Editing Phosphate (section)

==Production==
===Geological occurrence===
[[File:Phosphate Mine Panorama.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Phosphate mine near [[Flaming Gorge, Utah]], US, 2008]]
[[File:Train loaded with phosphate rock, Metlaoui Tunisia-4298B.jpg|thumb|Train loaded with phosphate rock, [[Métlaoui]], Tunisia, 2012]]
Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element [[phosphorus]], found in many [[phosphate mineral]]s. In mineralogy and geology, phosphate refers to a rock or ore containing phosphate ions. Inorganic phosphates are [[mining|mined]] to obtain phosphorus for use in agriculture and industry.<ref name=PhosphatePrimer/>

The largest global producer and exporter of phosphates is [[Morocco]]. Within North America, the largest deposits lie in the [[Bone Valley]] region of central [[Florida]], the [[Soda Springs, Idaho|Soda Springs]] region of southeastern [[Idaho]], and the coast of [[North Carolina]]. Smaller deposits are located in [[Montana]], [[Tennessee]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[South Carolina]]. The small island nation of [[Phosphate mining in Nauru|Nauru]] and its neighbor [[Banaba Island]], which used to have massive phosphate deposits of the best quality, have been mined excessively. Rock phosphate can also be found in Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Western Sahara, [[Navassa Island]], Tunisia, Togo, and Jordan, countries that have large phosphate-mining industries.

[[Phosphorite]] mines are primarily found in:
* '''North America''': {{main|Phosphate mining in the United States}} United States, especially Florida, with lesser deposits in [[North Carolina]], [[Idaho]], and [[Tennessee]]
* '''Africa''': [[Morocco]], [[Algeria]], [[Egypt]], [[Niger]], [[Senegal]], [[Togo]], [[Tunisia]], [[Mauritania]]
* '''Middle East''': [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Jordan]], [[Israel]], [[Syria]], [[Iran]] and [[Iraq]], at the town of [[Akashat]], near the Jordanian border.
* '''Central Asia''': [[Kazakhstan]]
* '''Oceania''': [[Australia]], [[Makatea]], [[Nauru]], and [[Banaba Island]]

In 2007, at the current rate of consumption, the supply of phosphorus was estimated to run out in 345 years.<ref>{{cite journal|date=May 26, 2007|journal = [[New Scientist]]|volume = 194|issue = 2605|pages = 38–9|title = How Long Will it Last?|doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(07)61508-5|bibcode = 2007NewSc.194...38R |last1 = Reilly|first1 = Michael}}</ref> However, some scientists thought that a "[[peak phosphorus]]" would occur in 30 years and [[Dana Cordell]] from Institute for Sustainable Futures said <!-- in Times --> that at "current rates, reserves will be depleted in the next 50 to 100 years".<ref name=Lewis>{{cite news|url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article4193017.ece|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080905082511/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article4193017.ece|url-status = dead|archive-date = September 5, 2008|title = Scientists warn of lack of vital phosphorus as biofuels raise demand|date = 2008-06-23|author = Leo Lewis|newspaper = The Times}}</ref> Reserves refer to the amount assumed recoverable at current market prices. In 2012 the [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] estimated world reserves at 71 billion tons, while 0.19 billion tons were mined globally in 2011.<ref>U.S. Geological Survey [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/phosphate_rock/mcs-2012-phosp.pdf Phosphate Rock]</ref>  Phosphorus comprises 0.1% by mass of the average rock<ref>[[U.S. Geological Survey]] {{cite web| url = http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1368/Soil_PDFs/P_soils_page.pdf| title = Phosphorus Soil Samples}}</ref> (while, for perspective, its typical concentration in vegetation is 0.03% to 0.2%),<ref>{{cite web|author=Floor Anthoni |url=http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/abund.htm |title=Abundance of Elements |publisher=Seafriends.org.nz |access-date=2013-01-10}}</ref> and consequently there are quadrillions of tons of phosphorus in Earth's 3×10<sup>19</sup>-ton crust,<ref>[[American Geophysical Union]], Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #V33A-1161. [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007AGUFM.V33A1161P Mass and Composition of the Continental Crust]</ref> albeit at predominantly lower concentration than the deposits counted as reserves, which are inventoried and cheaper to extract. If it is assumed that the phosphate minerals in [[phosphate rock]] are mainly hydroxyapatite and fluoroapatite, phosphate minerals contain roughly 18.5% phosphorus by weight. If phosphate rock contains around 20% of these minerals, the average phosphate rock has roughly 3.7% phosphorus by weight.

Some phosphate rock deposits, such as [[Mulberry, Florida#Economy|Mulberry]] in Florida,<ref name="Mulberry, Phosphate" /> are notable for their inclusion of significant quantities of radioactive uranium isotopes. This is a concern because radioactivity can be released into surface waters<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |author=C. Michael Hogan |year=2010 |url=http://www.eoearth.org/article/Water_pollution |title=Water pollution |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Earth]] |editor=Mark McGinley and C. Cleveland (Washington, DC.: [[National Council for Science and the Environment]]) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100916050147/http://www.eoearth.org/article/Water_pollution |archive-date=2010-09-16}}</ref> from application of the resulting [[Fertilizer#Phosphate fertilizers|phosphate fertilizer]].

