California:
Potassium nitrate prices in California were unchanged at $1,430/st FOB Stockton for bulk tons, $1,535/st FOB for bulk bags, and $1,555/st FOB for 50-pound bags.
All posts by mickeybarb@charter.net
Potassium Thiosulfate
Eastern Cornbelt:
Potassium thiosulfate was unchanged at $780/st FOB Terre Haute, Ind., for the last confirmed offers.
California:
The potassium thiosulfate market remained at $780/st FOB Sacramento for the last offers.
Crops/Weather
Eastern Cornbelt:
Winter Storm Elliott hit the Eastern Cornbelt late in the week, bringing snow, freezing rain, high winds, and rapidly dropping temperatures.
Central Illinois was under a winter storm warning, with freezing rain reported on Dec. 21 and forecasts warning of 2-4 inches of snow by Dec. 23. Some parts of the state were expected up to 5-7 inches of snow, with bitterly cold temperatures moving in by the weekend. Forecasts warned of single-digit highs and wind chills dropping to a negative 25-35 by Christmas Eve.
Similar conditions were reported in Indiana, where 2-5 inches of snow was expected along with high winds and subzero temperatures. Indianapolis was bracing for a low of -6 late on Dec. 22. More than half of Ohio’s counties were under a winter storm warning as well, with forecasts warning of 1-3 inches of snow and subzero wind chills by the weekend.
Western Cornbelt:
Snow, wind, and frigid temperatures pounded much of the Western Cornbelt late in the week as Winter Storm Elliott plowed its way through the region.
Iowa received 2-5 inches of snow on Dec. 21-22, with actual temperatures dropping to zero in Clinton and wind chills falling to -35 or lower across the state. Temperatures across Nebraska fell to the single digits and teens below zero on Dec. 21. By Dec. 22, actual low temperatures across the state were down to minus 10-20, with wind chills in the negative 30s and 40s. Snowfall across the state ranged from under an inch to up to 3.6 inches in Beatrice.
Missouri was also in the storm’s path, with 1-5 inches of snow reported and wind chills dropping to 30-40 below in some locations by Dec. 23. Most of the state was under a winter storm warning during the week, with Missouri’s southern counties under a winter weather advisory.
California:
Heavy fog blanketed the San Joaquin Valley at times during the week, while Northern California was bracing for several storms during the final week of December. A cold weather alert was posted for parts of Southern California early in the week, but unseasonably warm temperatures were in the Christmas Day forecast.
Forecasts for the final week of December showed heavy rain and snow in the Sierra, including up to three inches of rain in Yosemite Valley.
Pacific Northwest:
Winter Storm Elliott dropped snow and freezing rain across the Pacific Northwest, and ushered in frigid temperatures across much of the region.
Precipitation picked up in western Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge on Dec. 22, while several inches of snow blanketed western Washington on Dec. 20. Parts of southern Idaho and western Montana were also buried under several inches of snow at midweek. Temperatures in eastern Oregon ranged from the single digits to the mid-20s as the week progressed, while below-zero wind chills were common across eastern Idaho by Dec. 21-22.
Lows in western Montana fell to the -30s in many locations at midweek, with wind chills dropping to the -40s. An actual temperature of -42 was reported in Casper, Wyo., on Dec. 22, which would set an all-time record low for that date, if verified.
Western Canada:
An arctic chill descended on much of Western Canada during the week, prompting extreme cold warnings from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Cold temperatures across the region on Dec. 20-21 included -2 C in Vancouver, B.C.; -20 C in Winnipeg, Man.; -27 C in Calgary, Alta.; -28 C in Edmonton, Alta., Regina, Sask., and Saskatoon, Sask.; and –32 C in Grande Prairie, Alta. More seasonal weather was once again on tap for the coming weekend, however.
Transportation
US Gulf:
Improving water levels on the lower Mississippi River allowed Harvey Lock to reopen during the week following a prolonged closure. Vessels were relegated to detours through Algiers Lock while Harvey Lock was unavailable.
Bayou Sorrel Lock guidewall replacement work underway through February 2023 has necessitated weekday travel shutdowns, with 24-hour navigation resuming on Saturdays and Sundays. Average delays were reported at seven hours on Dec. 19.
Colorado Lock repairs were noted slowing navigation daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. through an estimated Jan. 27. Daytime shutdowns at Calcasieu Lock ended Dec. 16, sources said. An additional 4-5 days of closures are on the books for January 2023.
Commercial travel on the Atchafalaya River remained closed through Little Island Pass, Middle Island Pass, and Riverside Pass due to exposed underwater pipelines in the channel. Detours were suggested through the Port Allen Lock.
Industrial Lock waits were reported at nine hours through the early week, while Corps data showed 8-9 hour delays at Algiers Lock on Dec. 19. Seven-hour passages were reported through the Brazos Lock western gate.
Mississippi River:
Sources noted improving water levels and easing navigation restrictions on the lower Mississippi River during the week, although conditions worsened on the upper river.
