Nutrien Aurora Phosphate Mine, North Carolina

Nutrien is the new owner of PotashCorp’s phosphate mine and plant in Aurora, North Carolina. Not as vast as the company’s northern Florida site, the operation here, measuring 6 miles by 6 miles, is large enough to be called the largest integrated phosphate mining and chemical plant in the nation, since it has just one plant, surrounded by its mines and waste ponds and piles. The mine produces around 5 million tons of phosphate ore a year, which the plant turns into around one million tons of phosphoric acid. The phosphate deposit here was discovered in 1955, and was developed primarily by the Texas Gulf company, known for its sulfur mining operations in Texas. PotashCorp bought it from Texas Gulf in 1995. The mine and plant is located on the Pamlico River, and barges move most of its material to market through the deep water port at Morehead City, or by rail directly from the plant.