In December 2012, [[Cominco Resources]] announced an updated [[JORC]] compliant resource of their Hinda project in [[Republic of the Congo|Congo-Brazzaville]] of 531 million tons, making it the largest measured and indicated phosphate deposit in the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=Updated Hinda Resource Announcement: Now world's largest phosphate deposit (04/12/2012)|url=http://www.comincoresources.com/news/updated-hinda-resource-announcement-now-worlds-largest-phosphate-deposit-04|publisher=[[Cominco Resources]]|access-date=2013-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005113748/http://www.comincoresources.com/news/updated-hinda-resource-announcement-now-worlds-largest-phosphate-deposit-04|archive-date=2016-10-05|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Around 2018, Norway discovered phosphate deposits almost equal to those in the rest of Earth combined.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dw.com/en/eu-pins-hope-on-norway-raw-materials-discovery/a-56343829 |title=EU pins hope on Norway's raw materials |last1=Bushuev |first1=Mikhail |date=26 January 2021 |accessdate=2 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/great-news-eu-hails-discovery-of-massive-phosphate-rock-deposit-in-norway/ | title='Great news': EU hails discovery of massive phosphate rock deposit in Norway | date=29 June 2023 }}</ref>

In July 2022 China announced quotas on phosphate exportation.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/china-fertilizers-quotas/china-issues-phosphate-quotas-to-rein-in-fertiliser-exports-analysts-idUSKBN2OQ0KY | title=China issues phosphate quotas to rein in fertiliser exports - analysts | newspaper=Reuters | date=15 July 2022 }}</ref>

The largest importers in millions of metric tons of phosphate are Brazil 3.2, India 2.9 and the USA 1.6.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nationmaster.com/nmx/ranking/phosphate-fertilizer-imports | title=Top countries for Phosphate Fertilizer Imports }}</ref>

===Mining===
[[File:International Exchange of Phosphates in 1937 - DPLA - 03790fc57d3206e73683a68ec11c8fb2.jpg|thumb|right|Phosphate imports/exports in 1937]]
The three principal phosphate producer countries (China, Morocco and the United States) account for about 70% of world production.

{| class="wikitable centre sortable width=80%;"
|+ Production and global reserves of natural phosphate by country in 2019<br /><small>(USGS, 2021)</small><ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-phosphate.pdf| title = PHOSPHATE ROCK, usgs}}</ref>
! Country !! Production <br />(millions kg) !! Share of <br /> global <br /> production (%) !! Reserves<br />(millions kg)
|-
| [[Algeria]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:1300}} || align="right" | 0.54 || align="right" | {{formatnum:2200000}}
|-
| [[Australia]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:2700}} || align="right" | 1.17 || align="right" | {{formatnum:1100000}}
|-
| [[Brazil]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:4700}} || align="right" | 3.00 || align="right" | {{formatnum:1600000}}
|-
| [[China]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:95000}} || align="right" | 44.83 || align="right" | {{formatnum:3200000}}
|-
| [[Egypt]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:5000}} || align="right" | 2.47 || align="right" | {{formatnum:2800000}}
|-
|[[Finland]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:995}} || align="right" | - || align="right" | {{formatnum:1000000}}
|-
| [[India]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:1,480}} || align="right" | 0.49 || align="right" | {{formatnum:46000}}
|-
| [[Iraq]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:200}} || align="right" | 0.09 || align="right" | {{formatnum:430000}}
|-
| [[Israel]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:2,810}} || align="right" | 1.48 || align="right" | {{formatnum:57000}}
|-
| [[Jordan]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:9,220}} || align="right" | 3.36 || align="right" | {{formatnum:800000}}
|-
| [[Kazakhstan]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:1500}} || align="right" | 0.72 || align="right" | {{formatnum:260000}}
|-
| [[Mexico]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:558}} || align="right" | 0.76 || align="right" | {{formatnum:30000}}
|-
| [[Morocco]] and [[Western Sahara]] || align="right" |{{formatnum:35500}} || align="right" | 13.45 || align="right" | {{formatnum:50000000}}
|-
| [[Peru]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:4000}} || align="right" | 1.79 || align="right" | {{formatnum:210000}}
|-
| [[Russia]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:13100}} || align="right" | 5.60 || align="right" | {{formatnum:600000}}
|-
| [[Saudi Arabia]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:6500}} || align="right" | 1.48 || align="right" | {{formatnum:1400000}}
|-
| [[Senegal]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:3,420}} || align="right" | 0.45 || align="right" | {{formatnum:50000}}
|-
| [[South Africa]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:2100}} || align="right" | 0.99 || align="right" | {{formatnum:1400000}}
|-
| [[Syria]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:2000}} || align="right" | 0.34 || align="right" | {{formatnum:1800000}}
|-
| [[Togo]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:800}} || align="right" | 0.45 || align="right" | {{formatnum:30000}}
|-
| [[Tunisia]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:4,110}} || align="right" | 1.79 || align="right" | {{formatnum:100000}}
|-
|[[Uzbekistan]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:900}} || align="right" | - || align="right" | {{formatnum:100000}}
|-
| [[United States]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:23300}} || align="right" | 12.37 || align="right" | {{formatnum:1000000}}
|-
| [[Vietnam]] || align="right" | {{formatnum:4,650}} || align="right" | 1.21 || align="right" | {{formatnum:30000}}
|-class="sortbottom"
| Other countries || align="right" | {{formatnum:1,140}} || align="right" | 1.17 || align="right" | {{formatnum:840000}}
|-class="sortbottom" style="background: #EFEFEF"
| '''Total''' || align="right" | '''{{formatnum:227000}}''' || align="right" | '''100''' || align="right" | '''{{formatnum:71000000}}'''
|}