Manatee County, Fla.-The Mosaic Co. made a pitch to the Manatee County, Fla., County Commission on Feb. 5, seeking approval to mine a portion of the 2,000-plus acre Altman Tract. Previously, the company had offered to build a new fire station for the community of Duette, Fla., and a 70-acre park in exchange for the approval. The county’s environmental staff had objected to allowing Mosaic to destroy and later restore nearly 400 acres of prime wetlands, but the company offered another 600 acres as security the mined wetlands would be effectively restored, according to local news reports. Although about 400 of the 600 acres offered would be wetlands, they are not in the area of the headwaters of the Peace River, where the mine would be located, and commissioners were skeptical. The county said it wanted more information on the company’s history of wetlands restoration and delayed voting on the request. Mosaic spokesman David Townsend said the Altman case has been ongoing for eight years and has received all the necessary approvals from both state and federal agencies, although it still needs final approval from Manatee County. Another public hearing was scheduled for April 14.
All posts by traceybg@gmail.com
Yara inks deal with India’s Deepak
Osloaa-Yara International ASA said Feb. 6 that it has signed a Heads of Agreement with Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Ltd., with the intention of establishing a joint venture company for the production and marketing of technical ammonium nitrate and specialty fertilizers. Yara will own 49 percent of the planned joint venture. The jv’s objective is to develop the technical ammonium nitrate market (TAN) in India. The jv will include the 300,000 mt/y TAN plant under construction at Paradip in Orissa on the east coast of India. Indian TAN consumption is approximately 400,000 mt/y and is growing at about 5-6 percent per annum, driven by strong coal demand for power generation. Deepak is the only major domestic producer of TAN, with a current installed capacity of 140,000 mt/y. The remaining demand is mostly met via imports. The jv will also review opportunities for the production and marketing of specialty fertilizers in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, where Deepak has a strong presence. The state of Maharashtra is India’s largest fruit and vegetable producing region and is the most attractive market for a wide range of specialty fertilizer products. Yara will contribute with its international expertise in nutrient management and application of specialty fertilizers for improving the productivity and quality of cash crops, thus improving farm economics in this region. Yara says the jv is expected to provide cost-effective solutions to the farming community and the mining and infrastructure sector in India. The heads of agreement will be converted into a final agreement after due diligence and the necessary company and regulatory approvals.
GrowHow invests in expansion
Ince, Chester, UK-GrowHow UK has unveiled major investment plans for its production site in Billingham on Teesside. The company is to spend £15 million to significantly increase ammonium nitrate capacity. In addition, the Billingham site will also benefit from environmental emissions improvements. The additional AN will be used in the company’s leading brand, Nitram. The announcement follows the recent commissioning of additional production capacity at the Ince site near Chester. “Together these two investments, amounting to almost £20 million, will ensure that the company can meet farmers’ demand for British-made nitrogen,” says GrowHow Commercial Director David Stacey. “Since the announcement of the closure of the Severnside facility there have been some concerns expressed about the UK’s ammonium nitrate production capacity,” he added. “We hope that this announcement, which underlines our commitment to supply sufficient nitrogen to meet market demand, will go a long way towards allaying those concerns.” GrowHow also continues to invest in advice and services. “The GrowHow Advice team together with our distributor partners’ fieldsmen are focused on helping farmers use all their fertilizer inputs as efficiently and effectively as possible,” he said. GrowHow is a joint venture of Terra Industries Inc. and Yara International ASA.
Bogus bomb threat made at Honeywell plant
Hopewell, Va.-The Hopewell Bureau of Police received a telephone call Jan. 21 from a female who threatened to ‘blow up Honeywell.” The police said an immediate investigation quickly identified Tara Charity, 36, as the caller, and concluded that the call was a hoax. She was arrested and charged with making a bomb threat ?Çô a felony. Honeywell said Charity was not an employee and no reason was given for the action. Honeywell was immediately notified and put on alert; however, the plant was not shut down, according to a company spokesperson.
