Gypsum in Demand (ii)

 The demand for gypsum continues strong and there was another geared bulk carrier at Gold Bond Gypsum this week. On April 17 it was the Ocean Pearl, a four crane vessel, instead of the usual gravity / belt self-unloaders from the CSL pool. This week it was UBC Tampico, which arrived May 4.

A double skin, open hatch, multi-purpose bulker, the UBC Tampico was built in 2004 by Saiki Jukogyo in Saiki, Japan. The 24,140 gt, 37,821 dwt ship carries three 36 tonne capacity cranes and three 12 cubic meter (and one of unknown capacity) grab, all stowed in cribs at the base of the number one crane.

The ship arrived from Sorel-Tracy, QC where it off loaded a cargo, likely pig iron, from Fairless Hills, PA. On departure today, May 6, its destination was listed as Tampa, FL. Operators United Bulk Carriers are members of the Leer, Germany, based Hartmann AG Group, and carry a lower case "h'" on the funnel.

As mentioned in the previous post, the strong demand for gyspum indicates a strong economy in the United States, since the material is used in manufacturing and building construction. A strong USA economy is usually reflected in a strong Canadian economy too.

Gold Bond Canada Inc's, (formerly National Gypsum's)  , main competitor, United States Gypsum (USG Corp) and its Canadian subsidiary Canada Gyspum Company (CGC Inc) just this week announced that it plans to re-open its quarry and shipping facilities in Little Narrows, NS. The Cape Breton Island operation was shut down in 2016, and although it was supposedly mothballed, it will take three years and a $104 million investment to reactivate the operation. Since 1954 it supplied factories in the US and Montreal. 

Announcing the re-opening, the company spokesperson cited the decline in synthetic gypsum as one of the reasons for increased demand. The material was a byproduct of coal fired generating stations, and as those facilities are being shut down, the byproducts are no longer available. Naturally occuring gypsum is still widely available however, with the Cape Breton mine containing sufficient material to last for 50 to 100 years.

CGC also operated the Wentworth mine and the shipping facilities at Hantsport, NS, under the Fundy Gypsum name. They were were shut down in 2012 and there has been no reliable indication of any re-opening there. 

When it shut down USG /CGC sold its two gravity / belt self-unloaders, which now operate in the CSL Americas pool as Algoma Integrity (ex Gypsum Integrity) and CSL Frontier (ex Gyspum Centennial). The former has been a frequent caller at Gold Bond's dock in Halifax. The latter is operating on the west coast, ranging from British Coumbia to California and Mexico.

Gold Bond's open pit mine at East Milford, NS is the largest gypsum mine in the world, and transports raw gypsum by daily train to its storage and loading facility in Wright's Cove, on the eastern shore of Bedford Basin in Halifax. 

The area is known as Lower Burnside and was part of the City of Dartmouth which was merged into the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996. The name Dartmouth is still used nevertheless to describe the area on the eastern side of Halifax harbour, and is still used in mailing addresses. Therefore the Gold Bond dock facility - confusingly - may be referred to as the Halifax dock or Dartmouth Dock or Wright's Cove dock (all of which are correct!).

.