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Industry News

Port union voices unanimous support for strike, escalating U.S. supply chain fears

(CNBC) - After two days of meetings of North America's largest longshoremen's union amid an impasse with port ownership on a new contract, concerns of a strike are growing amongst those in the business and logistics community.

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Codelco bids $500 million for stake in key Chile copper mine

(Mining) - Chile’s Codelco, seeking to retain the title of world’s top copper supplier, made a $500 million offer to buy a stake in a mine run by Teck Resources Ltd., people with knowledge of the matter said.

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How low will we go? USDA expected to cut their 2024 net farm income forecast

(The Daily Scoop) - USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) will provide an updated 2024 net farm income forecast on Thursday. Even with improvements in livestock margins, the August Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor showed the majority of ag economists expect the further deterioration in crop prices to weigh on the overall net farm income picture and force the agency to revise their forecast lower.

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Batteries are a fast-growing secondary electricity source for the grid

(EIA) - Utility-scale battery energy storage systems have been growing quickly as a source of electric power capacity in the United States in recent years. In the first seven months of 2024, operators added 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to the U.S. electric power grid, according to data in our July 2024 electric generator inventory. In 2010, only 4 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale battery energy storage was added in the United States. In July 2024, more than 20.7 GW of battery energy storage capacity was available in the United States.

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U.S. refiner warns of looming capacity shortage

(Oil Price) - A refining capacity shortage is looming globally and could materialize as soon as next year, the chief executive of Phillips 66 told Bloomberg in an interview.

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Supply chains are under plenty of stress, but they're not breaking. Here's why

(CNN) - Global supply chains, now a couple years recovered from pandemic-era snarls, have been chugging along at a much healthier clip.

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Panama Canal eases limits that caused global shipping bottleneck

(MSN) - The Panama Canal is lifting restrictions that caused a global shipping bottleneck as water levels normalize after a severe drought.

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Kazakhstan to construct new copper smelting plant in eastern Abay region

(Yieh) - Kazakhstan's eastern Abay region will see the construction of a new copper smelting plant with a capacity of 300,000 tons per year, as announced by the government. KAZ Minerals Smelting LLP has signed an agreement with China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (NFC) for the plant's construction. NFC Kazakhstan LLP will handle the construction and commissioning.

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Unlock the treasure trove – Why Ag-data is your greatest asset

(Future Farming) - In the heart of every farm lies a treasure trove of data waiting to be unlocked, a direct result of the increasing prevalence of sensor technology. Farmers must become more aware of the value of the data they collect throughout their operations.

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Nevada lithium industry could help U.S. EV transformation

(Gov Tech) - Lithium is a mineral that is used to make electric vehicle batteries, and right now, the only functional lithium mine in the entire country is located in rural Esmeralda County, Nev.

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Summer droughts in Northern hemisphere increasingly likely as seasonal streamflows change

(Bristol) - Declining snowfall is changing the seasonal patterns of streamflow throughout the Northern hemisphere boosting chances of water shortages in the summer, scientists have found.

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US crude, fuel stockpiles rise as refining ramps up, EIA says

(Reuters) - U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose unexpectedly last week, while gasoline and distillate inventories also increased as refining ramped up and demand fell despite the kick-off of the summer driving season, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.

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Tesla supplier Piedmont Lithium gets key North Carolina mining permit

(Reuters) - North Carolina regulators have approved a state mining permit for Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab supplier Piedmont Lithium (PLL.O), opens new tab to develop one of the largest U.S. sources of the key electric vehicle battery metal, although key financing and local regulatory challenges remain.

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Using the sun to produce green plants and green energy

(ARS USDA) - Higher temperatures caused by climate change threaten crop yields and ranch animal health, but a team of researchers from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has a plan that will not only save crops and livestock but help power farms and the nation as well.

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How to adjust your fertility practices for no-till and cover crops

(AG Web) - Government incentives aimed at mitigating climate change are almost sure to motivate you, and your landlords, to move toward no-till and cover crops. That’s the reason for our series of stories aimed at helping you convert to vertical farming systems, where those practices perform best.

