PHOSPHATE ROCK
(Data in thousand metric tons unless otherwise noted)
Domestic Production and Use: Phosphate rock ore was mined by 6 firms at 12 mines in 4 States and upgraded to an estimated 26.1 million tons of marketable product valued at $1.3 billion, f.o.b. mine. Florida and North Carolina accounted for more than 85% of total domestic output; the remainder was produced in Idaho and Utah. Marketable product refers to beneficiated phosphate rock with phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) content suitable for phosphoric acid or elemental phosphorus production. More than 95% of the U.S. phosphate rock mined was used to manufacture wet-process phosphoric acid and superphosphoric acid, which were used as intermediate feedstocks in the manufacture of granular and liquid ammonium phosphate fertilizers and animal feed supplements. Approximately 45% of the wet-process phosphoric acid produced was exported in the form of upgraded granular diammonium and monoammonium phosphate (DAP and MAP, respectively) fertilizer, and merchant-grade phosphoric acid. The balance of the phosphate rock mined was for the manufacture of elemental phosphorus, which was used to produce phosphorus compounds for a variety of food-additive and industrial applications.
Salient Statistics—United States: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010e
Production, marketable 30,100 29,700 30,200 26,400 26,100
Sold or used by producers 30,200 31,100 28,900 25,500 28,300
Imports for consumption 2,420 2,670 2,750 2,000 2,100
Consumption1 32,600 33,800 31,600 27,500 30,400
Price, average value, dollars per ton, f.o.b. mine2 30.49 51.10 76.76 127.19 50.00
Stocks, producer, yearend 7,070 4,970 6,340 8,120 5,800
Employment, mine and beneficiation plant, numbere 2,500 2,500 2,600 2,550 2,300
Net import reliance3 as a percentage of
apparent consumption 7 14 4 1 15
Recycling: None.
Import Sources (2006–09): Morocco, 100%.
Tariff: Item Number Normal Trade Relations
12-31-10
Natural calcium phosphates:
Unground 2510.10.0000 Free.
Ground 2510.20.0000 Free.
Depletion Allowance: 14% (Domestic and foreign).
Government Stockpile: None.
Prepared by Stephen M. Jasinski [(703) 648-7711, sjasinsk@usgs.gov, fax: (703) 648-7757]
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PHOSPHATE ROCK
Events, Trends, and Issues: In 2010, phosphate rock consumption and trade increased worldwide after depressed market conditions in 2008 and 2009. U.S. production was about the same as in 2009, as companies attempted to lower stocks of phosphate rock that had accumulated over the previous year. Domestic phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizer production increased over that of 2009. The world spot price of phosphate rock began 2010 around $90 per ton and increased in the third quarter to around $150 per ton.
A new 3.9-million-ton-per-year phosphate rock mine in northern Peru began operation in July. The leading U.S. phosphate rock producer acquired a 35% share of the joint venture between the Brazilian and Japanese owners of the mine. The U.S. company will have the right to purchase up to 35% of the annual phosphate rock output to supplement its domestic phosphate rock production.
A new 5- million-ton-per-year phosphate rock mine began operation in Saudi Arabia late in 2010. The associated phosphate fertilizer plant was to open in 2011. World mine production capacity was projected to increase to 228 million tons by 2015 through mine expansion projects in Algeria, Brazil, China, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Tunisia, and development of new mines in Australia, Kazakhstan, Namibia, and Russia.
World Mine Production and Reserves: Significant revisions were made to reserves data for Morocco, using information from the Moroccan producer and a report by the International Fertilizer Development Center. Reserves information for Russia was revised using official Government data and may not be comparable to the reserves definition in Appendix C. Reserves data for Algeria, Senegal, and Syria were revised based on individual company information.
Mine production Reserves4
2009 2010e
United States 26,400 26,100 1,400,000
Algeria 1,800 2,000 2,200,000
Australia 2,800 2,800 82,000
Brazil 6,350 5,500 340,000
Canada 700 700 5,000
China5 60,200 65,000 3,700,000
Egypt 5,000 5,000 100,000
Israel 2,700 3,000 180,000
Jordan 5,280 6,000 1,500,000
Morocco and Western Sahara 23,000 26,000 50,000,000
Russia 10,000 10,000 1,300,000
Senegal 650 650 180,000
South Africa 2,240 2,300 1,500,000
Syria 2,470 2,800 1,800,000
Togo 850 800 60,000
Tunisia 7,400 7,600 100,000
Other countries 8,620 9,500 620,000
World total (rounded) 166,000 176,000 65,000,000
World Resources: Domestic reserves data were based on U.S. Geological Survey and individual company information. Phosphate rock resources occur principally as sedimentary marine phosphorites. The largest sedimentary deposits are found in northern Africa, China, the Middle East, and the United States. Significant igneous occurrences are found in Brazil, Canada, Russia, and South Africa. Large phosphate resources have been identified on the continental shelves and on seamounts in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Substitutes: There are no substitutes for phosphorus in agriculture.
eEstimated.
1Defined as phosphate rock sold or used + imports.
2Marketable phosphate rock, weighted value, all grades.
3Defined as imports – exports + adjustments for Government and industry stock changes.
4See Appendix C for resource/reserve definitions and information concerning data sources.
5Production data for China do not include small artisanal mines.
U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2011
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