A large deposit of high-quality phosphate discovered near Beersheba could give Israel a significant competitive edge in world phosphate markets, according to the Energy Ministry whose geologists discovered the deposit recently. It contains between 40-200 million tons of phosphates.
The concentration is 31-34 percent phosphoric oxide, which is considered rich. Like other phosphate deposits, this one also contains uranium, but it is not yet known whether its recovery would be economically feasible.
The phosphates are in three main layers. The topmost and richest not far beneath the surface of the Negev and therefore easy to mine. Within 3-4 years some 2.5 million tons of phosphates could be extracted per annum, more than doubling Israel’s phosphate exports.
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