PhosCan moves on consolidation
Toronto-PhosCan Chemical Corp. said Feb. 1 that it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement with Baltic Resources Inc. providing for a plan of arrangement to implement the merger originally announced on Oct. 29, 2007. Pursuant to the arrangement, PhosCan will acquire Baltic’s 50 percent interest in the Martison Phosphate Project, such that PhosCan will then hold a 100 percent interest. Baltic will transfer to its newly formed subsidiary – Canadian Orebodies Inc. – all of Baltic’s assets other than Baltic’s interest in the Martison Phosphate Project, and 90 percent of the proceeds of warrants and options exercised since Oct. 29, 2007. Orebodies will assume all of Baltic’s liabilities, other than advances made by PhosCan on Baltic’s behalf in respect of the Martison Phosphate Project. Baltic will then amalgamate with PhosCan’s wholly-owned subsidiary, 1366825 Alberta Ltd. Baltic shareholders will receive in exchange for each common share of Baltic 1.4 common shares of PhosCan and one common share of Orebodies. Based on the currently outstanding shares, an aggregate of approximately 51,843,259 common shares of PhosCan will be issued in exchange for Baltic shares, such that former Baltic shareholders will hold approximately 37.2 percent of the then issued and outstanding common shares of PhosCan. Upon completion of the arrangement, three representatives of Baltic – Donald McKinnon, Chris Hodgson, and Gordon McKinnon – will become directors of PhosCan. PhosCan and Baltic will each hold shareholders’ meetings on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, to approve the matter. “The consolidation of 100 percent ownership of the Martison Phosphate Project in PhosCan is an important milestone in the development of the project,” said Stephen Case, PhosCan president and CEO. “We believe that this transaction will result in an improved platform for financing and executing the continued development of the Martison Project and an enhanced market presence that will create value for our shareholders.”
Raytec cites prior potash drilling
Vancouver-Raytec Metals Corp. on Feb. 5 released information on two phases of historic drilling at its KP441 permit area in Saskatchewan (GM Feb. 4, p. 13). In 1946, Sohio Exploration Ltd. drilled three stratigraphic exploratory wells in the north and central parts of the area. Raytec said the results are unknown, but the company has requested the historic drill hole information from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources, and it is expected that the company will be in possession of the data within the next week. Raytec said that in 1969, Canadian Exploration Ltd. drilled six potash exploration holes within a ten square kilometer area near the southern extent of KP441. Two of these holes are within the KP441 area, and four are located on adjacent claims currently held by a joint venture between BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. and Prairie Potash Corp. (Anglo Minerals Ltd.). Raytec said the two drill holes that were drilled on KP441 ground are located approximately 3.3 kilometers apart and intersected several significant potash-rich horizons. Raytec cautioned that the presence of the potash-rich horizons in historic drill holes does not guarantee the presence of economic quantities of potash. For more details, see www.raytecmetals.com.
Spur, Hebei Tianren remain in discussions
Vancouver-Spur Ventures Inc. said Jan. 30 that Spur and Hebei Tianren remain in discussions regarding the merger, even though the formal agreement expired on Dec. 31, 2007. “There are two events, which taken together, have introduced uncertainty into our merger,” said Dr. Robert Rennie, Spur president and CEO. First, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MofCom) has yet to approve any share swap under the new law introduced in September 2007, and is unable to give any indication when approval may be received from the Chinese Security and Exchange Commission for Tianren to exchange their shares for Spur shares in this contemplated acquisition and merger. Second, the takeover of Chinese National Chemical Construction Corp. (CNCCC) by China National Overseas Oil Corp. (CNOOC) has resulted in restructuring and management changes at Sino Arab Chemical Fertilizer Co. (SACF), delaying the renewal of SACF’s supply agreement for 1.0 million mt NPK with the Agricultural Franchise Co., which Spur was to acquire. Without a secure supply agreement from SACF, the Ag Franchise Co. would risk not having a supply of NPK fertilizers to sell. Spur will take a charge of approximately $500,000 related to the previously capitalized costs of due diligence related to this proposed merger. While there remains a possibility that the merger will proceed, Spur is in advanced discussions on other initiatives.
