Mosaic Potash Mine, New Mexico

This is one of three active mines in the Carlsbad Basin, in the southeast corner of New Mexico, that together produce 80% of the potash in the USA. This plant and mine complex was operated for decades by IMC Global, which is now owned by Mosaic. Based in suburban Minneapolis, Mosaic, the largest US-based producer of phosphates, is also the largest US-based producer of potash. This though is the only potash mine owned by the company in the USA (most of its potash comes from mines in Saskatchewan). The mine has been operating since 1940. It extends horizontally underground more than 12 miles from the plant, which sits on top of the main shafts. 700 people work at the plant underground, running ten continuous-mining machines, cutting out langbeinite and sylvite ore from two separate mine layers. Rocks are ground up inside the mine. Conveyers travel through mine corridors to a processing plant at the north end of the lake, at the head of the plume of tailings that is a few miles long. The plant produces more than a million tons of potassium fertilizer products annually.