Canadian Organic Phosphate Mining Progress
Brisbane, Nov 28, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Organic phosphate supplier Fertoz Ltd (
ASX:FTZ) ("Fertoz" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following update regarding its operations in North America.
Highlights
- Mining underway in the 17,500 tonne rock phosphate bulk sample area at Wapiti
- Processing facility identified at Beaverlodge with infrastructure to easily access North American organic farmers
- Contracted equipment to be used to produce high quality rock phosphate for farmers in North America
The Company has substantially completed road construction at its Wapiti Phosphate Project in British Columbia, Canada. This new access trail has allowed Fertoz to commence mining of material utilising its 17,500-tonne bulk sample permit at Wapiti. The Company continues to progress towards becoming the leading supplier of high-quality organic rock phosphate to North American farmers.
The mining process is relatively simple, with at-surface material initially blasted to loosen both material and overburden, followed by simple mining via an excavator to extract material. Initial delays were experienced due to unseasonal wet conditions, but material is now being transported down the hill to the processing area the Company has identified at Beaverlodge in Alberta.
Beaverlodge is proximate to the Prairie Provinces, a significant farming area in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. At the processing location, rail and road infrastructure is excellent and will allow a lot of flexibility in cost-effectively delivering product to customers throughout the USA and Canada.
Earlier in the year, the Company was successful in processing rock phosphate material utilising equipment hired for a short period of time. The Company will again contract equipment to process the material to a range of sizes, suitable for transportation, direct application, and blending at Beaverlodge before distribution via nearby road or rail infrastructure to customers throughout Canada's Prairie Provinces, the Pacific Northwest and California.
Fertoz Chief Operating Officer and Head of Mining, Jo Shearer, said:
"September and October brought unseasonably warm temperatures, which made conditions muddy and difficult for mining and movement down the hills. Since then, colder weather has fortunately set in and roads have hardened. That has allowed us to blast, mine and move what we know to be world-class rock phosphate, with more than double the phosphate availability of our competitors in the region."
Fertoz Executive Chairman, Pat Avery, said:
"We are pleased to be mining steadily at Wapiti and it is great to see our valuable organic product moving. We hope to mine for a few more weeks before winter sets in. The material we are currently mining, plus the tonnes we have in inventory, will provide the volume we need for immediate sales with some additional material available for sales in the early spring."
"The warm weather in October and early November was a mixed blessing. Although the muddy conditions were not favourable for mining, the warmth encouraged farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to get back into the fields after late September's cold spell. This window let growers harvest the bulk of their crops, which is far better for agricultural income and will help to support our sales and marketing efforts."
About Fertoz Ltd
Fertoz (ASX:FTZ) is an Australian-based phosphate exploration and development company with a range of projects in British Columbia, Canada as well as Queensland and the Northern Territory. The Company is focused on becoming a fertiliser producer as quickly as possible, initially focusing on the Canadian/USA markets.
Fertoz plans to develop its exploration assets in Canada in order to identify any potential Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) projects. It intends to seek joint venture partners to assist in funding the exploration projects in Australia.
Phosphate is a commodity necessary for feeding the world, and Fertoz is ready to capitalise on this growing demand.
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