American Critical Minerals has obtained the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s final potassium prospecting permits, set to take effect on 1 June 2026.
The permits involve seven drill holes at the Green River Project in Utah, which are fully bonded, with a reclamation bond of $549,000 accepted by both the BLM and the State of Utah.
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The BLM issued 11 potash prospecting permits on 18 May 2026.
This approval includes four fully permitted BLM drill holes and three permitted by the State of Utah, all formally sanctioned and bonded.
Collaboration with RESPEC is central to the planning and execution of the drill programme.
RESPEC will manage logistics, site supervision, and environmental considerations. Geological services during the drill process will include core and brine handling and preparation for geochemical analysis.
Preparations for the drilling programme are underway, with site visits completed and drill pad construction requirements assessed by Harrison Field Services.
The drilling will aim to evaluate historic data and explore potash horizons alongside clastic zones for lithium and bromine within the Paradox and Leadville formations.
Two historic wells at the Green River Project have encountered substantial potash zones exceeding 5m in Cycle 5.
This area has been central to potash mining in the Paradox Basin for over five decades, notably at Intrepid Potash’s Moab Solar Solution Mine, with intercepts of 3.4m at 26.4% estimated potassium chloride (eKCl) and 5.9m at 24.3% eKCl.
The company plans to initiate site mobilisation and preparation by Q3 2026, with each drill hole expected to take approximately 45 days.
American Critical Minerals CEO and president Dean Pekeski said: “Drill holes are now fully permitted and bonded. This represents the culmination of over 10 years of work. The team has been very active in planning the drill programme and identifying drill contractors and support services.
“Drilling is a major strategic step in validating the large amounts of historic data that we have from 22 oil and gas wells across and surrounding our Green River Project. It will also position us for drilling for both lithium and potash.”
