Background
Active salt mining since 1517, making it the oldest active salt mine in Germany

Foundation
1517 by Gregor Rainer, Imperial Prelate and Provost of the Berchtesgaden Monastery

Operating time
Since its foundation without interruption

Brine production per year
approx. 1.000.000 m³

Process
Wet mining

Mountain salinity
An average of 50 %

Employees
Approx. 100 at the Berchtesgaden site

Technical data
Extension of a drilling mud plant: up to 160 m long, 120 m wide, 125 m high
Active wet mining plants:30
Daily mining progress: approx. 1 cm upwards
Usable mining height:100 m
Operating life of a drilling fluid plant: approx. 30 years
Brine production per wet mining plant during the entire operating period: approx. 1.300.000 m³

Size of the deposits
South-West to North-East:4.5 km (2.5 km in mining)
North-west to south-east:1.5 km (1.5 km in mining)
Proven storage depth:500 m below the valley floor
Presumed bearing depth:1.000 m below the valley floor

Owner
Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke AG, Heilbronn
Spokesman of the Board , Ulrich Fluck
Board of Directors, Wolfgang Rüther