Nitrogen marker CVR Partners LP said today reported second quarter 2014 net income of $17.1 million $0.23 cents per diluted common unit), on net sales of $77.2 million, compared to net income of $35.4 million ($0.48 cents per unit) net sales of $88.8 million for the 2013 second quarter.

“Production levels in the 2014 second quarter were impacted by planned downtime at the fertilizer plant, during which we performed maintenance work and addressed previously disclosed issues with our ammonia plant,” said Mark Pytosh, CVR CEO. “As expected, pricing for the first half of this year was lower than the first six months of 2013. However, we were pleased to see a nearly 12 percent increase in our average realized gate prices for UAN in the 2014 second quarter as compared to the first quarter of 2014.”

For the first six months of 2014, net income was $38.6 million ($0.53 cents per unit), on net sales of $157.5 million, compared to $71.0 million ($0.97 per unit) on net sales of $170.2 million for the comparable period a year earlier.

Cargill has completed the acquisition of a salt production business in Hersey, Mich., from the Mosaic Co. Terms were not disclosed.

In November 2013, Mosaic announced it would stop producing potash in Hersey and sell the plant as a salt operation. Cargill will operate Hersey as a salt facility, producing primarily water softener salt and salt products used in agriculture.

“This is a well-run facility,” said Marcelo Montero, president of Cargill Salt. “Hersey gives us an additional location to provide our customers with a variety of quality products. It will also allow us to compete for new business.”

Montero said the Cargill team is looking forward to being a supportive member of the Hersey area community in the same way it does at other Cargill locations.

The Hersey business currently employs about 80 people, and Cargill expects it will probably have a similar staffing level.

Cargill Salt has a production facility at St. Clair, Mich., along with several other locations in the United States, Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) and Venezuela.

Strong potassium sulfate sales and the acquisition of Wolf Trax micronutrients business boosted Compass Mineral crop nutrition sales in the second quarter ending June 30, 2014 by 42 percent. Segment operating earnings were $17.9 million on sales of $65.6 million up from the year-ago $14 million and $44.1 million, respectively.

Despite the positive news, early debt redemption, a higher tax rate, and lower salt earnings, put Compass into the loss column for the quarter at minus $700,000 ($0.02 per diluted share) on sales of $186.6 million compared to the year-ago $10.6 million ($0.32 per share) and $173.8 million, respectively.

Idaho Board of Environmental Quality Hearing Officer Michael Kane this morning denied ConAgra Food Inc.’s motion to stay IDEQ’s air quality permit issued to Magnida, which plans to build a new nitrogen plant in Idaho.

Houston—Traffic was rerouted and shelter in place orders were issued for residential and industrial locations Friday night, July 25, because of a small leak during an anhydrous ammonia transfer between two vessels in the Houston ship channel. A Coast Guard spokesman told Green Markets the release was measured in grams. Regardless, it resulted in the closing of the Beltway 8 bridge, Interstate 610 bridge and the Houston ship channel itself between 9:45 and 11:23 p.m. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick did confirm that four crewmembers aboard the tug Trigger were exposed to the anhydrous ammonia during the transfer operation and were taken to a local hospital where they were found not to be seriously injured. The tug was conducting bunkering operations to refuel the motor vessel Sombeke, which was transferring the anhydrous ammonia. It was reported that the Sombeke was in the initial cool down phase, preparing to transfer at the Houston Ammonia Terminal when a gasket blew and the anhydrous ammonia was released. The Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service ensured that traffic didn’t enter the potentially contaminated area during the closure and a Safety Marine Information Broadcast was issued to mariners.

While Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. second quarter income was below year-ago levels, it exceeded company guidance. “Robust global fertilizer demand provided a supportive earnings environment during the quarter,” said PotashCorp President and CEO Jochen Tilk. “Performance in all three nutrient segments improved from the beginning of the year and resulted in our second-quarter earnings exceeding the upper end of our guidance range. Although results were below those of the same period last year, an improving price environment and – in the case of potash and nitrogen businesses – cost efficiencies contributed to our bottom line.”

Second-quarter net income was off 27 percent to $472 million ($0.56 per diluted share) on sales of $1.89 billion, down from the year-ago $643 million ($0.73 per share) and $2.14 billion, respectively. Six-month net income was $812 million ($0.95 per share) on sales of $3.57 billion, down from $1.2 billion ($1.37 per share) and $4.24 billion, respectively.

With an improved demand outlook, PotashCorp has increased its estimate for potash gross margins for the year to $1.2-$1.4 billion and annual potash sales of 8.0-9.2 million mt.

On the nitrogen side, PotashCorp said full-year margins could approach record results.

PotashCorp expects third-quarter net income to be in the $0.35-$0.45 per share range and the company has increased its annual expectations to $1.70-$1.90 per share.

Third-quarter sulfur prices at Tampa have been concluded at $136/lt DEL, up $3/lt from second-quarter figures. In the meantime, Tampa ammonia prices for August have rolled over from July prices at $520/mt CFR.