Overview of the Agrium Kapuskasing phosphate operation

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 94, No. 1049, 2001

R. Pressacco, Agrium-Kapuskasing Phosphate Operations, Kapuskasing, Ontario

AgriumÕs history in fertilizer production and marketing goes back to 1931. Today, Agrium Inc. is a world leader in the production, distribution, and marketing of fertilizers and related products to the agricultural industry. Agrium is the largest North American producer of nitrogen fertilizers, a major producer of phosphate and potash fertilizers, and a world leader in fertilizer wholesale distribution and retail marketing. The mine at Kapuskasing is located some 40 km southwest of Kapuskasing, Ontario (Fig. 1). It has been developed to supply high-quality, low-cost phosphate rock to the companyÕs Redwater, Alberta facility, where it is an ingredient in ammonium phosphate fertilizer production. The Kapuskasing mine is the only phosphate mine in Canada and will rank as one of the highest-grade phosphate mines in the world (Clark and Duncan, 1999). Apatite is the principal ore mineral mined at the Kapuskasing Phosphate Operations.

Keywords: Industrial minerals, Phosphate, Agrium, Geology, Mining, Milling.