A mineworker measures the concentration of harmful gases in the Usolskiy underground potash mine, in Verkhnekamskoe, Russia. The mine is operated by EuroChem, which is owned by Russian commodities tycoon Andrey Melnichenko, who is spending $6-billion on the extraction of the reddish mineral that fertilises soil. EuroChem has access to ten-billion tonnes of potash reserves that have an average potassium chloride content of 30.8% and an active mine life of 35 years.