Southbound tows moving through St. Louis were restricted to 20 barges, down from the typical 25-barge limit, while northbound drafts were restricted to 8.5 feet through the area. Dry barges moving downriver were limited to nine-foot drafts through St. Louis, while liquid barge drafts were capped at 8.5 feet throughout the upper river. Based on weather forecasts, the issues were projected to continue into 2023.
The river gauge at St. Louis was posted at 3.34 feet and falling on Dec. 21. Forecasts predicted a fall below the 0.00-foot mark on Dec. 23, culminating in a (-)4.6 feet reading on Dec. 31. Additional towing restrictions were expected at St. Louis should levels move below the (-)4.0-foot mark, as expected.
On the lower river, 9.78-foot depths at Memphis were anticipated to fall below the 5.00-foot Low Stage on Dec. 29, potentially signaling a return to tightening travel restrictions below Cairo. A Hard Freeze Warning was in effect for the Vicksburg area on Dec. 22-24.
Dredging at the upper river’s Mile 110.5 was noted completely blocking river traffic on Dec. 19-20, while dredging at Mile 46 was expected to trigger daytime shutdowns beginning on Dec. 21 or 22. Dredging at Miles 167 and 169 was not likely to impact navigation, sources said.
The main chambers at Mel Price Lock and Lock 27 were scheduled to shut Jan. 1 for planned maintenance, leaving transit available solely through both sites’ auxiliary chambers through the end of March.
On the lower river, a safety advisory at Miles 228-230 was expected to continue through June 2023. Revetment operations at Miles 100-139 were anticipated to conclude in December, while an additional effort at Miles 192-193 was scheduled for January.
Delays at Chain of Rocks Lock averaged 5-7 hours through the week, according to Corps data.
Illinois River:
Ice formation impacted travel on the Illinois Waterway during the week, necessitating the use of ice couplings through Starved Rock Lock, Marseilles Lock, and Dresden Island Lock. Tows destined for the Illinois River were reported to depart Cairo with ice couplings in place.
Peoria Lock operators raised wickets on Dec. 20 following a period of non-locking navigation, sources said, while wickets were expected to come up at LaGrange Lock on Dec. 21 or 22.
Marseilles Lock passages were delayed by 5-6 hours during the week.
Ohio River:
Tows continued to see nine-foot maximum barge drafts on the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers during the week due to low water levels, sources said.
Bridge work at Nitro, W.Va., triggered 10-14 hour daytime travel shutdowns on the Ohio River on Dec. 19-20. Dashields Lock repairs previously anticipated to interrupt traffic on Dec. 16-19 were pushed back to mid-January.
Primary chamber repairs concluded at Montgomery Lock on Dec. 16, ending a spate of delays reported as high as 12 days in recent weeks. Residual wait times averaged 29 hours on Dec. 20, Corps data showed.
Wait times at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock were reported to average 7-17 hours on Dec. 21. Wilson Lock delays were counted at 8-17 hours.
Arkansas River:
Sources reported daily closures at Norrell Lock scheduled to run through Jan. 20, 2023. Norrell is slated to shut to navigation completely on Jan. 30-31.
Bunge to Invest $550 M in US Protein Facility
Bunge on Dec. 15 announced plans to invest approximately $550 million to build a fully integrated soy protein concentrate (SPC) and textured soy protein concentrate (TSPC) facility.
Construction of the facility, which will be adjacent to and integrated with Bunge’s soybean processing plant in Morristown, Ind., is expected to start in the first quarter of 2023 and to be commissioned in mid-2025, creating around 70 full-time jobs.
It is expected to ultimately process close to an additional 4.5 million bushels of soybeans and to add scale, efficiencies, and non-GMO capability to the company’s existing US-based conventional SPC and TSPC operation in Bellevue, Ohio. Bunge also recently invested an additional $10 million to enhance its plant protein technical capabilities at the Creative Solutions Center near its St. Louis headquarters.
City Beefs Up Zoning in Response to Winston Weaver Fire
The Winston-Salem City Council on Dec. 5 unanimously approved stronger zoning laws after reviewing the Jan. 31, 2022, fire that destroyed the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant (GM Feb. 4, p. 1).
The new zoning rules impose new site restrictions requiring facilities that manufacture pesticides, fertilizer, and other agricultural chemicals; explosives and pryotechnics; and batteries, to be limited to tracts of at least 25 acres with 400-foot buffers from neighboring properties.
While there has been no word from Winston Weaver as to whether it planned to rebuild at the eight-acre site, according to the Winston-Salem Journal, the new zoning rules would appear to remove that option.
In addition, the new rules require a special use permit be approved by the City Council after public hearings, and the company would have to submit a hazardous materials management plan.
The fire threatened a massive ammonium nitrate-based explosion and led to a three-day evacuation that was called by city officials for 6,000 people living within a mile of the plant. The incident drew a $5,600 fine against the company from the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Division (GM Aug. 5, p. 35).
The agency cited Winston Weaver for keeping ammonium nitrate in buildings with leaky roofs, allowing for water contamination, and storing the chemical in wooden bins that did not prevent contamination from adjacent chemicals.
Efforts to contact Winston Weaver or its parent, Meherrin Fertilizer Inc., for comment have been unsuccessful.
