PHOSPHATE MINING IN SPAIN

Phosphate deposits were recorded in Spain as early since 1808 but exploitation only began on a small scale in 1845. (Blakey,A.F. "The Florida Phosphate Industry" Wertheim Committee, Harvard, 1973,p9,147) Exactly where was not mentioned but possibly in ESTREMADURA. In 1849 it was stated that, "the great bed of Estremadura phosphorite, … is at present not of sufficiently ready access to prove of any practical importance to British agriculture." ...”The phosphorite of Spain has not been imported into this country to any considerable extent in consequence of the great expense of getting it on board ship; at present therefore it is not likely to be of any practical importance in the manufacture of superphosphate of lime." Way, J.T. Journ.Ag.Soc.vol.xii.p215

In 1851 mineral phosphate of lime was found at Cabo di Gata, and Villa Rica and apatite found at Leigrosan, in province of Estremadura in Spain. (Way,J.T.1851 p.253-5; Captain Widdrington and Dr. Daubeny, 'On the Occurrence of Phosphorite in Estremadura,' Journ.Agric.Soc.1845; Geol.Mag.1845?; 'On the use of Spanish Phosphorite as a Manure' Sir H.Verey, Journ.Ag.Soc.vol.vi.,1845?

SPANISH ESTREMADURA PHOSPHATE AND MOROXITE FROM JUMELLA.- Spain

Specimens sent to the 1851 International Exhibition in London of two phosphatic minerals which are likely to become important articles of commerce at no distant date. One of these minerals is already in the hands of commercial men, and is employed and exhibited by several manufacturers of manures. We refer to the phosphorite which occurs in immense quantities at Lagrossa, near Truxillo, Estremadura. It is here associated with foliated apatite and quartz, and forms solid beds that alternate between with limestone and quartz. This Spanish phosphorite has a fibrous structure, a light yellow colour, and a considerable degree of hardness. When reduced by means of powerful machinery to a fine powder, and treated with oil of vitriol, it becomes, like other mineral phosphates, converted into superphosphate of lime. Exhibited by R. Manjarres, Seville. Voelcker,Dr.A. Ph.D. Consulting chemist to the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 'Raw Materials used as Manures, and Artificial Manures.' Rept. International Exhibition, 1862,pp149-53

Cuthbert Johnson reported the new Spanish deposits in the Mark Lane Express. “Found at Logrosson a rock varying from 7 - 16 feet in breadth, traceable for nearly two miles and extending into the earth to a great, though as yet unascertained, depth." (Johnson, C. "Mineral Phopshate of Lime," Mark Lane Express,4th Sept.1865,p.2)

"Found in 1865 on line of railway from Estremadura to Portugal but the means of transport was very costly”. Woodward,S.P.? Geol.Mag.c1866/7

The second specimen sent by Mr. Munoz of Lima, Torres, as Apatita di Jumella, a variety of phosphorite mineralogists call moroxite, which occurs in large quantities at Jumella, and is likely to find its way very soon onto the English manure market. It contained about 80 per cent phosphate of lime.

Since the opening of the line of railway connecting Madrid with Lisbon, in 1867, numerous Spanish and Portuguese phosphate mines have been partially developed, mainly through the instrumentality of companies under the Limited Liability Act of 1862. After carrying on the mining operations for a few years, and sending the produce to England, most of the companies, for one reason or another, have been cut short in their existence. The chief drawback in working Spanish phosphate mines successfully is the want of good roads, and the heavy expense which has to be incurred in carrying the produce of the mines on the backs of mules to the nearest railway station, and thence to Lisbon.

The means of communication in the districts where the phosphate occur have been greatly improved of late years; still there is ample room for further improvement in that respect, and in the mean time Spanish phosphate mines are but little developed. There can be no doubt, however, that these mines will furnish at no very distant period a considerable proportion of the yearly supply of phosphatic minerals, for which there is a constantly and rapidly increasing demand. Phosphorite of Logrosan has a light yellow colour, and a fibrous crystalline structure, and is more or less interlaced with veins of quartz. It is hard and difficult to powder, and becomes phosphorescent on heating. The phosphate from Caceres mines is softer, and of an almost perfectly white colour. Generally speaking Spanish and Portuguese phosphorites have either a white or only slightly yellow colour. The produce of different mines varies as much as regards hardness and richness in phosphate of lime.

Phosphorite is frequently found in Spain in solid beds, varying in dimensions, and alternating with beds of limestone and quartz. (Voelcker,Dr.A. 'On the Chemical Composition of Phosphatic Minerals used for Agricultural Purposes,' Journ.Agric.Soc.1875,p409-413)

Voelcker’s analysis showed them to have a high phosphate contents, up to 89% but generally ranging between 60% and 70%. As a result he pointed out that,

"They find a ready sale in the English market, and fetch a better price per unit per cent of phosphate of lime than coprolites and mineral phosphates containing much oxide of iron and alumina, inasmuch as superphosphate made from high-grade Spanish phosphate retain their high percentage of soluble phosphate unaltered on keeping; whilst those made from materials containing much oxide of iron and alumina, on keeping become poorer in soluble phosphate, a portion of soluble phosphate becoming precipitated, or reduced into insoluble phosphate by the presence of oxide of iron and alumina."

