on these finds. On 27 March 1905, Friedrich H. Krüger of Halberstadt and Siegfried Weinstock of Halle an der Saale acquired the mining rights and the entire interest area of ten Prussian normal fields in the Teutschenthal and Langenbogen districts. On 29 March 1905 the company was founded by the merchants Krüger, Krumbiegel and Grau, the banker Weinstock and Dr. med. Friedmann as Kaliwerk Krügershall Aktiengesellschaft, entered in the commercial register on 19 June 1905. The name Krügershall honoured the founder and first chairman of the supervisory board. In 1912 the Gewerkschaft Burbach acquired the majority of Krügershall shares and installed Gerhard Korte as supervisory board chairman. The mine field was connected underground with neighbouring operations. Since 1925 the shaft installation has been connected at the 713-metre level with the Salzmünde mining field to the north and the Angersdorf field to the east. The company names changed frequently. From 1929 the operation was known as Burbach-Kaliwerke A.G., Magdeburg, Werk Krügershall, Bahnhof Teutschenthal. After the Second World War, under Order No. 124 of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany, it became a SAG operation (Werk Krügershall). From 1952 it was VEB Kali- und Steinsalzbetrieb Deutschland, subordinate to the Main Administration 'Kali' of the Ministry for Mining and Metallurgy. In 1970 it became VEB Kombinat Kali, VEB Kali- und Steinsalzbetrieb 'Saale', Werk Teutschenthal, and from 1988 VEB Kalibetrieb 'Ernst Schneller' Zielitz, Werk Teutschenthal. Mining at Krügershall/Teutschenthal ceased in 1982 after roughly eighty years of potash and rock-salt extraction. From 1 June 1990 the Treuhandanstalt Berlin became sole shareholder of KALIMAG GmbH, Bahnhof Teutschenthal, Straße der Einheit 8. The mining work of this company ended on 11 May 1992. Since 12 May 1992, backfill operations have been carried out by GTS Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs-GmbH, a subsidiary of the Bavarian Geiger Unternehmensgruppe. Since the beginning of 2008 the mine has been a subsidiary of the Geiger Group. In the following decades the 1982-closed mine was converted into a modern backfill mine, placing over 200,000 tonnes of mining-foreign mineral waste per year at a depth of around 700 metres, with more than 100 employees, to protect the surface from rockburst and subsidence hazards.

• 2008

  Since the beginning of 2008, Grube Teutschenthal has been a subsidiary of the Geiger Group.

• 1992

  Mining work ends on 11 May; from 12 May backfill operations begin under GTS Grube Teutschenthal Sicherungs-GmbH.

• 1990

  From 1 June, Treuhandanstalt Berlin becomes sole shareholder of KALIMAG GmbH.

• 1988

  Becomes VEB Kalibetrieb 'Ernst Schneller' Zielitz, Werk Teutschenthal.

• 1982

  Mining at Krügershall/Teutschenthal ceases after about 80 years of potash and rock-salt extraction.

• 1970

  Becomes VEB Kombinat Kali, VEB Kali- und Steinsalzbetrieb 'Saale', Werk Teutschenthal.

• 1952

  Becomes VEB Kali- und Steinsalzbetrieb Deutschland under the Main Administration 'Kali'.

• 1929

  Operation becomes Burbach-Kaliwerke A.G., Magdeburg, Werk Krügershall, Bahnhof Teutschenthal.

• 1925

  Shaft installation connected at the 713-metre level with the Salzmünde and Angersdorf mining fields.

• 1912

  Gewerkschaft Burbach acquires majority of Krügershall shares; Gerhard Korte becomes supervisory board chairman.

• 1905

  Kaliwerk Krügershall Aktiengesellschaft founded on 29 March; entered in commercial register on 19 June.

• 1902

  Internationale Bohrgesellschaft zu Erkelenz begins deep drilling near the future Krügershall/Teutschenthal shaft.

One of Europe's most modern backfill mines, providing long-term safe and environmentally sound disposal of mineral wastes while securing the surface above a former potash mine.

• Backfill mine (Versatzbergwerk) services

  Placement of over 200,000 tonnes per year of mining-foreign mineral waste at a depth of around 700 metres.

• Mineral substance treatment (Mineralstoffbehandlung)

  Treatment and underground disposal of mineral wastes as part of the Geiger Group's services.

1. 1Grube Teutschenthal | Geiger Mineralstoffbehandlunggeigergruppe.com
2. 2Kaliwerk Krügershall Teutschenthal - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3GTS Grube Teutschenthal - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org