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Vl-2
of these three chemicals plus others, so having production capabilities in all three is a
distinct advantage.
The production capacity at Carlsbad is larger than that shown in Table 2, and this
is true throughout the world. The reasons are twofold: fIrst, there was a tendency to
overexpand during the 1960s in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere; and second, agriculture
historically goes through cycles, both nationally and worldwide. Therefore, having
surplus capacity is a must if a producer wishes to always satisfy (and thereby keep) its
customers. The capital expense for constructing the processing plants has been amonized
long ago, so having surplus capacity does not affect current operating cost on a tonproduced
basis. However, the Carlsbad workforce has constricted since 1965, when it
peaked at 3760, down to a current force of about 1400.
A unique feature of the chernical-fenilizer industry is the need for vast
warehousing of products so as to maintain a steady production rate at the mines and
plants while accommodating the farmers' cyclical needs for those products during the
year. This explains the large warehouse structures that one sees at Carlsbad mines. A
rule-of-thumb is that storage capacity amounts to about one-half of annual production
capacity. The warehouses are full at the end of a calendar year and depleted by
mid-summer.
Carlsbad in relation to otber producing areas
The Carlsbad operators have been providing about 85 % of domestic production,
but that production falls far short of the nation's need for potassium-chloride fertilizer.
Therefore, even if the four sylvite mines were operating at full capacity, there still would
be the need for imports of muriate. The nation's needs for potassium sulfates (as either
langbeinite or K 2 SOJ could be met because the two producers (IMC and Western Ag­
Minerals) are in fact the world's largest suppliers of that special mineral, It is estimated
that more than one-third of the Iangbeinite is exported, and the demand is growing on a
worldwide basis. Table 3 summarizes the last available data, Le. 1988 through 1992.
(Table 3 comes directly from USBM-Potash-I992.)
Most of Carlsbad's muriate is shipped by rail to farm consumers in the southern
and coastal states. Shipments are increasingly being made by trucks because such a mode
allows for tbe product to go directly to the fIelds, bypassing interim. storage points.
Langbeinite finds its principal use on citrus and tobacco crops, so again much of this
product (and manufactured ~S04) goes to the south. Langbeinite and ~S04 are
exported, with China, Japan, and Canada being the largest recent consumers. A full
description of the potash-fertilizer industry is gtven anmJally by the U.S. Bureau of
Mines. As of this writing, the 1992 report is the latest available and is the sole source of
the information in Table 3.
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