AGGREGATE PITAggregate

Susan Lake gravel pit

Athabasca Minerals / Fort McKay partners · Record 11.8 Mt in 2008; largest pit in Alberta

Supplies oil sands mines; aggregate is Alberta's #1 mineral by value and tonnage.

RESOURCE CONTEXT

≈55–75 Mt/yr production (derived); #1 Alberta mineral by value and tonnage

Alberta's most valuable mineral by tonnage and dollars — and the one most often sterilized by the cities that need it.

GEOLOGICAL SETTING

Preglacial and glaciofluvial gravel corridorsHighly favourable
Buried preglacial channel gravels and outwash deposits

Tenure: Crown pits under Public Lands Act Surface Material Lease / Licence; private land by agreement (surface rights, not Mines and Minerals Act).
Royalty: Public Lands surface material royalty plus municipal Community Aggregate Payment levy (max $0.40/t).

DATASETS TO STACK HERE

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.
Glacial landforms (moraines, flutings, meltwater channels)Alberta Geological SurveyIce-flow direction for tracing kimberlite-indicator and gold-grain till trains back to source.
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.
Bedrock physiography / buried bedrock zonesAlberta Geological SurveyRegional framework for cover thickness and preglacial drainage.
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