AMMAN — The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and US Agapito Associates, Inc. on Wednesday signed an agreement to conduct a technical study to assess the potash reserve in Al Lisan area near the Dead Sea, which is out of the concession area of the Arab Potash Company (APC).

 

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Hala Zawati and Agapito Vice President Timothy A. Ross signed the agreement, under which the ministry will follow up on the work of the company during the implementation period, assess results and make recommendations necessary for investment, according to a ministry statement. 

 

Following the signing ceremony, Zawati said that the deal is part of the ministry’s strategy to attract investments in the mineral resources sector to enhance exports, contribute to realising sustainable development, enhancing the added value of the Kingdom’s mining sector and boosting its contribution to the GDP.

 

The minister highlighted the importance of this step towards increasing the number of projects with added value, in a bid to support the national economy and create jobs for Jordanians. 

 

For his part, Ross voiced his company’s aspiration to cooperate with the ministry in conducting the study.

 

Under the agreement, Agapito, which has been chosen after offering the best technical and financial offer in an official tender, will check on the availability of raw potash in Al Lisan and identify the quantity and quality of the reserve through a five-phase programme, the statement said. 

 

The excavation, manufacturing and marketing processes of raw potash are currently implemented by the APC that was established in 1956 and enjoys a 100-year concession to extract, manufacture and market mineral resources in the Dead Sea area. 

 

Agapito Associates, Inc. was founded in 1978 by Jose Agapito and Michael Hardy, and has implemented engineering projects in 29 countries, according to the statement.