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Through Aramco, peak China courts peak oil

(Reuters Breakingviews) - Exchanges between China and Arab states stretch back centuries along the ancient Silk Road. More recently, Saudi Aramco (2222.SE), opens new tab is doubling down in the People’s Republic, making energy investments in the world's second largest economy. The two sides can help each other quite a lot.

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On lithium's frontier, miners are betting on a greener second act

(Mining) - Against the arid, red dirt of the Australian Outback, the Mount Holland lithium mine emerges to approaching visitors as a colossal grey-tinged crater, with trucks the size of houses edging along its steep inclines.

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US court upholds EPA decision to approve California electric-vehicle rules

(Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to grant California a waiver to set its own tailpipe emissions limits and electric-vehicle requirements.

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Ammonium sulfate can give soybeans sulfur boost

(BrownField) - An agronomist says they’re seeing more cases of sulfur deficiency in soybeans.

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US freight rail, supply chain, now at the mercy of California's net-zero emissions rule

(The Hill) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is edging toward greenlighting California regulators’ plan to set net-zero emissions standards for locomotives operating in the Golden State. This scheme that could quickly spread to other states, threatening reliable rail transport of goods throughout the country.

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Member News

Chevron boosts oil and gas recovery from two offshore facilities in U.S. Gulf of Mexico

(WO) – Chevron Corporation started water injection operations at two of its offshore projects to boost oil and gas recovery at the company’s existing Jack/St. Malo and Tahiti facilities in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

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Koch changes company name to reflect its diversification

(Bloomberg) -- Koch Industries Inc., the second-largest closely held firm in the US, is changing its name after nearly six decades, along with its corporate structure.

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Exxon aims to become a top lithium producer for electric vehicles with Arkansas drill operation

(MSN) - Exxon Mobil aims to become a leading producer of lithium for electric vehicle batteries through a drilling operation the oil giant is launching in Arkansas, the company announced Monday.

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Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. celebrates groundbreaking in Ohio for fertilizer facility

Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. held a celebratory groundbreaking to mark the commencement of construction on a new liquid fertilizer facility in Defiance, Ohio. The new 50,000-square-foot production facility will occupy 50 acres and is set to become operational in 2024. The facility will service the Eastern Great Lakes Region through its distribution partners and will include terminal loadouts for rail cars and tanker trucks.

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Ford to buy lithium from ioneer for U.S. EV battery plant

(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Thursday it will buy lithium from ioneer Ltd's (INR.AX) Rhyolite Ridge mining project in Nevada and use the metal to build electric vehicle batteries in the United States.

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Koch Ag Completes Acquisition, Forms Joint Venture With Moroccan Phosphate Subsidiary

(The Daily Scoop) - "The closing of this acquisition marks Koch's first substantial investment on the African continent," said Brad Razook, Executive VP of Koch Industries and CEO, Resources. "We are excited to add another nutrient to the KAES portfolio in collaboration with a world-class partner."

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Shell Pushes Big Plans To Drill More in Gulf

(The Wall Street Journal) - Political uncertainty is clouding prospects for new drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, but Shell PLC—the Gulf’s biggest producer—is still investing billions of dollars in its waters to pump oil for years to come.

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Rhyolite Ridge: Investing in the future

(Elko Daily) - Alot has been happening with the Rhyolite Ridge lithium/boron project in recent months.
“On March 31, U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to provide hundreds of millions in new subsidies for the mining of minerals critical for the wind, solar and electric vehicles industries.

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Penflex Becomes The Sulphur Institute's Newest Member

(MSN) - Penflex Corporation recently became the newest member of The Sulphur Institute (TSI), an international, non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the safe use of sulfur.

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Koch to acquire 50% stake in JFC III from OCP

(Agri Business Global) - Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (Koch) and OCP have signed an agreement under which a Koch affiliate will acquire a 50% interest in Jorf Fertilizers Company III (JFC III) from OCP, the world's largest phosphate mining and leading global fertilizer group. When closed, the transaction will establish a 50/50 joint venture.

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