The Tulsa Fire Department was called to a 1:30 a.m. report of a fire at the Agri-Nutrients Inc. fertilizer facility Aug. 24. The fire was under control by 4:30 a.m., but firefighters remained onsite to contain hot spots. The hazmat team assessed which chemicals were at the facility and worked to make sure they did not get into the waterway.

No injuries were reported and no employees were around when the fire started. However, the fire did melt a large hole into the facility’s metal and vinyl roof.

Agri-Nutrients is a blender that supplies wholesale fertilizer to the specialty and lawn and garden markets.

K+S Group reported a near doubling in 2017 second-quarter operating earnings (EBIT 1) to €28.5 million ($33.6 million) on revenues of €742 million, up from the year-ago operating earnings of €15.0 million on sales of €732.1 million. Revenues were up just 1 percent year-on-year.

The company attributed the earnings’ boost largely to a significant improvement in the profit trend of the Potash and Magnesium Products business unit, and also a positive currency effect. Second-quarter operating earnings (EBIT 1) for the unit more than doubled from a year-ago, reaching €31.4 million on revenues of €387.1 million, up from €14.7 million and €370.9 million, respectively.

Higher product availability at the Werra plant boosted Potassium and Magnesium’s sales volumes, with no disposal-related interruptions in production during the second-quarter in spite of prolonged low water levels of the Werra River. The company attributed this to an efficient wastewater system. The unit’s sales volumes totalled 1.69 million mt, up 3 percent from 1.48 million mt. This positive effect was offset by higher start-up costs compared to the previous year at the new Bethune potash operation in Canada.

“We are still confident regarding the development for the rest of the year and are reiterating our forecast of a tangible increase in earnings. That said, 2017 will remain a transition year,” said Dr. Burkhard Lohr, K+S board chair.

He warned day-long production stoppages at the Werra plant cannot be ruled out entirely for the second half of the year, but the commissioning of the new KCF facility early next year will lead to a further substantial reduction in the quantity of saline wastewater.

“The successful production start at our new Bethune mine also makes us optimistic about the future,” Lohr said, with the operation’s targeted 2 million mt/y annual capacity anticipated to be reached by the end of 2017.

Six-month group operating earnings (EBIT 1) were 29 percent off at €165.9 million on revenues of €1.87 billion, down from the year-ago €233.3 million and €1.83 billion, respectively. This decline was mainly due to lower average prices for fertilizer specialties as well as in the North American de-icing salt business. Six-month operating earnings for the Potash and Magnesium business unit were down 37 percent, at €73.3 million on revenues of €860.8 million, against the year-earlier €117.0 million and €831.4 million, respectively.

K+S reiterated its EBIT 1 guidance for the year at between €260 and €360 million from €229 million in 2016, on revenues of between €3.6 billion and €3.8 billion (2016: €3.5 billion). For the Potash and Magnesium Products business unit, the company anticipates a “tangible” increase in operating profit, with “far fewer” production suspensions resulting from an improved disposal situation at the Werra sites expected, allowing an earnings’ boost.

However, K+S  said its 2020 target for EBITDA of around €1.6 billion is “no longer realistic,” as that goal – set in 2015- was based on a $330/mt price for potassium chloride in Brazil.

“Although the current price trend is pointing in the right direction, it is unlikely that this envisaged figure will be reached,” Lohr said.

K+S said it would publish its new “Shaping 2030” strategy this autumn and its new mid-term and long-term targets at the same time.

AdvanSix reported second-quarter net income of $25.8 million ($0.83 per diluted share) on sales of $361.4 million, up from the year-ago $15 million ($0.49 per share) and $308.4 million, respectively.

AdvanSix had a terrific second quarter capping off a strong first half of 2017,” said CEO Erin Kane. “The performance this quarter continued to be supported by higher production output across our key manufacturing sites and a favorable supply and demand environment.”

Overall sales volumes were up 3 percent. While market-based pricing was favorable by 4 percent, improved prices for nylon, caprolactam and chemical intermediates, partially offset a modest decline in ammonium sulfate prices.

Six-month net income was $53 million ($1.71 per share) on sales of $738.1 million, up from $42.4 million ($1.39 per share) and $608.2 million, respectively.

Despite increased operating income from its Plant Nutrition North America business, Compass Minerals reported that weaker results from its Salt and Plant Nutrition South America businesses moved the company into the loss column for second-quarter 2017.

“Despite a strong performance this quarter in our Plant Nutrition North America business, our results were pressured by increased costs in the Salt segment and sluggish plant nutrition sales in South America,” said Fran Malecha, Compass Minerals’ president and CEO. “While this has been a challenging period, I am pleased with the progress we have made in positioning our plant nutrition business for growth and in aggressively identifying areas across the company for cost reductions. Because of the expected benefits of these efforts, our full-year earnings-per-share guidance remains unchanged.”

Compass reported a second-quarter net loss of $6.4 million on sales of $228 million, down from the year-ago income of $6.3 million and $169.5 million, respectively.

Second-quarter Plant Nutrition North America operating earnings were up at $7.6 million on sales of $50.5 million from the year-ago $4.7 million and $47.8 million, respectively. Fertilizer volumes were up at 78,000 st from 74,000 st, though average sales prices per ton were off at $642/st from $651/st.

Second-quarter Salt operating earnings dropped to $10.7 million from the year-ago $23.3 million.

