The phosphate deposits of Florida are of sedimentary origin and are part of a phosphate-bearing province that extends from southern Florida north along the Atlantic coast into southern Virginia.

* Wingate facility uses dredges, not draglines, to mine phosphate.
* Dredge’s ladder is suspended underwater down to 90 ft.
* Rotating “cutter” frees phosphate from the ore deposit.
* Mines phosphate ore at differing depths.
* New dredges use less fossil fuels, LED lighting and are quieter.

Beneficiation Plant Operations:
Washer
* Removes oversize material.
* Produces “pebble” phosphate.
* Removes clay by scrubbing and rinsing.
* Feeds all undersized phosphate and sand to the sizer.
* Same-sized sand and phosphate is pumped to the flotation plant for separation.

Flotation Plant
* Produces fine-sized “Concentrate” phosphate.
* Uses special additives (mostly biodegradable oils from the pulp and paper industry) to coat the phosphate.
* Phosphate separates from the sand, floats to the top and is skimmed off.
* Pumps sand back to the field for reclamation.

Blended phosphate rock is loaded onsite and transported to manufacturing facilities via rail, truck and vessel.