Phosphate Masr mine training

Report
Name: Mohamed Khamis
Department: mining
Level : 4
➢ Introduction in Phosphate Masr mine

Misr Phosphate Company was established in October 2009 under

the Egyptian Law 159

for the year 1981. An Egyptian joint company consisting of four

solid shareholders

(National Investment Bank, Egyptian Mineral Resource Authority,

Egyptian General

Petroleum Corporation and GANOPE) where they represent 100%

of the company’s paid

in capital.

Misr Phosphate is one of the major companies producing phosphate

rock concentrate in

Egypt with production capacity of around 5 Million Tons a year

from one of the biggest

reserves in the world “Abu Tartour” located 50KM west of the city
of El Kharga City, the

capital of the New Valley Governate in the southwestern Egypt. Due

to the company’s

successful records of accomplishment, Misr Phosphate have

acquired concessions and

licenses to operate in several phosphate mines in Egypt namely Abu

Tartour, El Sebaia and
Red Sea Mines, producing different grades of phosphate ore that are
suitable to match any

export market. In the last few years, the company showed a strong
improvement in the

production and sales of different ore qualities; where in 2019 Misr

Phosphate Company

acquired the license to operate the whole plateau of Abu Tartour

phosphate mine

(220KM2) by a presidential decree no. 12/2019. In order to make

the best use of the

Egyptian phosphate mineral resources, Misr Phosphate Company

have invested in the

development and execution of a world class world scale phosphoric

acid production

complex (El Wady for Phosphate Industries & Fertilizers) that will
be located

in the heart of Abu Tartour phosphate mine, where Misr Phosphate

Company is the major

shareholder (25%). Misr Phosphate Company plays a vital role for

selling and exporting

phosphate ore to international markets, where Misr Phosphate is one

of the major

shareholders in the Egyptian Marketing Company for Phosphate and

Fertilizers

(EMPHCO) with a share of 20% paid in capital.

PhosPhate Sites

Abu Tatour

Abu Tartour mine is located in the New Valley

Governate in the western desert of Egypt, about 60KM from El

Kharga City

Abu Tartour phosphate mine represents one of the largest

phosphate mines and is considered one of the largest phosphate
mines in the world,

with estimated reserves of 1 Billion tons of ore reserves grading up

to 31% P2O5. Misr Phosphate exports almost 2 Million tons
annually to international markets and has a production capacity of
5 Million tons per annum. Below is a full chemical analysis of
phospahe ore in Abu Tartour mine.

Nile Valley (El Sibaiya Mines)

The city of El Sibaiya is located in the far north of Aswan

Governorate, and it is the gateway crossing from it to Luxor
Governorate.

The Sibaiya is famous with rich phosphate ore of high grades (28-
30% P2O5) and is considered the most important mine
economically in the Nile Valley region either east of the Nile or
west of the Nile with more than 70% of Nile Valley region
reserves more than 500 million tons of phosphate ore. Below is a
full chemical analysis of phosphate ore in El Sibaiya Mines.

Red Sea Mines

The red sea mines stretches along the cost between two major
cities Safaga and Qusseir. Having numerous phosphate mines
the phosphate mines;

of grades ranging from 25-33% P2O5. During 2018, Phosphate

Misr Company succeeded in digging and testing all necessary
operational experiments for establishing the first water well in the
area and has been placed close to the production site to be used for
different purposes with an operational rate of 150 cubic meter /
hour. Beside the development of the water well, a water
desalination plant has been established to producing drinkable
water to serve the workers at site. Among the successful strategies
of the company, Misr Phosphate Company established a solar
power station to operate the well, the desalination plant and to light
the entire site aiming to expand the activity of exploitation and
extraction of phosphate ore in the area. Below is a full chemical
analysis of phosphate ore in the red sea.
 ➢ Training:
The training is divided into five types
1. Safety
2. Geology and mine
3. Survey
4. Crushers
5. Analysis Laboratory
It takes 5 days from 20 July to 25 July
Day Program
Day 1 Safety
Day 2 Geology

