Phosphate also plays a major role in agricultural productivity and food security. It is known to be a key component when it comes to livestock feed, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and even detergents. Prioritizing the Florida phosphate production makes the supply chains strong, helps the local economies, and decreases the reliance on foreign sources.

Bone Valley in Florida, which spans parts of Hardee, Manatee, and Hillsborough as well as Polk counties, has quite extensive marine phosphate deposits, which have been formed for over millions of years. The region is regarded to be the largest known source of phosphate in the U.S. and accounts for over 60% of the U.S. production and around 25% of the worldwide supply.

Under the Mineral Leasing Act, the Bureau of Land Management is authorized to lease the federal minerals like phosphate for development as well as extraction. In keeping in line with this responsibility, the BLM recently went on to issue a 40-acre fringe lease pertaining to the Florida phosphate production in subsurface to Mosaic Fertilizer LLC, which happens to be the leading phosphate producer in the U.S.

Post the completion of an environmental evaluation and coordination along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the BLM went on to determine that the lease in any way will not lead to significant impacts to the scenic, cultural, or natural resources of the area. The lease area, which apparently happens to be surrounded by 4,000 acres of privately held mineral estate, which is already getting mined by Mosaic, is going to allow for efficient as well as responsible expansion of the ongoing operations.

According to the state director for BLM Eastern States, Mitch Leverette, BLM employees take enormous pride in their role as stewards of the federal mineral estate of America, and they are pleased to see the positive effects that this project is bound to have on the local economy, while at the same time ensuring a fair return for American taxpayers.

This lease is all set to generate almost $540,000 in terms of royalty payments all across the mining period. Once it is collected, around 50% of these royalties are going to be returned to the State of Florida, where they can also be used to support education and infrastructure as well as other public services like bridges, roads, and schools. The remainder of the portion is directed to the U.S. Treasury, where it will contribute to the numerous federal programs as well as initiatives in order to support land and water conservation and reclamation along with historic preservation.

Apart from this new lease, the partnership of BLM with Mosaic radiates a broader success story in terms of responsible mineral development. Mosaic at present holds numerous federal phosphate leases in many stages of reclamation as well as restoration, by way of covering over 1,000 acres. These areas, apparently some of which are converted into settling ponds, enhanced pasture, or even, for that matter, restored open space, roll out the commitment of the company to post-mining land use.

Due to the surface estate being privately owned, the restoration activities of Mosaic are guided by the terms which are outlined in their lease agreements as well as the regulatory authority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Due to a cooperative collaboration between BLM and the State of Florida, Mosaic is going to meet or even exceed the expectation of the reclamation.

As per the branch chief of Eastern States State Office Energy & Mineral Operations, Christopher Hite, as it connects to mineral development, the role of BLM is to review the applications on a case-by-case basis with the leases only granted post extensive review processes confirming both the viability of the mineral resource along with the suitability of the land for safe and, of course, responsible development.

Interestingly, the approval of this 40-acre fringe lease happens to exemplify how effectively the collaborations strengthen the domestic supply chains and simultaneously serve American citizens’ national interests.

This follows BHP’s approval of US$5.7 billion for stage one of the Jansen potash project (Jansen Stage 1) in August 2021 and a pre-Jansen Stage 1 investment of US$4.5 billion.

BHP Chief Executive Officer, Mike Henry said: “This is an important milestone that underscores our confidence in potash and marks the next phase of the company’s growth in Canada. We believe Jansen will deliver long-term value for shareholders and the local community, and will position BHP as one of the leaders in the global potash industry.

The stage two investment advances BHP’s strategy to increase its exposure to commodities positively leveraged to the global megatrends of population growth, urbanisation, rising living standards, and decarbonisation. Potash, used in fertilizers, will be essential for food security and more sustainable farming.

Today’s additional investment will transform Jansen into one of the world’s largest potash mines, doubling production capacity to approximately 8.5 Mtpa.

We are advancing our sustainability and economic development priorities for Jansen and we are pleased with the progress of our ongoing work with the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, as well as local and Indigenous communities on shared solutions.”

The mining concession was approved after consultation with the Mozambique Government. The company previously owned an exploration licence for the Cobra Plains project and wanted it to be extended or amended.

With its consultation with the government, the company secured a “far more advanced and valuable” concession, which will add to its portfolio of graphite projects in the country.

