Salt Lake City-With Incitec Pivot Ltd.’s (IPL) acquisition of Dyno Nobel complete June 2, Dyno Nobel will operate as a discrete explosives business within IPL. Global headquarters will be in Salt Lake City, and IPL will retain the Dyno Nobel brand, along with all products and associated trade names. Don Brinker has been named president and CEO of Dyno Nobel. Brinker, who formerly held similar positions with Orica North America, says explosives customers will benefit from the acquisition of Dyno by IPL. “Being part of Incitec Pivot will offer our customers the opportunity to be affiliated with a larger organization offering a broader base and increased security of supply. For Dyno Nobel, the integration will strengthen our ability to provide an enhanced level of service as well as products designed to meet our customers’ needs.” IPL notes that the Dyno Nobel/IPL combo will expose the company to two positive markets ?Çô the explosives industry during the sustained mining boom, and the fertilizer industry’s outlook for continued growth driven by global demand for increased food, feed, fiber, and fuel. A Dyno Nobel spokesperson said synergies were achieved during the Dyno/IPL merger; however, there were fewer in North America since there was no overlap between Dyno and IPL in this region. While the company noted no major changes to plant manager positions, Peter Richards, Dyno Nobel chief operating officer prior to the acquisition, has left the company.
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Agrium concludes European acquisition
Calgary-Agrium said July 8 that it has successfully concluded the purchase of a 70 percent equity position in Common Market Fertilizers S.A. (CMF), one of Western Europe’s largest fertilizer distribution companies. CMF has developed a large base of 1,500 customers, including retailers and cooperatives, across Europe over the past 24 years, and has annual sales revenues of about $600-million and crop nutrient sales volumes of 2 to 2.5 million mt. It operates through subsidiaries in France, Germany, Belgium, the UK, Italy, and Bulgaria, and also markets products in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Greece, Denmark, and South America. CMF owns and leases over 300,000 mt of dry and liquid storage at both port and inland sites across much of Europe. “The acquisition of CMF provides us with important access to major distribution assets across Europe and is key to expanding our international sourcing and distribution business,” said Mike Wilson, Agrium President and CEO. With a head office located in Brussels, Belgium, CMF currently has 60 employees across Europe. Oscar Geyer will remain as CMF managing director, and will continue to hold an equity position in the company.
Omni Sulphur, Multitécnica to build in Brazil
Nipomo, Calif.-Omni Sulphur said June 30 that it has reached an agreement with Multitécnica, Sete Lagoas, Brazil, to form a joint venture to construct and operate a sulfur bentonite fertilizer plant at Multitécnica’s manufacturing complex at Sete Lagoas. Multitécnica specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of specialty and micronutrient fertilizer, and is also active in the animal nutrition and industrial market sectors. Omni is a full service development company for sulfur fertilizer and forming project opportunities worldwide. “Given that one of our primary areas of expertise is our knowledge of how to produce and market sulfur-based fertilizers, the Omni Sulphur group is excited about our strategic partnership with Multitécnica, particularly because this alliance will help us further increase the growing need for sulfur bentonite fertilizer forming operations,” said Kent Lambden, Omni Sulphur managing director. Presently, Omni-Sulphur is building a plant for a client near Mumbai, India, and a second plant in Dubai, UAE. For more information, see www.omnisulphur.com.
New Brunswick suspends mineral claims staking
Fredericton, N.B.-Those prospecting for potash or other minerals in New Brunswick will have to take a breather. New Brunswick officials said July 4 that the province has suspended all mineral claims staking activity until a new map staking system can be implemented. Government sources told Green Markets the suspension will likely last three months. While the suspension includes potash staking, a trendy venture in light of soaring prices, the impetus for the government’s action arises from uranium exploration and extraction. The government said such exploration in designated watersheds and well fields in villages, towns, and cities is now prohibited. The method of acquiring mineral rights will be changed from the current ground-staking method to an electronic on-line map staking system. The government said other initiatives will focus on appropriate buffering and landowner permission for any possible intrusive uranium exploration or development on private land. In addition, the government promised a full review of the Mining Act. “As part of that process we intend to take the opportunity to make other adjustments to ensure that landowner concerns are addressed,” said Natural Resources Minister Donald Arsenault. “The review will also take into consideration concerns around compliance and enforcement.”
