Importance of phosphate pock application for sustaining agricultural production in Egypt

Bulletin of the National Research Centre

Table 1 Reserves and annual production rates of phosphate ore in Egypt

Area	Location	Reserves, M tons	Produc., 1000 ton/year	Average assay, P₂O₅ (%)	Associated constituents	Mining** status
Red Sea Coast	Safaga area	30	–	18–28	SiO₂, clays, carbonates (Ca, Mg)	U
	Hamraween	50	–	18–28
	Qussier	20	–	18–28
Nile Valley	E. Sebaiya	80	2000	24–31	SiO, clays, carbonates (Ca)	S + U mainly surface
	W.Sebaiya	100	900	20–28
	Quena area	1500	–	15–24
New Valley	Abu Tartur	1000* out of them 124 M tons oxidized ore	Up to 2100	22–26	SiO₂, clays, dolomote, gypsum, pyrite	S + U majority surface
Total		2780	5000

U underground mining, S surface mining
*These reserves are the verified reserves at Abu Tartur. The probable and possible phosphate reserves at Abu Tartur location are almost ten times this amount