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 Apple Bay Project Report
Electra Gold Ltd. has entered into exclusive agreements, under which it has acquired industrial mineral and metal rights to one mining lease and a surrounding block of contiguous mineral claims lying southwest of the town of Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The total area covered is about 1,900 ha.
Chalky Geyserite
Cement mixed with gravel and other aggregates makes concrete which is used for residential, commercial and infrastructure construction. Chalky Geyserite, also known as aluminum silica, is an integral ingredient in the production of cement. Approximately 20% of cement contains chalky geyserite.
Electra's Apple Bay Project covers readily accessible silica and alumina resources within its PEM100 Quarry and to the northwest towards the Pemberton Hills. The general geyserite section within the quarry and adjacent areas consists of an approximately 20–35 m thick Lower Jurassic intensely silicified and clay altered rhyolite unit (flow banded and pyroclastic) above a lower, less altered rhyolitic breccia.
Based on indications from prior reports in the 1960s of siliceous rocks being tested for cement feedstock, claims were staked in the area in 1999 followed by mapping and sampling and a 627 m, 24-hole diamond drilling program completed in the general area of a former pit. Split core samples were analyzed by standard whole rock XRF, at the Lehigh Cement plant in Delta, British Columbia.
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CLICK ON the Thumbnail Photos above to view pictures of our first barge shipment of chalky geyserite to Ash Grove Cement Company in Seattle, Washington. |
With the results deemed encouraging in describing a cement feedstock, bulk samples were extracted during the year 2000 from the area of the former pit. One of the samples was barged to the Lehigh Cement plant in Delta, B.C. for a trial kiln test, the results of which were satisfactory. The Lehigh Heidelberg Cement group, via their company, Monteith Bay Resources Ltd., sponsored this program.
Drilling and surface assays indicate that two sub areas contained several million tonnes of material grading an average of 83.26% SiO 2 , 12.90% Al 2 O 3 and 0.08% SO 3 . A third area may contain an additional several million tonnes of silica-rich geyserite; however, more detailed drilling is required to determine total tonnage and grades.
Further industry-sponsored field exploration was carried out in 2003, with another major cement producer Ash Grove Cement of Seattle, Washington ( News 2003: Jan 24, 2003 ), who financed a major drilling program that lead to Ashgrove Cement becoming a customer. The first barge of chalky geyserite was shipped to Ashgrove on October 10, 2003 ( News 2003: October 15, 2003) and shipments have continued regularly since that time. Electra signed a 5 year supply agreement with Ashgrove in September 2004 ( News 2004: September 20, 2004) l and supplies Ashgrove with approximately 122,000 tonnes of chalky geyserite annually.
Electra is in advanced negotiation with two other major cement producers in the North West to secure additional long term supply agreements.
CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
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