Agrium touts new controlled-release fertilizer
Sylacauga, Ala.-Agrium Inc. has launched its first new product – a newly formulated controlled-release nitrogen – since combining with Pursell Technologies in summer 2006, according to the company’s advanced technologies unit. Called XCU, the new product, offering higher nitrogen content and improved release technology, was introduced at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. “Agrium Advanced Technologies’ XCU has a proprietary coating developed from synergies of our polymer-coated sulfur-coated products, TriKote and SCU, and as a result, we are able to deliver 43 percent nitrogen, which is the highest concentration available within this product category,” Chris Derrick, technical products specialist, reported. He touted distinctively colored XCU as delivering more pounds of nitrogen per ton than any sulfur-coated urea on the market today, and told Green Markets that the new XCU product will replace TriKote and SCU and will be marketed under the Agrium Advanced Technologies name. Others in the Agrium organization were also upbeat about the new product. Advanced Technologies President Bill Boycott declared, “XCU is unique in that this product represents a blending of economics with agronomics. In this way, distributors, formulators and end users alike will benefit from XCU. Some of the benefits include 10 percent more storage space, 10 percent more freight savings and 10 percent more plant throughput. As well, its special manufacturing makes XCU more concentrated and more flowable, so our end users can cover up to three more acres per ton.” Marketing Director John Johnson added that XCU is the exciting result of “cutting-edge innovation (which produced) a proprietary coating process that is an improvement over all other sulfur-coated products.” XCU will be available in three sizes: 43-0-0 regular 250 SGN (sign guide number), 43-0-0 intermediate 200 SGN, and 41-0-0 mini 150 SGN, and will be sold in sold in 1-ton bulk bag, 23-ton bulk truckload, and 100-ton railcar quantities.
Butte area attracts sulfur processing plant
Butte, Mont.-Butte-Silver Bow County officials have confirmed an agreement to sell Panterra Minerals 25 acres in an industrial park to build a $4.5 million sulfur processing plant for fertilizer and other agriculture products. Karen Byrnes, city-county community development director, referred inquiries to Hans Schmidt, Panterra chairman, who has established an office in the Butte area but was out of the country until later this month and unable to take calls. Byrnes said she knew only that the Panterra deal has “been going on since 2003-2004 and is just coming to fruition now” involving a tax increment financing district in the industrial development park. “They got the land at a good price just to get them in here,” Byrnes offered. Press reports describe Panterra Minerals as an industrial mineral processing, manufacturing, and marketing company that plans to use the Butte facility to supply specialty powdered and formed products for agricultural and industrial users. The land agreement also gives Panterra the option to buy two more parcels of land. Byrnes said Panterra is required to complete the processing facility and hire up to 10 people in a year and a half. The Butte area is primarily agriculture and ranching, along with a silicone plant and copper and molybdenum mining.
Simplot gains DOE energy-saving award
Boise, Idaho-J.R. Simplot Co.’s fertilizer plant in Pocatello has been recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Energy for a large reduction in natural gas usage, according to Simplot officials. Steve Sternberg, senior project engineer, reported that the Idaho operation was recently added to a select list of 112 industrial plants in the country that have been given the federal government’s Energy Saver Plant award for making the reductions, mostly by putting waste steam to use. “The assessment showed that the steam produced as a by-product of sulfuric acid production is quite valuable when it can be put to use instead of utilizing steam produced in a natural-gas-fired boiler,” he said. “We were able to reduce steam venting, increase condensate water return, and decrease operation of the stand-by boilers.” He added that production, maintenance, and engineering employees worked together to make possible the savings that resulted in winning the award.