COMPANY BACKGROUND	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
COMPANY BACKGROUND	COMPANY BACKGROUND We are the only producer of muriate of potash ("potassium chloride" or "potash") in the United States and are one of two producers of langbeinite ("sulfate of potash magnesia"), which we market and sell as Trio^®. We sell potash and Trio^® primarily into the agricultural market as a fertilizer. We also sell these products into the animal feed market as a nutritional supplement and sell potash into the industrial market as a component in drilling and fracturing fluids for oil and gas wells and other industrial inputs. We also sell water, which is recorded in other operating income. In addition, we sell by-products including salt, magnesium chloride, and brine, which are recorded as a credit to cost of goods sold. These by-product credits represented approximately 8% of total cost of goods sold for the nine months ended September 30, 2017. We produce potash from three solution mining facilities: our HB solar solution mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico, our solution mine in Moab, Utah, and our solar brine recovery mine in Wendover, Utah. We also operate the North compaction facility in Carlsbad, New Mexico, which compacts and granulates product from the HB mine. We produce Trio^® from our conventional underground East mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

We are the only producer of muriate of potash ("potassium chloride" or "potash") in the United States and are one of two producers of langbeinite ("sulfate of potash magnesia"), which we market and sell as Trio^®. We sell potash and Trio^® primarily into the agricultural market as a fertilizer. We also sell these products into the animal feed market as a nutritional supplement and sell potash into the industrial market as a component in drilling and fracturing fluids for oil and gas wells and other industrial inputs. We also sell water, which is recorded in other operating income. In addition, we sell by-products including salt, magnesium chloride, and brine, which are recorded as a credit to cost of goods sold. These by-product credits represented approximately 8% of total cost of goods sold for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

We produce potash from three solution mining facilities: our HB solar solution mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico, our solution mine in Moab, Utah, and our solar brine recovery mine in Wendover, Utah. We also operate the North compaction facility in Carlsbad, New Mexico, which compacts and granulates product from the HB mine. We produce Trio^® from our conventional underground East mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico.