Mechanical failure to set Agrium’s Vanscoy potash mine back

SASKATOON – A machinery breakdown at a potash mine near Vanscoy, Sask. from last month could result in a four-week shutdown for Agrium.

This setback is on top of a planned 14-week shutdown in order to tie an expansion project into the system.

Officials say production won’t fire up again until the end of November.

In July, the main hoist system that brings ore to the surface suffered a mechanical failure.

Calgary-based Agrium expects losses in the latter half of the year to be about $40 million.

The company’s second-quarter profits were released recently. Agrium did better than originally anticipated with net earnings of $625 million.