More than 20 million years ago the earth was covered in water. When the water retreated, the bones of sea life, which are highly concentrated in phosphorus, were buried beneath tons of sandy soil. The bones reacted with the soil to form a phosphate mineral. PotashCorp mines this mineral to make a form of phosphate used in fertilizer.

The excavated earth at PCS Phosphate Aurora is a treasure trove of buried mysteries. You never know what you may dig up – shells, fish bones and even shark teeth are just some of the fossils waiting to be found. These fossils exist because some parts of sea life, particularly shark teeth, are so dense that they resist reacting with the soil to form phosphate particles. Instead, we can find fossils like these in their original form for a long time.

PCS Phosphate Aurora offers tours of their facility for groups interested in learning more about fossils and phosphate mining.

School Tours

Guided tours of PCS Phosphate Aurora are available to school groups (Grade 5 and over) during the week between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The school will be requested to send a lit of visitors' names prior to the visit. The tour takes approximately one hour and visitors are not allowed to exit the bus during the tour.

Public Tours

Plant tours are available during the week for groups of 10 people or more. Tours are offered Monday to Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. by appointment only. Appointments must be made at least two weeks in advance.

Fossil Collecting

PCS Phosphate Aurora allows guided fossil hunts during the months of March to May and September to November each year, if area in the mine is available. Collecting trips are by appointment only. Steel-toed protection is required. No one under 18 years of age is allowed to collection fossils.

Paleontology Kit

Bring a fossil hunt right to your classroom! This unique kit allows students to dig for fossils and compare their findings in an accompanying guide. The kit includes a five-gallon container of material from the phosphate mining process, which provides a treasure trove of fossilized materials such as marine shells and shark teeth.

For more information, or to book any of these tours, please contact:

Curtis Ormond
Communications Specialist,
PCS Phosphate Aurora
Phone: (252) 322-8296
Email Curtis