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Potash/Phosphate

Mining the green gold of Ethiopia’s Danakil – by Elissa Jobson in Addis Ababa (The Africa Report – May 14, 2014)

http://www.theafricareport.com/

As companies rush to secure their claim on Ethiopia’s mineral riches, the government is keen to show it supports international transparency measures. Ethiopia is in the midst of a gold, oil, mineral and gemstone rush. More than 250 companies are currently scouring the territory hoping to strike it rich.

here is a diversity of geology,” says Tolesa Shagi, the minister of mines. “There is huge potential for different minerals – that is what we understood after we invited foreign mining companies.”

Just over half of the country has been surveyed so far and it already appears that there are significant reserves of gold, oil and potash as well as valuable deposits of coal, tantalum, copper, platinum, opals, rubies and other gemstones.

The mining sector currently accounts for around 1% of the Ethiopian economy, but the government expects that in 10 years’ time it will represent 10% of GDP. Potash is likely to be one of the first commodities to contribute to this growth.

In the remote and arid Danakil Depression, in northeast Ethiopia, lies the world’s largest potash deposit.

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Manitoba tries to blast zebra mussels in unique experiment – by Chinta Puxley (Globe and Mail – May 12, 2014)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

WINNIPEG — The Canadian Press – They are small clam-like creatures that seem to spread in the blink of an eye and squeeze the life out of the rivers and lakes they inhabit. This summer, those who grapple with zebra mussels will be watching Manitoba, where officials are trying to stop an invasion with a unique experiment.

Once the winter ice recedes on Lake Winnipeg, a silk curtain will be lowered to the lake floor to seal off four infested harbours. Liquid potash will then be pumped into the water until it reaches a lethal concentration for the mussels and clogs their gills.

The technique has been tried in a closed quarry, but this is believed to be the first time liquid potash has been used in open water. Scientists who study the mussels say Manitoba presents a “golden opportunity” to find a way to prevent their proliferation in waterways around the world.

The postash plan will cost $500,000, but many say it could save millions down the road if it works. “There is only one guarantee and that is, if nothing is done, then the situation will certainly get worse,” said Manitoba Conservation Minister Gord Mackintosh. “The impact of zebra mussels in areas where they have infested waterways is quite profound.”

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[Saskatchewan] Mining exploration spending forecast to mirror ’13 – by Scott Larson (Regina Leader-Post – May 2, 2014)

 http://www.leaderpost.com/index.html

The amount of capital invested in mining exploration in Saskatchewan this year will mirror last year’s total of $236 million, says Gary Delaney, chief geologist with the province’s Ministry of the Economy.

“Most of the focus is between potash and uranium, but we will see a few million in gold and I suspect we might see a little more optimism in the diamond area,” said Delaney, who spoke at the fourth annual Saskatchewan Mining conference Thursday in Saskatoon.

The ministry conducts a survey to see how much was spent last year and what people are planning to spend this year (estimated at $234.6 million). That ranks Saskatchewan fourth in mining exploration expenditures in Canada.

Spending in 2014 will be split fairly evenly between juniors (who don’t have production) and major producers, he said. It has been a rough few years for junior miners trying to raise capital. Between 2012 and 2013, the amount of money junior companies were able to raise dropped by 50 per cent. “These are pretty rough times,” Delaney said.

Uranium There are bright spots, like the Patterson Lake South uranium discovery by Fission and Alpha Minerals in the Athabasca Basin. Companies with stakes in that area have been able to raise money.

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Canada’s potash policy threatens food security – by Kai Xue (Ottawa Citizen – April 18, 2014)

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/index.html

Kai Xue is a corporate lawyer in Beijing. These views are his own.

Last month, Canada’s aid program left Malawi. Canada had announced: “all funding for country-to-country (bilateral) programs in Malawi will end and all existing project and contract work will be completed” with the exception of a maternity health program.

Canada’s decision to depart is especially disappointing. It had been a commendable development partner to Malawi. However, after clearing out, Canada will still lamentably remain in Malawi in a negative form. Canada’s presence is still felt through the effect of its legal cartel in the export of potash, a key fertilizer.

