KA-ERH-MU POTASSIUM FERTILIZER PLANT KA-ERH-MU, CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00909A000400010056-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 12, 2008
• Sequence Number: 56
• Publication Date: June 1, 1972
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Top Secret
Industrial Facilities
(Non-Military)
Basic Imagery Interpretation Report
Ka-erh-mu Potassium Fertilizer Plant
Ka-erh-mu, China
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DATE JUNE 1972
COPY 117
PAGES 8
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TOP SECRET RUFF . _F
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Directorate of Intelligence
Imagery Analysis Service
ACIC. Tactical Pilotage Chart, Series TPC, Sheet G-8A, Edition 1 ACIC, 20 Nov 68,
Scale 1:500,000 (UNCLASSIFIED)
The primary function of Ka-erh-mu Potassium Fertilizer Plant is the production
of potassium fertilizer from naturally occurring salts. The salts are processed
into a commercial grade fertilizer, probably consisting of a double-salt of
potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. The plant consists of a processing
facility and an evaporation field containing trenches.
When first observed on photography, in September 1959, the evaporation
field consisted of about 1,270 acres. The field has continually expanded and
in February 1972 the total size of the field was about 4,000 acres.
The plant was operating in September 1959. It has been in operation
and under continuous expansion on all subsequent photography through February
1972.
This report includes photographs and a chronological summary of construction
and operational status.
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RCS 13/0064/72 25X1
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Ka-erh-mu Potassium Fertilizer Plant is located 32 nautical miles (nm)
northeast of the center of Ka-erh-mu and 12 nm northeast of Cha-erh-han,
Tsinghai Province (see Figure 1). Steam is supplied by a collocated steam
plant. appears to come from the regional grid. The Ka-erh-mu
Airfield is adjacent to the north side of the evaporation 25X1
field. An area nor west of the processing plant contains salt pans, but
these appear different from the trenches in the evaporation field and
may not be associated with the plant.
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BASIC DESCRIPTION
The fertilizer plant consists of a salt processing facility and an
adjacent evaporation field containing trenches (see Figures 2 and 3). The
evaporation field is part of the Cha-erh-han Yen-chih (Salt Lake), which
is primarily a vast rock salt area containing carnallite deposits, a raw
material for potassium fertilizer. The lake occupies about 110 square nm
in an area measuring 22 by 5 nm. Part of the'lake on the north side still
contains water and is called Ta-pu-hsun Lake'. 1/ The salt processing
facility and associated housing and support facilities occupy 80 acres
in a rectangular area measuring 2,200 by 1,600 feet. The plant is served
by the Hsi-ning to Lhasa road.
Operational Functions
The primary product of the plant is potassium fertilizer derived from
naturally occurring salts. A physical process rather than chemical is
utilized to obtain the commercial grade fertilizer, probably a double-salt
of potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. This process appears to be
mechanized.
The salts are located in a dry salt lake and are leached out of the
crystalline structure by rainfall. The resulting brine seeps into trenches.
During the dry season these trenches. act as the evaporation beds for the
brine. As the brine evaporates, it becomes saturated with sodium chloride
and this salt begins to precipitate out of the solution.. Most of the
precipitated sodium chloride is removed by scraping the trenches. As
evaporation continues, the concentration of potassium and magnesium salts
in the brine increases. When the brine is completely evaporated, the
resultant potassium and magnesium salt contains very little sodium chloride.
This salt is next taken to the processing plant.from..the evaporation field
by trucks on an internal service road network or by boats on two parallel
canals. Here the salt is redissolved under controlled conditions and the
final traces of sodium chloride are removed., leaving the potassium fertilizer.
The sodium chloride waste is returned to the..lake. It is possible that
chemical grade potassium chloride and magnesium chloride could also be made
by additional processing at the facility.
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Construction and Operational Status
In September 1959, when the plant was first observed on photography,
the evaporation field consisted of about 1,270 acres and the trenching
pattern was very irregular. By 1961, the field had increased by 435 acres
and a systematic pattern of trenching had been developed. Since that time
the evaporation field has been expanded at the following rates: 340 acres
between 1961 and 1964, 665 acres by 1966, 695 acres by 1968, 450 acres by
1970, and 220 acres by February 1972. At that time the field contained
about 4,000 acres.
The processing facility was in operation on all coverages from
September 1959 through February 1972. This was indicated by effluent
coming from the plant and by fluctuation in vehicular traffic, bulk
material, and bags of fertilizer within the plant. During this period,
continued expansion and changes have been observed in the processing
facility and associated housing and support area.
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Map
ACIC. Tactical Pilotage Chart, Series TPC, Sheet G-8A, Edition 1 ACIC,
20 November 1968, Scale 1:500,000 (UNCLASSIFIED)
Production Activities of Cha-erh-han Potassium 25X1
Fertilizer Plrant_ Ka-erh-mu. Tsinahai Province. 16 December 1971
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2. Commerce. JPRS: 17,120, A Journey to Cha-erh-han Salt Lake in Tsinahai
Province (translated from Chung-kuo Hsin-wen (China News),
14 January 1963 (UNCLASSIFIED)
3. Hsinhua News Agency. Daily Bulletin 333, Factory Built on Salt Lake
Crust, 25 November 1958 (UNCLASSIFIED)
Requirement
COMIREX N07
Support Number 428925
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Top Secret
Top Secret
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