Dakota Gas, OCI create NorthAm nitrogen marketing JV

Fertilizer producers Dakota Gasification and OCI have created a joint venture to market nitrogen fertilizers, industrial ammonia and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in North America.

The new venture, named N-7, will distribute more than 4.5mn t of fertilizers from OCI Iowa Fertilizer Co in Wever, Iowa, OCI Partners in Beaumont, Texas, and Dakota Gas' Beulah, North Dakota, facility. N-7 will also market product imported via OCI's operations outside North America.

OCI Iowa Fertilizer began production at its Wever facility in April 2017 and has the capacity to produce 1.5mn-2mn t/yr of nitrogen fertilizer, including ammonia, UAN, urea and DEF. OCI Partners produces about 331,000 t/yr ammonia.

Dakota Gas began production at its new 400,000 st/yr (362,877 t/yr) urea unit at Beulah in January. Dakota Gas also has a production capacity of about 420,000 st/yr ammonia and 146,000 st/yr ammonium sulfate.

Dakota Gas chief executive officer Paul Sukut said the partnership will bolster the company's capability to market product throughout the Northern Plains.

"We have a large customer base in the 250-mile radius around the [plant], and achieving transportation and selling costs synergies through N-7 enables us to more efficiently service the local farming community and be a dependable local source of fertilizer for area farmers," Sukut said.