Through this lever of control, Canada inflates the price of potash while Malawi imports 20,000 tonnes of it annually.

This fertilizer is an ingredient of world food security and was until July 2013 controlled by a duopoly of cartels: Uralkali-Belaruskali, a Belarusian-Russian partnership, and Canpotex, the Canadian cartel formed by three potash companies mining in Saskatchewan.

The status quo was shaken in July by the collapse of the Uralkali-Belaruskali cartel, and a sharp drop of about a quarter of the price for potash followed, illustrating the price fixing power of the cartels.

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Muskowekwan First Nation votes to approve on-reserve potash project – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – April 16, 2014)

http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Project developer Encanto Potash on Wednesday reported that the Muskowekwan First Nation (MFN) had voted with a strong majority in favour of continuing to develop the first producing potash mine on First Nation land – the MFN’s reserve, located 100 km north-east of Regina, Saskatchewan.

The two project partners said that six ballots for the MFN surface designation vote had passed, including those allowing Encanto to build and operate a potash solution mine on both reserve land and pre-reserve land and to lease certain areas in support of the mine.

The project is being undertaken by First Potash Ventures, a partnership between Encanto Potash and Muskowekwan Resources, which is owned by the MFN. The project is expected to provide economic opportunities for the MFN, as well as the surrounding area, by providing training and employment opportunities during the construction and operation of the mine.

“Once again, my people have demonstrated that we are interested and greatly in favour of seeing an operating potash solution mine on our land and enjoying the associated benefits through educational advancements, increased employment opportunities and self-sourced revenue generation,” MFN chief Reginald Bellerose said.

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At BHP, the stars align for second run at Potash Corp – by Boyd Erman (Globe and Mail – April 15, 2014)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

A window is opening for BHP Billiton Ltd. to once again try a takeover of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan.

Speculation is intense in the fertilizer industry that BHP may mount another campaign to win over Saskatoon-based Potash Corp. after being shot down in 2010. It failed the federal government’s murky “net benefit test” after a strong push from a Saskatchewan government that opposed the transaction.

Bankers, executives and advisers on the political side agree that BHP would be crazy not to look again. To be clear, there is no sign that any potential deal is under way. But there are numerous reasons that people are talking about the possibility.

The numbers work. The personalities are closer to working. Even the politics are not insurmountable because the landscape has shifted, especially in Saskatchewan. Finally, what was true in 2010 remains true now: Owning Potash Corp. is the best way to get into the potash business.

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Challenges ahead to sustain Saskatchewan’s rate of economic growth – by Meaghan-Craig (Global News – April 9, 2014)

 

http://globalnews.ca/toronto/

SASKATOON – Experts and mining leaders are weighing in on a new report that suggests Saskatchewan cannot sustain its current rate of economic growth.

According to a new study released Wednesday, while it’s a good time to be living in Saskatchewan, we may be relying too heavily on high commodity prices.

“For opportunity to continue you can’t rest on your laurels and what worked 10 years maybe doesn’t work the same way anymore,” said Doug McNair, with Certified Management Consultants of Saskatchewan.

The report by The Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Saskatchewan says the province’s rapid growth has been strongly influenced by the global commodity supercycle.

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Doyle’s exit from Potash well-timed – for him – by Brian Milner (Globe and Mail – April 9, 2014)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan faces a future that is far more complicated than its illustrious recent past. The golden era of buoyant sales, tight supplies and soaring stock values are plainly in the rear-view mirror. And now after a tough year marked by plunging profits and steep cutbacks, the captain is leaving the ship just as it sails into even rougher waters.

Bill Doyle will depart June 30 after 27 years with the company, the last 15 as CEO. Mr. Doyle, who is approaching 64, is certainly entitled to rest on his laurels. But his timing raises concerns about the course that the company intends to chart. And the fact that the board has anointed an outsider, Jochen Tilk, as his successor doesn’t cast a favourable light on Mr. Doyle’s mentoring abilities.