Ibid.p413

Manure manufacturers, having read the article would almost surely have increased their purchases of these minerals, helping to explain why sales of coprolites fell so dramatically at the end of the 1870s.

SPANISH and PORTUGUESE Phosphorites generally go under the name of Estremadura phosphate, from the province in Spain where it is chiefly found. It is hard, of light yellow colour, crystalline structure, and generally more or less mixed with quartz, and becomes phosphorescent when heated. It is tolerably free from iron and alumina, but contains variable and often considerable quantities of flouride of calcium... In dissolving, from 30 to 33 per cent of the phosphates in the superphosphates is rendered soluble; but, owing to the small quantity of carbonate of lime in the mineral, the superphosphate when first made are generally dense and damp, and require some time to get into good condition. Reid,W.C. 'Mineral Phosphates and Superphosphate of Lime,'Chemical News Aug.11th 1876 pp55-6

Although knowledge of Spanish mineral phosphate deposits existed as early as 1808 it was only worked on a small scale from 1845 in the province of Estremadura. (Captain Widdrington and Dr. Daubeny, 'On the Occurrence of Phosphorite in Estremadura,' Journ.Agric.Soc.1845; Geol.Mag.1845? Verey,Sir H. 'On the use of Spanish Phosphorite as a Manure' Journ.Ag.Soc.vol.vi.,1845?; Blakey,A.F. "The Florida Phosphate Industry" Wertheim Committee, Harvard, 1973,p9,147) Its existence was

acknowledged in British agricultural journals but it was stated that,

"...the great bed of Estremadura phosphorite, which is at present not of sufficiently ready access to prove of any practical importance to British agriculture... The phosphorite of Spain has not been imported into this country to any considerable extent in consequence of the great expense of getting it on board ship; at present therefore it is not likely to be of any practical importance in the manufacture of superphosphate of lime."

(Way,J.T.Journ.Ag.Soc.vol.xii.p215 )

However, during the 1840s European manure manufacturers demand for whatever phosphate deposits they could get their hands on, led to new workings opening at Cabo di Gata and Villa Rica in 1851 and a deposit of apatite was found at Leigrosan, Estremadura. (Way,J.T.1851 p.253-5) By the 1860s large quantities of moxorite were found in Jumella containing up to 80% phosphate of lime and the opening of the railway to Portugal in 1867 allowed them access to the British market - but at a high price. (Voelcker,Dr.A. Ph.D. Consulting chemist to the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 'Raw Materials used as Manures, and Artificial Manures.' Rept. International Exhibition, 1862, pp149-53; Woodward,S.P. '?' Geol.Mag.1866/7) By the mid-1870s most of the deposits were being exploited and Voelcker described how,

"Extensive and valuable deposits of phosphorite are found near Logrosan, in the neighbourhood of the towns of Caceres, Montanchez, and other places in the province of Estremadura, in Spain. Portugal also possesses extensive phosphate mines, and from both countries many thousand tons are annually shipped to England at the present time. Dr. Daubeny, who visited the Logrosan deposits in company with Captain Widdrington, stated in his report, published in the Royal Agricultural Society's Journal for 1845, that he found the deposits of the richest quality, and to be practically inexhaustible; but that the want of roads, and the expense of transport to Lisbon, the nearest shipping port, about 250 miles distant from the mines, rendered them valueless until better means of communication should open up the country. Since the opening of the line of railway connecting Madrid with Lisbon, in 1867, numerous Spanish and Portuguese phosphate mines have been partially developed, mainly through the instrumentality of companies under the Limited Liability Act of 1862. After carrying on the mining operations for a few years, and sending the produce to England, most of the companies, for one reason or another, have been cut short in their existence.

The chief drawback in working Spanish phosphate mines successfully is the want of good roads, and the heavy expense which has to be incurred in carrying the produce of the mines on the backs of mules to the nearest railway station, and thence to Lisbon.

The means of communication in the districts where the phosphate mines occur have been greatly improved of late years; still there is ample room for further improvement in that respect, and in the mean time Spanish phosphate mines are but little developed. There can be no doubt, however, that these mines will furnish at no very distant period a considerable proportion of the yearly supply of phosphatic minerals, for which there is a constantly and rapidly increasing demand.

(Voelcker,Dr.A. 'On the Chemical Composition of Phosphatic Minerals used for Agricultural Purposes,' Journ.Agric.Soc.1875,p409-413

His analysis showed the these deposits to have a high phosphate content, up to 89% but generally ranging between 60% and 70%. (Reid,W.C. 'Mineral Phosphates and Superphosphate of Lime,'Chemical News Aug.11th 1876 pp55-6) As a result he pointed out that,

(Voelcker,op.cit.p413)