Producer
Orbia / Koura Global
Mexican diversified industrial company (BMV: ORBIA, HQ Mexico City; ~$8.5B revenue); Koura division (formerly Mexichem Fluor) is the world's largest fluorspar and HF producer by volume, with fluorspar mines in Mexico (San Luis Potosi state) and HF production plants in Mexico (Pajaritos, Veracruz), the UK (Runcorn), and elsewhere. Mexico's fluorspar reserves (acid-grade fluorite, CaF2) — among the world's largest, concentrated in San Luis Potosi and Durango states — feed Koura's HF production, making it uniquely vertically integrated from mine to HF. Mexico is the world's largest fluorspar exporter (~25% of global supply), and Koura controls a significant fraction of that production. Orbia is also a major PVC pipe (Amanco brand) and precision irrigation company — a diversified conglomerate where HF chemistry sits alongside water infrastructure.
2
Inputs supplied
2
Goods downstream
1
Facilities
0
Stories
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2 inputs Orbia / Koura Global supplies
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Fluorspar Mining (Vertically Integrated)
25%Hydrogen Fluoride (HF)
30%Refrigerants
30%Fluoropolymers
15%
Intelligence
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Did you know2023
Koura (Orbia) is publicly known as a refrigerant company, but their hydrofluoric acid (HF) is simultaneously used in: (1) petroleum refineries for HF alkylation — the process that converts isobutane and light olefins into high-octane alkylate that makes gasoline fuel combustion-efficient; (2) pharmaceutical synthesis — the fluorine atom in Prozac (fluoxetine), Lipitor (atorvastatin), and hundreds of other drugs comes from HF fluorination chemistry; (3) refrigerant production — HF is the building block for HFC and HFO refrigerants; (4) fluoropolymers — HF is reduced to form tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE feedstock) and hexafluoropropylene for specialty materials. The same molecule that improves gasoline octane in US refineries makes antidepressants possible and keeps air conditioning running. Koura controls ~22% of global HF supply through the unique combination of owning Mexico's large fluorspar deposits and several HF production facilities — the entire fluorine supply chain from calcium fluoride rock to downstream applications.
Koura Global (Orbia) ↗Capacity2025
Orbia's Koura unit is the world's largest fluorspar producer at approximately 20% global market share according to USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025; it also produces roughly 5% of global hydrofluoric acid, the chemical upstream of pharmaceutical-grade sodium fluoride used in toothpaste.
US Geological Survey ↗