BCI Minerals tests SOP route at Mardie salt project

BCI Minerals is moving ahead with a sulphate of potash pilot plant at its Mardie salt project on Western Australia's Pilbara coast, even as a string of other Australian companies have failed to produce the specialty fertiliser from brine.

Business News reported the development. Sulphate of potash, or SOP, sells at a premium over standard muriate of potash because it works better on chloride-sensitive crops like fruit, nuts and vegetables. Several ASX-listed juniors have collapsed or suspended operations after struggling with costs and ore quality.

BCI's approach is different. SOP would be a co-product of its primary salt operation, not a standalone venture. The company plans to use brine from the Mardie solar salt ponds to produce the fertiliser, which should lower unit costs relative to pure-play SOP projects. The pilot plant will test the processing route at scale before a final investment decision on commercial production.

Mardie is one of the largest undeveloped salt deposits globally, with a resource base that could support annual exports north of 5 million tonnes. BCI has already secured offtake agreements with Japanese and South Korean buyers. Adding SOP capability would let the company capture higher margins from the same brine stream.

Few salt-focused projects have succeeded in adding a potassium sulphate circuit. If the pilot proves out, BCI could become one of the few Western producers of SOP outside the U.S. and China. The company has not disclosed a timeline for the pilot plant's completion or a budget for the test work.