Phosphates are one of the most important minerals on Earth, as they are used as fertiliser for agriculture and as a raw material for the chemical industry. In addition, phosphates are the source of rare earth elements. Global consumption of P₂O₅ is expected to increase gradually from 44.5 million tonnes in 2016 to 48.9 million tonnes in 2020.

Algeria is a country rich in various useful substances such as sedimentary phosphates from the Kef Essennoun deposit in the Dj. Onk region, which are differentiated into 5 phosphate layers: 3 layers of beige phosphate and 2 layers of black phosphate. Proven resources are estimated at over 2 billion tonnes of phosphate. They are exploited by the Mining Company of Phosphates (SOMIPHOS) - a subsidiary of Ferphos.

Various recovery methods are used to increase the P₂O₅ content and make it economically profitable; including calcination, flotation, magnetic separation, and electrostatic separation and leaching. The choice of the method depends mainly on the origin of the phosphate ore and the nature of the associated exogangue.