GROWMARK Inc. – Management Brief
GROWMARK Inc. on Dec. 14 announced the election of a new Chairman to its Board of Directors. Kevin Malchine of Waterford, Wisc., will serve as Chairman, effective immediately. He previously served as a Vice Chair. He operates a corn and soybean farm with his wife Kelly, and his brother and nephew. He has served on the Board since 2012.
Malchine replaces John Reifsteck, who retired as Chairman in November after 10 years in the role, and more than 30 years serving on the GROMWARK Board of Directors.
In addition to Malchine’s election, Jason Lay of Bloomington, Ill., and Dennis Neuhaus of Hoyleton, Ill., were elected as Vice Chairmen. Kevin Herink of Clutier, Iowa, was retained as Secretary.
Fertilizantes Heringer SA – Management Brief
Fertilizantes Heringer SA reported that Lieven Cooreman is resigning from the positions of CEO and Vice Chairman, effective Jan. 11, 2023, and will become global Deputy CEO of the EuroChem Group, the controlling shareholder of the company. He will remain on the Heringer Board and serve as Chair.
The Board selected Bruno Pessoa Serapião to be Heringer’s new CEO and Vice Chair. He was Chairman of the Board of Hidrovias do Brasil SA from 2020 until Dec. 1, 2022, and was CEO of that company from 2020 until April 2020. He is a partner at Pátria Investimentos. His experience includes GE Transportation, América Latina Logística ALL, the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority, and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He has served on the boards of Odata, CBO, Entrevias, Eixo SP, CART, Winity, Essential Energia, and Rutas Del Valle & Sur.
Heringer also reported that effective Dec. 23, 2022, Alfredo Fardin is leaving the positions of Chief Supplies and Logistics Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Technical Officer.
The Board proposed Nicolas Matheus Cereza as Chief Supplies and Logistics Officer and Julio Enrique Varela Gubitosi as Chief Commercial Officer, cumulative with his current positions as CFO and Investor Relations Officer.
Kalium Lakes Ltd. – Management Brief
Kalium Lakes Ltd., Balcatta, Western Australia, on Nov. 30 announced the appointment of Ms. Loren King to the role of Company Secretary and each of its subsidiary companies, effective immediately. Kalium said she has over 12 years of experience in company secretarial and non-executive director roles.
She has a B.S. in Psychology from Curtin University of Technology, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance with Chartered Secretaries Australia, and is a BIA Accredited Bookkeeper and a member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, holding a Certificate IV Financial Services (Bookkeeping).
Kalium further advised that Ms. Sophie Raven has ceased as Company Secretary, effective immediately. The Board thanked her for her contribution to the company and wished her well with her future endeavors. Kalium said Jason Shaw remains in his role as joint Company Secretary.
The Hon. Cheryl Edwardes AM, effective Nov. 25, became a Kalium Non-Executive Director and Chairperson. Incumbent Chairman Stephen Dennis retired from the Board.
Edwardes is a solicitor by profession and is a former Minister in the Court Government of Western Australia. She has held the positions of Attorney General, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Labor Relations. She is currently the Non-Executive Chairperson of Flinders Mines Ltd., Nuheara Ltd., and Westgold Resources Ltd.
Kalium said Ms. Edwardes’ appointment quickly followed the recent appointment of two additional independent Non-Executive Directors – Robert (Bob) Adam and Simon Wandke – to the Board. The company said these appointments reflect a concerted focus on Board renewal at the company over recent months.
American Potash Reports Initial Approvals from Utah on Drilling Permits for Potash, Lithium
Junior miner American Potash Corp., Vancouver, on Dec. 14 announced that it has received initial approvals from the Utah Division of Oil Gas and Mining on applications for permits to drill exploratory wells on three of its eleven 100% owned Potash and Lithium State mineral leases, which form part of the Green River Potash and Lithium Project located within the Paradox Salt Basin, Utah.
Formal drill permits will be issued upon meeting reclamation bonding and any other requirements stipulated in the company’s Notice of Intent to Conduct Exploration (NOI).
The company said the permits provide for drilling to depths of up to 9,000 feet, allowing detailed information to be acquired from multiple potash and lithium (brine) horizons encountered in nearby historical oil and gas wells, including the Shell Quintana Fed 1-1 oil well, which intersected 24.3% gamma-log equivalent KCL over 5.9 meters and is located less than half a mile east of the company’s first proposed well.
The company said the project is situated within Utah’s Paradox Salt Basin, and could potentially be one of the largest sources of potash in the US. It referred to a NI 43-101 Technical Report by Agapito Associates Inc. that states it hosts an Exploration Target estimated to contain 600 million to 1 billion tons of sylvinite grading between 19% to 29% KCL.
The company said this is one of the same horizons that Intrepid Potash Inc. produces from at their nearby Moab solution mine, with the company adding that this provides strong evidence of stratigraphic continuity within this part of the Paradox Basin.
The project is located 20 miles northwest of Moab. The company said it has significant logistical advantages, including proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns, and labor markets.
On Aug. 29, 2022, the company changed its name to American Potash Corp. to reflect its focus on the potash and lithium project. It had previously been New Tech Minerals Corp.