One marker of a successful tenure in the corner office is the ability to foster a coterie of senior executives capable of stepping into the top job. But in Potash’s case, a three-year search brought them to the door of Mr. Tilk, a 30-year mining industry veteran whose main attraction was apparently his “focus on operational excellence and disciplined growth,” in the words of board chairman Dallas Howe. That sounds to me like someone preparing for more heavy cost-cutting of the kind that shuttered some production and lopped off about 18 per cent of the Potash work force in December.

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New Potash CEO takes reins amid tough landscape – by Rachelle Younglai (Globe and Mail – April 8, 2014)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. made the surprise appointment of a new chief executive officer with no fertilizer experience as the miner trudges through one of its most difficult periods in its history.

Jochen Tilk, the former chief executive of Inmet Mining Corp., has worked in the Canadian mining industry for more than 25 years and is recognized as a skilled operator who built his company into a respected metal producer.

But Mr. Tilk is unknown in the potash industry, where a handful of players have held sway over prices for decades and built their market share through negotiated deals with fast-growing economies like China and India.

He will become CEO as the Saskatoon-based company struggles to adjust to lower potash prices after Russian-based producer OAO Uralkali ended a partnership with its Belarus rival, a cartel-like arrangement to sell the fertilizer. Before the breakup, the Russian-Belarussian union along with Potash Corp. and its North American equivalent called Canpotex Ltd. controlled 70 per cent of the global potash market.

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Potash Corp. takes dramatic U-Turn with new CEO hire Jochen Tilk – by Peter Koven (National Post – April 7, 2014)

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

To many people, Bill Doyle is Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.

His bombastic personality and eternally optimistic outlook played a key role in bringing the sleepy fertilizer industry to the attention of investors. His oligopolistic practices were a model for the sector. His strategy and vision never wavered, even when BHP Billiton Ltd. came knocking with a $40-billion offer. And his 15-year tenure as chief executive is the longest of anyone among Canada’s 30 most valuable publicly-traded companies.

It is simply impossible to think of Potash Corp. and not think of Mr. Doyle. The 64-year-old is a rock star within the fertilizer business, a friend or a frenemy of absolutely everyone, be they customers, investors or rival producers. They all have stories to tell about Bill Doyle, the industry’s quintessential promoter and senior statesman.

Yet despite all of Mr. Doyle’s success, Potash Corp. has gone in a very different direction with his replacement. Indeed, the company has hired someone who is his opposite in almost every way. Jochen Tilk is a disciplined, conservative executive known for his strong operational skills. Unlike Mr. Doyle, he has avoided the limelight and has never spouted conspiracy theories on investor conference calls.

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NEWS RELEASE: PotashCorp Announces Selection of Jochen Tilk as Next President and CEO

Tilk to assume CEO role in July 2014; Doyle to continue as Senior Advisor until June 2015, allowing for planned and seamless transition

Listed: TSX, NYSE Symbol: POT

SASKATOON, April 6, 2014 /CNW/ – Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (PotashCorp) today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Jochen Tilk as President and CEO, effective July 1, 2014.

After 27 years of dedicated service – during which PotashCorp grew to become the world’s largest crop nutrient company – Bill Doyle will step down as President and CEO, but remain employed with the company as a Senior Advisor through June 2015.

“We’re pleased to announce Jochen Tilk as the next President and CEO of PotashCorp. Jochen is known for his focus on operational excellence and disciplined growth, and the entire Board agreed he was the right person to lead the company forward,” said Dallas Howe, Chairman of the Board. “The Board undertook a rigorous, three-year selection process for the new CEO that included the use of international executive search firms and a review of both internal and external candidates.”

“Jochen’s successful track record, his reputation among peers and commitment to the industry made him the ideal candidate to serve our customers and lead PotashCorp through our next phase of growth,” said Bill Doyle.

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Rio set for potash push – by Matt Chambers (The Australian – March 24, 2014)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business

Rio Tinto could start building a Canadian potash project within three years, according to its joint venture partner, as the big miner chases a fertiliser push by BHP Billiton to position itself at the forefront of a global food boom.