It is also moving ahead with the development of its flagship Ancuabe graphite project in Mozambique.

Triton Minerals executive director Andrew Frazer said: “The grant of the Cobra Plains mining concession, with its large-scale 5.7 million tonnes (mt) contained graphite resource, means that Trion now owns two globally significant graphite resources with a diversified mix of flake sizes, which can be applied towards a range of applications from batteries to expandable graphite for building materials.

“The granting of the mining concession adds further scale to our portfolio of graphite projects in Mozambique and to the value proposition as we continue with our ongoing funding discussions for the Ancuabe Graphite Project.”

Located in the northern region of the country, the Cobra Plains project sits within Neoproterozoic rocks of the Xixano Complex. The location is ten kilometres from Syrah’s Balama graphite mine and 230km from the port of Pemba on the Indian Ocean.

In 2014, the company announced an inferred mineral resource estimate of 103mt for the project, at an average grade of 5.52% graphitic carbon containing 5.7mt of graphitic carbon.

The team at Eriez is excited to be at the forefront of the mining industry’s transformation by leveraging its patented HydroFloat technology. The project’s goal is to increase the recovery of copper and gold from the ore through a more efficient and sustainable extraction process.

Eriez’s expertise in mineral processing, combined with commitment to providing tailored solutions to clients, made the company the preferred choice for OZ Minerals. Eriez looks forward to working closely with the OZ Minerals team to achieve the project’s objectives and deliver value to all stakeholders involved.

Eriez is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that drive progress while mitigating impact on the environment. The Carrapateena HydroFloat project aligns with that mission and contributes to a sustainable future for the mining industry.

“Over the last few months, Arianne has been working closely with potential suppliers for key aspects of the project to provide the necessary technical, engineering, procurement and construction services required in developing the Lac à Paul project,” said Jean-Sebastien David, Arianne’s COO. “By choosing to work directly with the various service providers on specific aspects of the project, it allows us to retain full control over the course and cost of development and, have our selected partners help us to continue to optimize the functionality and economics of our project. The agreement with ABB fits directly into this plan as they are a global leader in power and automation technologies for the mining industry.”

Aside from scope of work and scheduling, this agreement also looks to address the financial necessities of funding this major work package. As part of this agreement, ABB has committed to assist Arianne with possible financing strategies and has already introduced the Lac à Paul project to the Swiss Export Credit Agency (“ECA”) SERV. “The work involved in this contract represents a significant portion of our projected CapEx,” said Brian Ostroff, CEO of Arianne Phosphate. “We have said that our partners must have both the technical capabilities and financial network to assist in our development. In ABB we have found that partner. Already world-renowned as a global leader in electrical design and products, ABB has also been very helpful in looking for workable financial solutions.”

“After many months of hard work and collaboration, ABB is excited to have partnered with Arianne on the Lac à Paul project,” said Mr. Remy Lanoue, vice-president Industrial Automation North America at ABB. “We believe that Arianne’s choice of ABB is recognition of our strong capabilities in process control systems and production management software. As a leading supplier of electrification and automation systems to the global mining industry, we believe our involvement in this project is important and we are looking forward to using our considerable expertise to get Lac à Paul delivered on time and on budget.”

About ABB
ABB is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing more than a 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 132,000 employees. www.abb.com

About Arianne Phosphate
Arianne Phosphate (“Arianne Phosphate Inc.”) (www.arianne-inc.com) is developing the Lac à Paul phosphate deposits located approximately 200 km north of the Saguenay/Lac St. Jean area of Quebec, Canada. These deposits will produce a high quality igneous apatite concentrate grading 39% P2O5 with little or no contaminants. The Company has 97,648,080 million shares outstanding.

Source: Jean-Sébastien David, C.O.O.
Tel. : 418-549-7316
j.s.david@arianne-inc.com

Info: Brian Ostroff, C.E.O.
Tel. : 514-908-4202
brian.ostroff@arianne-inc.com

Medias: Joëlle Brodie
Tel. : 418-549-7316
joelle.brodie@arianne-inc.com

The indicated resource tonnage increased by 150% to an estimate of 31.7 million tonnes at 20.6% phosphorus at Gadde Bissik East, part of the wider Baobab Phosphate Project.