Second-quarter Plant Nutrition South America operating earnings were $800,000 down from the year-ago pro forma $6 million. Total volumes for the South American unit were also down at 151,000 st from 187,000 st, with average prices up at $439/st from $385/st. Corrected version only changes year-ago results for Plant Nutrition South America.

Compass reported six-month net income of $15.1 million on revenues of $615.8 million, down from the year-ago $56 million and $515.2 million, respectively.

Agrium Inc. reported 2017 second-quarter net earnings to equity holders of Agrium of $557 million ($4.03 diluted earnings per share) on sales of $6.3 billion, compared to year-ago net earnings to equity holders of $564 million ($4.08 per share) and $6.4 billion, respectively. The company said the slight reduction in net earnings was driven by weaker nitrogen and phosphate benchmark prices, which were partially offset by higher Retail earnings, strong potash results and lower fixed costs across the Wholesale business.

“Agrium continued to deliver robust results this quarter due to our integrated business model and focus on operational improvements and execution. Retail set a first half earnings record with the highest EBITDA to sales in almost a decade, while Wholesale delivered strong operational results, which together allowed us to generate $1.2-billion of EBITDA in the first half of 2017,” said Chuck Magro, Agrium’s president and CEO. “We look forward to the completion of our merger with PotashCorp which is anticipated near the end of the third quarter of this year and continue to make significant progress on integration preparations.”

Agrium has tightened its EPS guidance for the year to $4.75-$5.25 from $4.75-$5.75 citing a couple of factors. It said it lowered the upper end due to an expected weak nitrogen pricing environment and the challenging weather conditions in the spring which impacted North American Retail crop nutrient margins and sales volumes. However, it expects second-half earnings to have a similar quarterly earnings profile to 2016.

Six-month earnings were $548 million ($3.95 per share) on sales of $9 billion, down from the year-ago $568 million ($4.09 per share) and $9.1 billion, respectively.

Incitec Pivot Ltd. has named Ms. Jeanne Johns as managing director and CEO, effective Nov. 15, 2017, to succeed James Fazzino. In February, IPL had announced that Fazzino would be stepping down within 12 months and that a global search would be launched for his successor.

IPL said Johns is an American-born chemical engineer with over 25 years of experience in international industrial and commodity businesses, including petrochemicals and oil and gas. During a long career with BP, she held numerous leadership roles in the U.S., Europe and China managing multinational businesses and international strategic business development.

Despite increased operating income from its Plant Nutrition North America business, Compass Minerals reported that weaker results from its Salt and Plant Nutrition South America businesses moved the company into the loss column for second-quarter 2017.

“Despite a strong performance this quarter in our Plant Nutrition North America business, our results were pressured by increased costs in the Salt segment and sluggish plant nutrition sales in South America,” said Fran Malecha, Compass Minerals’ president and CEO. “While this has been a challenging period, I am pleased with the progress we have made in positioning our plant nutrition business for growth and in aggressively identifying areas across the company for cost reductions. Because of the expected benefits of these efforts, our full-year earnings-per-share guidance remains unchanged.”

Compass reported a second-quarter net loss of $6.4 million on sales of $228 million, down from the year-ago income of $6.3 million and $169.5 million, respectively.

Second-quarter Plant Nutrition North America operating earnings were up at $7.6 million on sales of $50.5 million from the year-ago $4.7 million and $47.8 million, respectively. Fertilizer volumes were up at 78,000 st from 74,000 st, though average sales prices per ton were off at $642/st from $651/st.

Second-quarter Salt operating earnings dropped to $10.7 million from the year-ago $23.3 million, while those for Plant Nutrition South America were $800,000 down from $2.6 million. Total volumes for the South American unit were also down at 151,000 st from 283,000 st, with average prices down at $439/st from $451/st.

Compass reported six-month net income of $15.1 million on revenues of $615.8 million, down from the year-ago $56 million and $515.2 million, respectively.

EuroChem Group AG, Zug, Switzerland, said Aug. 7, that it has acquired Emerger Fertilizantes SA, a privately-owned distributor of premium and standard fertilizers in Argentina. The price and other terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

EuroChem said it continues to expand its distribution network to get better access to several important markets with its recent acquisitions in Brazil, Bulgaria, Hungary and Spain. It said the acquisition will further strengthen EuroChem’s footprint in Latin America which is an important region currently accounting for 11 percent of the Group’s fertilizer sales.

EuroChem says Emerger has annual fertilizer sales of 50,000 mt. It owns a warehouse with storage capacity of 12,000 mt about 8 kilometers from the port of San Nicolas de los Arroyos, northern Argentina, and rents three separate retail centers. About 60 percent of sales are of premium fertilizers with a good presence in the local tobacco industry, and the remainder is accounted for by sales to customers in the North East, Central and Central East regions of Argentina. Emerger has 25 employees.

According to the Argentinian fertilizer industry organization, Fertilizar Asociación Civil, the market for fertilizers in Argentina is expected to increase in size from 3.4 million mt in 2016 to 5.5 million mt in 2020.

“The acquisition of Emerger, a well-positioned distributor in the Argentinian fertilizer market, is another step to bolster our capabilities in Latin America which is one of the fastest growing fertilizer markets in the world,” said Dmitry Strezhnev, EuroChem CEO. “This reflects our intention to expand sales of premium products in Latin America and we are looking forward to developing the business in Argentina and in neighboring countries.”

“Under EuroChem ownership we will be able to offer a wider range of value-added fertilizers to our customers in Argentina as well as Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay,” said Enrique Arambarri, former co-owner and CEO.