Tampa: Only days after the start of the fourth quarter, Mosaic was in the process of settling prices for molten sulfur delivered to Tampa. The price was not yet available, but rumors were. The price could be finalized soon.
The third-quarter molten sulfur price for delivery to Tampa was $95/lt. Whatever the new price is, the consensus is that it will be lower. As inventories for phosphate continued to rise, cutbacks in production were expected. An increase in sulfur at the Gulf of Mexico and continued deliveries from Canada were also cited as reasons for the rollback.
Another casualty of the federal government shutdown was the release of information on refinery capacity operating rates for the week. No new figures were available at press time.
U.S. Gulf: The price for Gulf prill was in a range of $60-$65/mt FOB due to its export bias, but exports have fallen off during the past few months. Less was going to prillers, which was boosting supplies of molten sulfur to Tampa.
Vancouver: Sulfur prices at Vancouver were firming, with sources quoting a range of $50-$70/mt FOB last week. Sources said sulfur coming from Alberta will likely decline in relation to the new Tampa molten price.
West Coast: Prices on the West Coast were in line with Vancouver at $53-$73/mt FOB.
Benelux: The Benelux price range for the third quarter was $140-$155/mt.
ADNOC: The ADNOC price was set at $80/mt FOB, down from the previous $90/mt FOB.