The increase in tonnage will substantially raise the confidence with which Avenira can develop its operations and market products to offtake partners.

Incidentally, the first shipment of the Baobab product is expected from the port of Dakar this month.Avenira has also updated the total inferred resource at Baobab to 114 million tonnes at 19% phosphorus.The Baobab Project area covers a total of about 1,553 square kilometres.

Within the Baobab Project area, the Gadde Bissik prospect of about 90 square kilometres was identified during excavation of water wells in the 1950’s.

Avenira has managed the exploration of the Gadde Bissik area since early 2014, building up a comprehensive knowledge of the Baobab Project and its potential.A maiden indicated resource estimate was announced by the company in December 2015 and mining activities commenced within the Small Mine Permit in March 2016.

Avenira’s exploration drilling aimed at testing the extensions east of Gadde Bissik towards Gad Escale is ongoing and further drilling is planned for Q2 2017.Earlier this year, the company secured a $8.8 million finance facility to assist with the final stages of commissioning and ramp-up of the Baobab Phosphate Project.Avenira’s shares were last trading 6.4% higher intra-day, at $0.10.

The phosphate mine is located predominantly on federal land managed by BLM and the U.S. Forest Service.

“This approval represents a significant benefit to our community, to Agrium and to Idaho,” says Agrium’s VP of Potash and Phosphate, Mike Dirham. “Thorough environmental assessments have gone into this, as well as community engagement and years of research. The result is an innovative and collaborative mine plan that we are proud of, and that will provide the ore we need to supply local agriculture. By the end of the project, the area will look much the same as it did before we began.”

Agrium claims the mine will have a $260 million impact on the Idaho economy, including state and local taxes.
Copyright 2017 NPG of Idaho. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service late last week issued separate decisions approving the plan by Calgary-based Agrium Inc.

The BLM manages the area where the mining will occur, while the Forest Service manages land that will receive waste materials.

Agrium turns phosphate ore into fertilizer needed by farmers to grow food. Phosphate mining is a major business in southeastern Idaho, and BLM officials said the new mine will preserve 1,700 jobs and generate about $85 million per year for the local economy in Caribou County.

The expected life of the new Rasmussen Valley Mine is just under eight years, and the project follows a pattern where companies move to a new area once an old area is mined out. Mining has taken place in the area since the early 20th century.

The area contains one the nation’s most abundant deposits of phosphate, and agribusinesses Simplot and Monsanto also have mines in the area. But the area also contains 17 Environmental Protection Agency superfund sites because of pollution from past phosphate mining.

Federal officials said the latest mine has requirements to avoid those problems.“The water quality issue is the No. 1 issue that we deal with when it comes to determining impacts with mines that are being permitted now,” said Bill Volt, environmental planning coordinator with the BLM.

Virginia Gillerman, an associate research geologist with the Idaho Geological Survey, said the area is rich in phosphate because it was once an 116,000-square-mile inland sea where organic material from fish, plants and small animals was deposited over a 5-million-year span about 265 million years ago.

Geologic activity caused faulting and folding in the sedimentary rock that once formed the seabed that’s now part of Idaho and three neighboring states. In Idaho, the activity pushed the phosphate closer to the surface, making it economical to mine, Gillerman said.

Volk said Agrium has struck a deal with Monsanto to take waste rock from the new mine and dispose of it in a pit at a nearby Monsanto mine now going through the reclamation process.

The material will be covered, Volk said, to prevent water from reaching it that could cause selenium to leach out into streams or be absorbed by plants. Selenium is needed for life but is toxic in large quantities.

Volk said the selenium problem first became apparent in the 1990s when hundreds of sheep and horses died after eating plants over mine waste material that had absorbed selenium from that material. The realization of what caused the deaths led to the superfund sites.

Additionally, water running through the waste rock has caused increased selenium in streams that can harm aquatic organisms.

Earthworks, an environmental group, earlier this month released information from tests it did on trout in streams below Simplot’s Smoky Canyon Mine. The group said the fish in Sage Creek and Crow Creek had selenium levels up to four times the levels the EPA says can cause defects and reproductive failure in fish.

“It’s been eight years since the (Smoky Canyon) mine expansion was approved, yet there’s still no proven cover system to prevent future water pollution,” Bonnie Gestring of Earthworks said in a statement.