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<br />the second pass, wells will be developed at locations midway between the solution <br />mining wells developed during the first pass. Well spacing would be 600 feet after the <br />first pass and 300 feet after the second pass. This would equate to a total mined area <br />per miniaag panel of approximately 40 percent. Simultaneous mining of adjacent wells <br />spaced at less than 600 feet is not anticipated after the initial stages of mining, as <br />discussed below. <br />Each mining pass may take 1 to 3 years to complete. Road and piping networks will be <br />developed in concert with the two-pass development schedule. The main access roads <br />and main solution piping system will be constructed during the first pass. Minor access <br />roads and piping that will serve only isolated, second-pass wells will not be constructed <br />until necessary during the second pass. <br />Initial well development to support facility startup will necessarily be somewhat <br />different than the two-pass approach. At startup, all cavities will be relatively <br />immature, and therefore, a greater number of such immature cavities will be needed to <br />provide an adequate solution stream to feed the processing plant. A total of about 26 <br />wells (Figure D-3), mostly in early stages of development, will be used to get the <br />processing plant through the start-up and initial operating period. During the initial <br />operating period, the precise number of wells in operation at any one time will be <br />determined by the ability of the wells to provide an adequate solution stream for the <br />efficient operation of the processing plant. <br />After the initial operating period, approximately 15 wells will be operated concurrently. <br />Each well is expected to have a mining production life of approximately 1.5 to 3 years. <br />New wells would be developed as other wells are retired. The proposed well <br />development schedule for the first 6 years of the mining operation is provided below. <br />Table D-2 Well Development Schedule. <br /> Number of Wells <br />Year of <br />Mining <br />Operation Existing at <br />Beginning <br />of Year Drilled <br />During <br />Year Retired <br />During <br />Year Available for <br />Production at <br />end of Year Developed <br />(Cumulative <br />Total) <br />0 6 20 0 26 26 <br />1 26 0 0 26 26 <br />2 26 5 15 16 31 <br />3 16 15 15 16 46 <br />4 16 15 15 16 61 <br />5 16 15 15 16 76 <br />6 16 15 15 16 91 <br />D-14 <br />