A fertilizer complex with the biggest fully integrated diammonium phosphate (DAP) plant in the world will be the upshot of the Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) which was received by the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden).
Maaden through the BFS will develop its Phosphate Project (valued at $1.9 billion) in Saudi Arabia based on the exploitation of the Al-Jalamid phosphate deposit. Following the project financing in 2005, the start-up is planned for late 2008.
According to Arab News, during the handover ceremony held in Maaden’s offices in Riyadh, Abdullah S. Busfar, vice-president for corporate projects, said: “The project consists of a phosphate mine and a beneficiation plant at Al-Jalamid, in Northern Saudi Arabia, a fertilizer production complex at Ras Az Zawr, on the shore of the Arabian Gulf.”
The mining and beneficiation facilities at Al-Jalamid will produce an estimated 4.5 Mtpy (dry basis) of phosphate concentrate. The ore will be exploited by surface mining and processed by size classification and flotation to yield a concentrate containing 32 to 33 percent P2O5. The BFS has estimated that the Al-Jalamid reserves are adequate for providing ore beyond the 20-year life of the project, at an average mining rate of 11 to 12 Mtpy.
The Kingdom’s phosphate is estimated at 3.1 billion tons, of which 1.6 billion tons is an estimated reserve, 1.5 billion tons as a minable resource. In addition to the resource selected area for Al-Jalamid Mine Project, there is an estimated 313 million tons of phosphate ore reserve extending for an area of (18 Sq. Km).
