production

The Haber process now produces 500 million short tons (454 million tonnes) of nitrogen fertilizer per year, mostly in the form of anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, and urea. 3–5% of the world's natural gas production is consumed in the Haber process (~1–2% of the world's annual energy supply). [15][16][17][18] In combination with pesticides, these fertilizers have quadrupled the productivity of agricultural land:fertilizerammoniaammonium nitrateurea [15][16][17][18]

ammonia production plants worldwide, producing a total of 131 million tonnes of ammonia in [1] China produced 32.1% of the worldwide production, followed by India with 8.9%, Russia with 7.9%, and the United States with 6.3%. 80% or more of the ammonia produced is used for fertilizing agricultural crops.tonnes [1]

Gasprice ; as low as in 1997

fertlizer-gas prize; Not so clear in this example

%2FersDownloadHandler.ashx%3Ffile%3D%2Fmedia%2F198815%2Fwrs0702_1_.pdf&ei=67P8Uoq3IOXR7Aa8moCYCg&usg=AFQj CNFG8rj5VfYIUsmKPComUS0zuVbyag&bvm=bv ,d.ZGU&cad=rja Long term-strong relation ship of natural gas and NH3 price; Price fluctuation of factor 3 are possible (gas and ammonia price)

growth-for-fertilizers/ growth-for-fertilizers/ Thyssen-Krup Nitrogen fertilizer production in the US was in a state of decline, but is now in a period of transition. After 20 years of rising raw material costs and players closing and relocating plants, there is renewed impetus among domestic producers to invest in their own country. "The high demand for fertilizer plants in the US is clearly a consequence of the shale gas boom," says Klaus Noelker, head of process department for ThyssenKrupp Uhde's Ammonia and Urea Division. Thyssen-Krup Nitrogen New production in US even farmers start producing No net import; or even next export? Gulf states need to sell somewhere else Prize fluctuation of factor 2 within 2 years possible (NH3)

natural-gas-is-a-boost-to-farmers/article / natural-gas-is-a-boost-to-farmers/article / Low natural gas prices and increased supply resulting from an expanding shale gas industry have created new opportunities in other sectors such as the fertilizer industry where a string of new nitrogen fertilizer plants are being planned across the United States and Canada. Natural fertilizer production and prices are closely tethered to the price and supply of natural gas through the Haber-Bosch industrial process. Simply put, when natural gas is compressed, combined with air, and then heated over an iron oxide catalyst, it produces ammonia – a key ingredient in nitrogen fertilizer. Approximately 80 per cent of the cost of producing nitrogen is the cost of natural gas, so natural gas is the key ingredient to producing nitrogen fertilizer,” Mr. Downey says. “The world needs two to three nitrogen plants built per year at a minimum just to meet growing global demand and historically that has tended to be built in the Middle East or some other areas where there’s trapped gas,” Mr. Downey explains. “Now people are looking at North America as a place to build because of the long-term, low-cost gas.”