Producer
Albemarle Corporation
Albemarle Corporation (Charlotte, NC; NYSE: ALB; founded 1994 via Ethyl Corporation spin-off) is one of the world's largest specialty chemicals companies, with major businesses in lithium (for EV batteries), bromine, and refining solutions. Its bromine operations are concentrated in Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas, where it operates two world-scale plants (South Plant at 2270 US-79, West Plant at 1550 US-371) extracting bromine from ancient underground brine formations at ~2 km depth in the Smackover Formation. Albemarle committed $540 million (2022-2027) to expand and modernize these Arkansas facilities. The company also co-owns Jordan Bromine Company (JBC, 50/50 with Arab Potash Company), sited on the Jordanian Dead Sea shore. In 2022, Albemarle produced 128,000 metric tonnes of bromine. Together with ICL, Albemarle controls approximately 35-40% of global bromine supply.
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Inputs supplied
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Goods downstream
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Facilities
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Stories
What they make
1 input Albemarle Corporation supplies
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Where they make it
2 facilities
Albemarle Bromine — Magnolia South Plant →
USArkansas · extraction_and_processing
Albemarle's South Plant (2270 US-79, Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas) is one of the world's largest bromine production facilities, extracting from the Smackover Formation brine at ~2 km depth — the second-largest underground bromine-rich brine deposit globally. $380M committed for this plant alone in the 2022-2027 expansion program. Approximately 600 employees and contractors across Albemarle's Magnolia complex (South + West plants). Smackover brine was discovered in south Arkansas in the 1950s when oil drillers encountered hypersaline water with high bromine content during petroleum exploration — a classic accidental strategic resource discovery.
Albemarle Bromine — Magnolia West Plant →
USArkansas · extraction_and_processing
Albemarle's West Plant (1550 US-371, Magnolia, Columbia County, Arkansas) is the second major Magnolia bromine facility. $160M committed in the 2022-2027 expansion. Produces bromine and bromine chemicals including flame retardants and oilfield completion fluids. Together with the South Plant, this facility makes Magnolia, AR (population ~11,000) one of the most strategically significant small cities in global chemical supply chains.