SILICA SANDIndustrial minerals

Firebag silica (AMI Silica)

Athabasca Minerals / AMI Silica (Badger Mining) · ≈16 Mt resource; 1 Mt/yr target

Surface Material Lease approved 2014; not developed.

RESOURCE CONTEXT

Peace River Paddy Member (up to 16.5 m friable quartz sand), Firebag ≈16 Mt, Bruderheim glaciofluvial sand

Peace River Paddy Member and Bruderheim sands already supply Montney frac sand; glass and solar grades are the next tier.

Firebag silica resource16 Mt · Resource estimate · 2014Athabasca Minerals / Norwest PEA ↗

GEOLOGICAL SETTING

Peace River Formation quartzose sandsHighly favourable
Cretaceous shoreface quartz arenite (frac / glass-grade silica)
Basal McMurray / Firebag silicaFavourable
Clean fluvial quartz sand beneath / beside the oil sands
Bruderheim glaciofluvial sandProducing / drill-proven
Reworked Quaternary quartz sand processed for industrial grades

Tenure: Metallic & Industrial Minerals Tenure Regulation (AR 265/2022): permit — exclusive exploration right, indefinite term, no rent, $625 fee, assessment work $7/ha (first 2 years) → $13 → $20/ha; lease — 15-year initial + 15-year intermediate term, indefinite while producing, $3.50/ha rent. Quaternary sand on Crown land is held under a Surface Material Lease (Public Lands Act).
Royalty: $0.37/t silica sand from a sandstone lease (AR 350/93 s.12); surface materials pay Public Lands royalties.

DATASETS TO STACK HERE

Bedrock geology of Alberta (Map 600 tiles)Alberta Geological SurveyWhich formation is at the bedrock surface: the first screen for outcropping targets such as silica sand, limestone, ironstone, bentonite, ammonite shell and shallow coal.
Bedrock geology polygons (DIG 2013-0018, queryable)Alberta Geological SurveyAttribute-level bedrock mapping for screening host lithologies; heavy, so it loads only when zoomed in.
Surficial geology of Alberta (Map 601 tiles)Alberta Geological SurveyCover type and thickness proxy; controls aggregate, placer, peat and indicator-mineral dispersal trains.
Surficial sand & gravel deposits (DIG 2015-0027)Alberta Geological SurveyDirect aggregate and placer target layer; also screens silica sand and construction supply near demand centres.
Bedrock topography (DIG 2020-0022 tiles)Alberta Geological SurveyBuried valleys and bedrock highs: where cover is thin (cheap stripping) and where preglacial gravels pool.
Sediment (drift) thickness above bedrockAlberta Geological SurveyOverburden cost for open-pit targets and the depth of cover that geophysics must see through.
Industrial mineral occurrences (DIG 2019-0027)Alberta Geological SurveyQuarry and industrial-mineral target inventory.
AGS prospective areas for mineral explorationAlberta Geological SurveyThe survey's own view of where each commodity is prospective; compare with the Atlas knowledge-driven envelopes.

NEARBY OPERATIONS

KearlOil sands mine · Imperial (71 %) / ExxonMobil · ≈42 kmOperating
Jackpine (Albian)Oil sands mine · Canadian Natural · ≈43 kmOperating
Suncor Base Plant (Millennium / North Steepbank)Oil sands mine · Suncor · ≈43 kmOperating
Froth-treatment tailings heavy minerals (Ti–Zr–REE)Critical-minerals recovery · CVW CleanTech (ex-Titanium Corp) / AGS studies · ≈44 kmPilot / demonstration
Syncrude Aurora NorthOil sands mine · Syncrude · ≈48 kmOperating
Muskeg River (Albian)Oil sands mine · Canadian Natural · ≈48 kmOperating