A second mine for the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan could be in the works for the Sussex, N.B. area.

The corporation, which already employs about 330 people at its operations in Penobsquis, is studying the possibility of expansion.

Marc Fraccia, general manager of the Penobsquis operation said there's a large, untapped potash deposit on land across the highway from the company's current mining operations.

"We've been exploring that for a while and for the last few months we've been doing a feasibility study on developing that ore body," Fraccia said.

"It really depends on what the numbers look like and whether it generates a suitable return on investment."

The current mine has enough potash to last another 25 years, he said, but there could be enough demand to keep two mines busy.

Potash is mainly used in fertilizer, and Fraccia says the fertilizer market is on the rise. He says increased interest in environmentally friendly fuels doesn't hurt, either.

"Another factor is the growing ethanol and biofuels market, which again requires additional crops and the crops used for those are potash-consuming crops," Fraccia said.

It will be several months before the company decides whether to go ahead with a second mine. If it does, Fraccia said it would definitely mean new jobs for the area, but he couldn't say how many.