Day 3 Survey

Day 4 Crushers

Day 5 Analysis Lab

➢ safety
We learn about safety in mines specially at Sukari gold mines and
PPE there
We learn about most common mine hazards
• Cave-ins and Roof Falls – In underground mining, large
hollow pits, rooms, and tunnels are created to remove rock
and dirt before conveying people and equipment. It is a
serious concern because the structure could collapse,
trapping the miners working on site. In fact, cave-ins and
roof falls account for a large number of all recorded fatalities.
• Explosives and Blasting – Blasting is defined as the
process of reducing a large, solid body to smaller fragments
by firing up explosives. This involves drilling a hole, placing
both the detonator and charge inside, detonating the charge,
and clearing operations. Aside from the peril of charges
blowing up sooner than planned, air overpressure, fly rock,
dust, and toxic fumes can all cause injury and illness.
• Fires and Explosions – This happens when flammable
gases like methane and coal dust accumulate in an enclosed
space and get ignited. According to the NIOSH, up to a
quarter of fatalities in the industry are due to fires and
explosions.
• Respiratory Hazards – Dust, gases, and fumes are
generated during the mining operations, and everyone
working on-site—both miners and administrative workers—
can get exposed. Pneumoconiosis (dusty lung) such as
asbestosis and silicosis (black lung) can develop over time
and lead to cancer. Sadly, the rate of workers contracting
these diseases is on the rise.
• Haulage and Transportation – Gigantic 16-wheeler off-road
trucks, bucket-wheel excavators, backhoes, and power
shovels are all used in hauling and transporting ores,
overburdens, and waste rocks. Working with heavy
machinery has always been dangerous, but the risk of injury
is magnified in this industry because of confined spaces,
limited visibility, and human error. One coal mining company
in Indonesia reported that hauling is the largest contributor to
fatal accidents.
• Fall from Heights – Mineworkers, whether those climbing
into tunnels or those handling heavy machinery, often work
on elevated surfaces and are at risk of falling from heights.
Unexpected ground or equipment movement, faulty walking
 or standing surfaces, and falls through holes or openings are
the most common reasons for this injury.
• Noise and Vibrations – While most people are simply
annoyed at the clanging, whirring, and buzzing sounds and
reverberations from machines, mine workers who are
exposed to this every day may acquire long-term health
issues such as tinnitus, hearing loss, musculoskeletal
problems, and neuropathy, just to name a few.

• Chemical Hazards – Almost all types of mining operations,

from surface mining of limestone for concrete or
underground drilling for oil and gas extraction, make use
of chemicals. Cyanide and sulfuric acid separate the ores,
ammonium nitrate is used for blasting, and acetylene is a
crucial component in welding and soldering. All these are
toxic, causing health problems for the workers and even the
people living near the mines.

We know the ways to ensure workers safety

• Training and Education

Proper training and education are fundamental to ensuring

worker safety in mines. Workers must be well-informed
about the hazards they may encounter and equipped with
the knowledge and skills to respond to incidents effectively.

• Use of Safety Equipment

Safety equipment, especially Personal Protective

Equipment (PPE), is crucial in protecting miners from
various hazards. Equipping workers with these is non-
negotiable.
 One of the biggest disasters in U.S. coal mining history is
the one that occurred in the Upper Big Branch Mine in
West Virginia. The investigation showed that miners
lacked safety equipment or had faulty ones even when
sent to the most remote sections of the mines.

• Risk Assessment and Management

This practice is essential for preventing accidents and
incidents, helping companies proactively address potential
hazards. In fact, the four steps to safety mining follow the
basic risk assessment steps: spot the hazard, assess the
risk, fix the problem, and evaluate the results.

➢ Open pit mining

1. we take lectures about induction of open pit mining and how

to be ready to go to the field and know the open pit mining
sequences
2. we know about loading and hauling and different mining
equipment’s that is used We take two days in dumpers,
 excavator, and shovels and know lots of information on
mining equipment’s.

3. We take a day in survey and show the different equipment

which used in surveying such as theodolite, GNSS, 3D
Scanner and how to use them and how to locate positions in
site and take a lecture on surveying
4. Geology: we know about the geology of Phosphate Masr
mines and mines ore and the complex information and see
the RC driller that is used in drilling and know the geology of
ore

➢ Mineral process

The phosphorus from phosphate rock is processed in two main

pathways: in order to make phosphate-containing fertilizers for
global agricultural, most of the phosphate (~95%) is processed by
the “wet process,” where phosphate is treated with sulfuric acid to
produce phosphoric acid.

➢ Finally
From the first day to the last day, we learn a lot through this
training in open pit mining and under ground mining and
processing from engineers and operators and every one want to
help us