The characteristics, formation and exploration progress of the potash deposits on the Khorat Plateau, Thailand and Laos, Southeast Asia

The giant potash deposit on the Khorat Plateau is one of the most promising targets for exploitation of potassium salts. So far, many researches and geologic survey have been conducted on the giant potash deposits. Hence, it is necessary to make an overall review on the potash deposits. The potash deposit on the Khorat Plateau was formed during the Middle to Late Cretaceous, during which seawater was enriched in Ca2+ and depleted in SO42- compared with those of modern seawater. In addition to seawater,continental water and hydrothermal fluids could have affected the evaporite basins. The seawater was probably derived from Tethys ocean, and the brine should have evaporated to some extent before entering into the basin systems based on the evidence of absence of carbonates and unproportionate sulphate compared with chloride salts. The paleo-climate during Middle to Late Cretaceous was characterized as high temperature and extremely arid environment, which is favourable for deposition of potassiummagnesium saline minerals. The major saline minerals are of anhydrite, halite, carnallite, sylvite and,tachyhydrite, with trace amounts of borates. The resources of the potash deposit on the Khorat Plateau could be approximately as much as 400×10～9 t of carnallite and 7×10～9 t of sylvite. The evaporite sequences have been deformed and altered by postdepositinal processes, including tectonic movements and chemical alteration. Salt domes were formed in the postdepositional processes. Based on the analyses of geophysical surveys and drilling projects, high-quality sylvinite ores are commonly found at the flanks of those salt domes due to incongruent dissolution of carnallite. The future potential prospecting areas for the highquality sylvinite ores would be on the edges of the Khorat Plateau.