Morocco's phosphate exports reach $1.5 billion in 1997

Morocco's phosphate exports increased by 10.5 percent in 1997 over 1996, allowing the north African nation to become again the world leader in the industry, ahead of the United States, whose exports dropped by 8.9 percent.

The increase entailed a jump in turnover of the state-owned phosphates corporation (OCP) which reached $1.5 billion in sales against $1.4 billion in 1996.

The share of phosphate exports in the country's overall exports stood at 29 percent against 26 percent in 1996.

According to the OCP annual report, Morocco's share in the international market improved by 2.8 points, accounting for 30.9 percent of international exports in 1997, compared to 28.1 percent the previous year.

Crude phosphate exports increased by 8.9 percent, amounting to 11 million tons, with the U.S market taking in 4.02 million tons, and the West European market 3.99 million tons. 1.52 million tons were shipped to East European countries and 2.13 million tons to other parts of the world, while the local market soaked 11.25 million tons, the report said.

The overall production of phosphoric acid reached 2.67 million tons in 1997 (2.58 million in 1996). The production of this acid and fertilizers required the processing of 11.1 million tons of phosphates.

Phosphoric acid exports increased by 8.8 percent, going up from 1.61 million tons in 1996 to 1.75 million tons in 1997. Phosphate fertilizer exports recorded a slight drop falling from 1.9 million tons in 1996 to 1.8 million tons in 1997.

To increase its production potential, the OCP is planning to begin to use a new mine in El-Gantour, near Safi (350 km south of Rabat), that will have a capacity of one million tons in a first stage, and to increase the extraction potential in the Benguerir mine, near Marrakesh, to bring up the production capacity of this mine to 4.8 million tons per year.

The group also projects a new extraction area in Boucraa (southern Morocco) by year 2000 as well as a phosphate treatment unit in the region of Khouribga by the end of 2000.

The OCP equally targets to increase the phosphoric acid production capacity of the Jorf Lasfar unit from 350,000 tons to 1.75 million tons and that of the Safi unit from 200,000 tons to 1.46 million tons.

OCP is Morocco's largest industrial firm. It employs 28,000 workers, including 800 engineers.

The group operates mining sites in Khouribga and Youssoufia, south east of Rabat, and two chemical processing zones in Safi and Jorf Lasfar (near el-Jadida/250 km south of Rabat).