oneoff,,,,,,,,,,,,,Northgate question.

[boarderbloke]

Can you give us any update on the construction of the grain buying facilities at the Northgate location?

Are any grain purchases being made there now? Have you taken samples over for grading?

Do they have an office there now and are they offering New Crop pricing for fall '15 delivery?

Just opened and read the article in the Dec2nd Grainews and was hoping you might be able to update us.

[souris]

they are buying grain, durm wheat from out west heard about 25 cars of winter wheat for the next train run they are supposed to start contruction on the first big bin soon office on site grain samples are sent to weyburn for grading

[oneoff]

Haven't driven that way for three weeks ...so not up to date. I think there was a 60 some car direct loading onto rails cars a month or so ago. The "trailer" for customs was supposedly placed not long ago. I'd think there would have to be inspections going both ways; but don't know if these details have been ironed out...... The bases for a silo or two were started early last winter; but I wouldn't think anyone would have been brave enough to pour cement for such a project in the middle of winter; but who knows.

The oil transloading portion doesn't seem to be moving forward very fast at all. And with the "Upland Pipeline" (Trans Canada line to Moosomin tank farm) now announced to transfer up to 300,000 barrels per day from the immediate North Dakota area to the south; and oil in the toilet and rail transport a fraction of the amount only months ago.....maybe now isn't the time to be buying Ceres Global shares; or maybe taking a chance getting paid on any substancial grain movement. Also no one has mentioned how competitive the prices are. Yo'd think with most other grain companies stealing the exchange rate; that even offering to be fair would attract all the grain anyone wanted...but again no one seem to notice...all is quiet as death and no one seems to care anyways.

I haven't heard one local farmer even mention this facility; no advertising I've seen and all is very slow and quiet. The article in the farm paper you mentioned is all the news there is except quaterly financial staements and ongoing red ink on the financially "underperforming" company. Hell the "1500 acres" isn't even mentioned as an industrial site in the "25 year DistrictPlan" now in the works; and Council's first reading didn't even note the site on either Future Land Use Maps or any of the accompanying documentation and flowery outlook statements for the municipality in the coming decades...

And also watch out for Scoular to eat somebody for lunch. It will be like the hamburgers (loaded) for 25 cents in the early 70's.

[hobbyfrmr]

Im with Oneoff about the Scoular prediction. When this all started on AV, Ceres had aligned with Scoular to build this project, then, not too long into it, they bounced Scoular out of it.
I looked at the published cost of construction and the Ceres stock background information and even then, they did not have the balance sheet to complete the construction of this facility. So, i too predict Ceres will run short of money when this thing is almost built, and Scoular will step into "pick up the pieces".
I dont mean this in a negative tone, the whole grain/ oil hub makes sense to me, but jilting a solid financial partner was not the best move on Ceres' part.
I have to claim that I dont recall the exact details of how the alignment dissolved, but I am bias towards Scoular from my past positive experiences selling them grain.

[oneoff]

Anyone who wants to contemplate "ports" should do some due diligence about competitors such as the "Port of North Dakota" adjacent to the city of Minot ND and probably right next to some BNSF rail yards.

Now thats a grand scheme; with the backing of the county etc. etc. They've been around for years and also have even more grand plans.

They had a booth at the "Ag days" this year (also held in Minot each year); passed out one page advertisements and its also all on their website.

While are now about a quarter section in size; they have "plans" and arrangements for a few thousands of acres of sites for access to all forms of storage; all types of transportation and manufacturing in an area to the NE of the city.

Their eyes are on the same SE Sask and Southern Canadian supply area and so are quite probably a formidable competitor to any other "hub".

And no it isn't negative to point these matters out. Its even how every business decision (after initial experiences) are made and more importantly; the reception to how financially strong a company seems; how pleasant and honorable they are to deal with and how competitive any business is; will be what determines their roaring success or dismal failure.

[oneoff]

Also consider what overbuilding can do; and what the all inclusive total "costs" are.

And is it efficient to truck durum from "out west" just to create some efficiencies for some new inland terminal.. Railways will always be a dozen times more efficient at moving grain products from near their source of production.


When will the decision on facility location ever include the complete true cost of delivery over the necessary roads and hundreds or thousands of miles of wearing out trucks and trailers.

We seem to keep forgetting the dust from wearing out gravelled roads; and the pavement that goes to hell in years of extreme heavy traffic; when those original highways lasted decades.

The next repaving (or clay capping) won't happen soon or as quickly as would ideally be necessary; and the costs may well be considered even more prohibitive than in the past.

[oneoff]

This from the Grand Forks Herald


"The Upland Pipeline would cross the border near Northgate, Sask., and Lignite, N.D., and end near the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border in Canada. It would connect with other pipelines including the Energy East Pipeline in Saskatchewan."

Guess that one was called correctly some months ago; if not more than a year ago.

[boarderbloke]

Thanks oneoff for the update.