RESOURCE CONTEXT
Korite SM4 >42 M carats (2003–16); ≈90–95 % of world reserves
Alberta's official gemstone, with 90 % of world supply from one river valley south of Lethbridge.
INDUSTRIAL MINERALIndustrial minerals
Korite ammolite mines (St. Mary River)
Korite International (Buffalo Rock Mining) · >42 M carats since 2003; ≈90 % of world ammolite
Bearpaw Formation K-zone; emerged from CCAA 2020.
GEOLOGICAL SETTING
Prospectivity envelopes for Ammonite shell (ammolite)
- Bearpaw Formation ammonite zone (St. Mary River)Producing / drill-provenIridescent Placenticeras ammonite shell (ammolite) in Bearpaw concretions
Development regime
- Tenure
- Ammonite Shell Regulation (AR 152/2004): 15-year agreement + 5-year renewal, max 256 ha, $625 fee, $3.50/ha rent.
- Royalty
- Excluded from quarriable royalties; rate per IL 2004-18 (unverified).
DATASETS TO STACK HERE
Public layers that cover this site
- 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.
- 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.
- NRCan Map 900A: producing mines, mineral areas, oil & gas fieldsNatural Resources CanadaOfficial federal view of producing operations to cross-check the Atlas mine inventory.
- Ammonite shell agreementsAlberta Energy and MineralsAmmolite tenure along the St. Mary and Oldman rivers.
- Non-Crown mineral ownershipAlberta Energy and MineralsFreehold minerals need private deals and carry freehold mineral tax instead of Crown royalty.
- Parks & protected areas (by designation)Alberta Forestry, Parks and TourismHard no-go areas (e.g. Peace Point gypsum inside Wood Buffalo National Park).
NEARBY OPERATIONS
Within reach
- Avanti Helium — Greater Knappen (Alberta)Helium · Avanti Helium · ≈87 kmExploration
- Grassy MountainCoal mine · Northback Holdings (Hancock) · ≈116 kmPermitting
- Steveville helium plantHelium · Keranic Industrial Gas (ex-Royal Helium) · ≈173 kmIdled
- Sheerness (humalite)Coal mine · Westmoreland · ≈233 kmOperating
- Exshaw lime plant & quarryQuarry · Graymont · ≈241 kmOperating
- Exshaw cement plant & quarryQuarry · Lafarge Canada (Holcim) · ≈242 kmOperating