Grizzly Diamonds looks for potash in Alberta
Edmonton-Grizzly Diamonds Ltd. said back in June that it has been awarded a number of metallic mineral permits on some 500,000 acres, which include subsurface potash rights, in east-central Alberta along the border with Saskatchewan. Of this acreage, Grizzly retains the stake in 350,000 acres, but has found joint venture partners for three large parcels. They include the Teddybear-2 property, consisting of 50,000 acres located 50 kilometers northeast of Medicine Hat, with an option signed with Nordic Diamonds Ltd.; Teddybear-3, with 50,000 acres 40 kilometers east of Medicine Hat, with an option signed with Takara Resources Ltd.; and the Rattlesnake North property, with 50,000 acres located 200 kilometers southeast of Edmonton with an option signed with Shear Minerals Ltd. Grizzly says a large portion of its property is located in proximity to areas reported to be underlain by potash bearing beds within the uppermost portion of the Prairie Evaporite Formation. The players have initiated a detailed compilation of all historic exploration, including oil and gas drilling, and seismic data for the permits leading to a National Instrument 43-101 technical report. Field programs are being conducted under the supervision of Michael Dufresne, P. Geol., a principal of APEX Geoscience Ltd. Grizzly says it is an aggressive Canadian exploration company focused on exploring for diamonds and industrial minerals in Alberta and precious metals in North America. For more information, see www.grizzlydiamonds.com.
Marifil reports results of Argentina potash
Spokane, Wash.-Marifil Mines Ltd. said July 8 that recent drill hole data confirms economic amounts of potash are present in both drill hole Conin X1 and in drill hole Pillantoqui X1 on the K-2 project in Argentina. The K-2 project is located in the company’s newly acquired, 100 percent owned, 100,000 hectare potash property in the Neuquén Basin, Argentina. Marifil says the strong correlation between the two holes, 13 kilometers apart, indicates that it may have discovered a major potash deposit. Marifil says to date it has identified two potash horizons in the same basin as Rio Tinto’s Rio Colorado potash mine, which has a geologic resource of two billion mt of KCl.
Viterra’s Regina office workers on strike
Regina-The 194-member Grain Service Union, which represents workers at Viterra’s Regina office, began a strike July 7. “The GSU’s action is disappointing given the significance of the company’s offer and opportunities for additional compensation through a generous annual incentive program,” said Colleen Vancha, Viterra’s vice president of investor relations and corporate affairs. In the meantime, approximately 613 unionized employees with the Saskatchewan Country Operations and Maintenance units reported to work at their usual time; however, they advised Viterra that they would only work overtime on a voluntary basis. This group has also rejected the Viterra contract offer, but just barely. Vancha said it is business as usual at the company as it has contingency plans in place.
Industry groups fund new OSU professorship
Washington-The position of Nutrients for Life Foundation Professor of Soil and Food Crop Nutrition has been created at Oklahoma State University. The position, which is being funded in part by the Nutrients for Life Foundation, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), and the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), will explore the linkages between fertilizer use and the nutritional quality of food. “It is our hope that this professorship will encourage the expansion of an untapped and important area in academic research,” said Foundation Executive Director Harriet Wegmeyer. “If, as predicted, a correlation between fertilizer and healthier foods is established, imagine the impact. An increasingly health-conscious public will finally regard fertilizers for what they truly are … nutritious – for both plants and, in turn, people. We are pleased to be working with OSU on this exciting initiative.” The industry pooled its resources to donate $250,000 to OSU. Through a rare matching program made available from oil and gas executive and OSU alum T. Boone Pickens and the state of Oklahoma, the fertilizer industry’s $250,000 will translate to $1 million to fund a professorship in perpetuity. This position brings the strengths of three organizations together to address fertilizer’s affect on food nutritional quality. The gift will create the Nutrients for Life Foundation Professor of Soil and Food Nutrition position, located within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The cross-disciplinary position will work closely with the college’s plant and soil sciences department and the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center. OSU hopes to have the position filled in 2009.
Ballance to acquire all of Summit Quinphos
Auckland-New Zealand cooperative fertilizer marketer and manufacturer Ballance Agri-Nutrients said July 7 that it will acquire the remaining 60 percent stake it does not own in Summit Quinphos from the Sumitomo Corp. Summit, an importer and distributor, says that it is New Zealand’s third largest fertilizer company. Summit was established in 1989, with Sumitomo becoming a shareholder in 1995 and Ballance in 2000. Summit operates nationally in New Zealand and employs 98. Ballance expects Summit to provide synergy benefits in excess of $2 million a year. Sumitomo said it has decided to refocus its attention to growth opportunities in Asia.
Potash One begins trading on TSX
Vancouver-Potash One Inc.’s shares began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange June 18 under the symbol KCL. “This is a significant milestone for Potash One and another step forward in the development of Potash One,” said Potash One President and CEO Paul Matysek. “A TSX listing will further enhance our visibility and profile in the capital markets as the Toronto Stock Exchange is a world-leading platform for liquidity and access to capital for the resource sector.”