There is also growing speculation Rio will make a bigger plunge into the sector through an acquisition or joint venture of neighbouring junior Western Potash, or even by joining BHP.

Last week, Rio revealed it had made a “tier-one” potash discovery at its KP405 lease near Regina, in Saskatchewan’s Elk Point Basin. This is the basin where BHP is spending $US3.8 billion ($4.2bn) sinking big mine shafts and building associated infrastructure about 200km to the north to be ready for expected growth in global demand for the crop fertiliser.

Rio’s Russian partner, Acron, has called the find “massive” and, based on a Rio report, capable of supporting a long-life, low-cost potash mine. Still, KP405 is lower grade, has been proved up to a fraction of the certainty and is less than a third the size of the resource BHP is targeting. It is also nearly twice as deep, meaning mining methods will be different and probably more expensive.

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Agrium eyes asset sale as new CEO narrows focus – by Boyd Erman (Globe and Mail – March 25, 2014)

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Agrium Inc.’s last chief executive officer loved to buy. The new CEO is open to selling assets – and one that could end up on the market is the fertilizer company’s phosphate production operation.

In his first months on the job, Chuck Magro has made a point of saying his main priority is to “optimize” the businesses that his very acquisitive predecessor, Mike Wilson, made in his 10 years in the role. Mr. Wilson, say deal makers who know him, liked to be in everything.

Calgary-based Agrium now owns facilities producing the three big crop nutrients – potash, nitrogen and phosphate – as well as a big retail network that can sell those products and more to farmers.

Mr. Magro is not so sure the company has to be everywhere. The retail business and the North American nitrogen business are as big as anybody’s in their respective games. The potash business is relatively small, but it has advantages such as as a low cost base. Phosphate is a tougher question, Mr. Magro said in an interview in Toronto.

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$3B potash mine possible for Sedley – by Bruce Johnstone (Regina Leader-Post – March 19, 2014)

http://www.leaderpost.com/index.html

Rio Tinto partners with North Atlantic

A brief mention of a joint venture project with North Atlantic Potash Inc. in Rio Tinto’s 2013 annual report has the potash industry buzzing about a large find of potash near Sedley, about 30 kilometres southeast of Regina.

As it turns out, Saskatoon-based North Atlantic internally announced the discovery of 329 million tonnes of potash on its website in December, but never released the information to the public, according to a North Atlantic employee.

In the annual report, Rio reported that the Sedley area discovery contained “encouraging potash grade and thickness,’ according to an article earlier this week in The Australian, the country’s largest national newspaper.

The joint venture between Rio Tinto Potash Management, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, one of the largest mining companies in the world, and North Atlantic Potash, a subsidiary of JCS Acron, one of Russia’s largest mining companies, was formed in 2011.

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Saskatchewan Potash History – by John Burton (The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan – Unknown Date)

http://esask.uregina.ca/home.html

Potash production is a major Saskatchewan industry, which has played a significant role in the economy for over 40 years. The ten producing mines in the province are among the largest and most modern in the world. Underground potash deposits were laid down by evaporation in an ancient inland sea; three major layers of potash are separated by layers of salt. Potash deposits are located from the Alberta border west of Saskatoon, through much of the central portion of the province, to the southeast corner and beyond. Much of Saskatchewan’s deposits are 3,000-3,500 feet underground; but they are deeper further south, beyond conventional shaft and mining techniques.

Operations are located where potash-bearing ore is 7-11 feet thick. Most potash in Saskatchewan is in the form of potassium chloride (KCl). Recoverable reserves are well over 100 billion tons. Of the potash produced, 95% is used for fertilizer, and the remainder for industrial purposes. Potash was first found in Saskatchewan in 1942 during oil drilling. Further discoveries in the 1940s and early 1950s confirmed enormous deposits. However, three projects in the 1950s encountered formidable water problems during shaft sinking, which hampered development.

Production commenced in 1962 when water problems were overcome at the International Minerals and Chemical (IMC) mine near Esterhazy; the Potash Company of America (PCA) then rehabilitated its flooded mine. A surge of development by other companies resulted in twelve companies opening ten mines by 1970.

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