Natural Zeolite Engineering: A Viable Investment?

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1 Natural Zeolite Engineering: A Viable Investment? Dan Eyde CTO & President Industrial Minerals International Congress and Exhibition 2016 Marriot Prague Prague, Czech Republic June 2016 St. Cloud Mining Company June 2016

2 In 1986 I presented a paper at the 7 th Industrial Minerals Congress in Monaco titled Natural Zeolites What s the Score. Now 30 years later at IM 23 in Prague, we can discover how right, or wrong, I was in my assessments and predictions. St Cloud Mining Company 2

3 1. The natural zeolite industry has fallen short in a number of critical areas. There is not a uniform set of standards available to determine product quality, consistency and grade. 2. Product consistency is an issue. Zeolite deposits are not adequately sampled and tested. Most producers lack the mining and processing expertise to produce a good consistent product. St Cloud Mining Company 3

4 3. Marketing zeolite products requires a strong distributor network which producers lack. Keeping customers within a sales network is often far simpler than recruiting new customers. 4. Marketing of natural zeolites requires significantly greater effort than a commodity product and must be unique, superior, or complementary to existing products so that a market can be defined and aggressively pursued. These criteria have not been met to date. St Cloud Mining Company 4

5 1. Will research into the natural zeolite applications lead to profits? 2. What are their benefits compared to synthetic zeolites? 3. Which markets are already opening to the engineering of these minerals? St Cloud Mining Company 5

6 o Investments in acquisitions and internal product development. o Build on core competencies by applying proprietary processing and new technology. o Identify and develop value-added advanced materials to address emerging demands in global, growth markets. o Integrate unique zeolite mineral deposits with proprietary technologies to manufacture and market high-margin, performance materials. St Cloud Mining Company 6

7 o Light-weight, high-strength cement and concrete for building materials. o High performance, economical purification processes for potable water and for industrial intake and waste water treatment o Improved down-hole, oil and gas well, cements and drilling fluids o Advanced dispersion technology for new materials and performance polymers St Cloud Mining Company 7

United States Source: USGS Estimates 71% Others 1Including

8 Global Zeolite Production Estimated 2015 Tonnage Sold 2.8 kt (3,000,000 st) 1% 2% 2% 8% 16% China Korea Turkey Cuba United States Source: USGS Estimates 71% Others 1Including pozzolanic cement applications 2Excluding pozzolanic cement applications

Zeocem, a.s. has 60 years experience in working with natural zeolites. They are shifting from production of building materials, to become one of the leading producers of zeolitic products in Europe.

9 Zeocem, a.s. has 60 years experience in working with natural zeolites. They are shifting from production of building materials, to become one of the leading producers of zeolitic products in Europe. Zeocem, a.s. has its own high-quality natural zeolite deposits in the designated mining areas of Nižný Hrabovec and Pusté Čemerné. Zeocem, a.s. also has its own processing and manufacturing capacity in the mine Nižný Hrabovec and in plant Bystré. St Cloud Mining Company 9

10 Rota Mining produces a wide range of natural zeolite products at the mining and processing plant in Manisa / Turkey. Rota Mining exports its products to more than 45 countries all over the world. The development of partnerships with customers is essential within the valueadded markets of natural zeolite mineral. Rota Mining markets its produce directly to its customers; on both wholesales and retail basis. St Cloud Mining Company 10

11 Domestic Zeolite Production Estimated 2015 Tonnage Sold 75.1 kt(82,800t) 15,200 tons 18% 12,000 tons 15% 8600 tons 10% 47,000 tons 57% St Cloud Mining Zeotech Corporation Bear River Zeolite Others Source: Estimates and Company Reports

12 Zeolite-based Lightweight Cements for the Oil and Gas Industry Zeolite-based Lightweight, High-strength Cement and Concrete for Building Materials Specialty Sorbents, Cation Exchangers and Catalysts Municipal and Potable Water Treatment Industrial, Mine, Sewage and Oil Field Effluent Treatment St Cloud Mining Company 12

13 Packaging for Fruits and Vegetables Antimicrobial Agents Industrial Wastewater Treatment Air Purification Passive Minewater Treatment AMD, Heavy metals, trace organics St Cloud Mining Company 13

14 20 nm 20 nm Images of metal nanodots on the natural zeolite left: raw right: upgraded

15 Animal Feeds Since the early 1990 s, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO s) have been using St. Cloud zeolite to improve animal health, lower mortality rates, performance, as well as nitrogen and ammonia emissions management. The addition of St. Cloud zeolite to animal waste increases the value of manure as fertilizer by significantly increasing TKN:P ratios, allowing increased application rates and reducing ammonia purchasing requirements. St. Cloud Mining Company 15

low-cost water treatment alternatives to chemical treatment and activated carbon NSF 61

16 Water Treatment Products Clinoptilolite and chabazite based products for ion exchange applications SCM proprietary functionalized mineral based zeolites are fast, reliable, low-cost water treatment alternatives to chemical treatment and activated carbon NSF 61 Certified for Potable Water Treatment Systems NSF 50 products for swimming pools St. Cloud Mining Company 16

18 Radioactive Waste Treatment Effluents bearing radioactive isotopes are treated with columns packed with Chabazite which selectively removes cesium (Cs134, CS137) and strontium (Sr90) isotopes through the process of ion-exchange. Treated liquids effluents are decontaminated to acceptable discharge limits. The radioactive isotopes are held as cations within the zeolite cage structure. The permanent disposal of the waste is facilitated by the inorganic and stable structure of the zeolite that can be encapsulated in cement or glass. Active strategic partner in this market area. SCM is the main supplier of filter media products to the damaged Fukushima plant in Japan. St. Cloud Mining Company 18

19 16M gallons of water presently in 4 turbine buildings + 130K gallons/day of river water to cool reactors - Evaporative losses 66M gallons of water to be processed over next year Lagoon has 32M gallons of water Confidential 19

20 Dominant US zeolite producer with a platform for growth SCM is a major participant in the commercialization of the Bowie, AZ chabazite reserve for new specialty sorbents and catalysts Provides the broadest product offerings for: Variety of Clinoptilolite qualities/properties Chabazite Mordenite Saponite Increased geographic reach Capitalize on intellectual properties & acquired research base Provides quality operating management of acquired mineral properties St. Cloud Mining Company 21

21 St. Cloud Mining Company Long Term Goals Increase Profitability Organic Growth Zeolite Sales Filtration Requirements Reclamation Requirements for Remediation and Legacy sites Hg and Zeofume (Cementation) Sales Processing & Transportation Synergies External Growth Acquisitions Diversification Joint Ventures St. Cloud Mining Company 22

22 Bowie Chabazite Ash Meadows Clinoptilolite St. Cloud Mining Company St. Cloud Mining Company 23 23

23 Ash Meadows, Nevada closed March 31 and Winston expansion opened Winston, New Mexico St. Cloud Mining Company 24

24 Ash Meadows Clinoptilolite Winston Clinoptilolite St. Cloud Mining Company 26

25 Bowie Chabazite Burro Creek Saponite St. Cloud Mining Company 27

26 Rome Mordenite Deposit ~2 million tons drilled out reserves White Lightweight ~26lbs/cuft Adsorbent ~110% water adsorption GSA test Test stockpile available onsite St Cloud Mining Company 28

27 Steven M. Kuznicki, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering University of Alberta Mark Denton Denton Mt. Group Southwest Hazard Control ECM Consultants St Cloud Mining Company 29

Gerry Spindler CEO (203) 761-1291 gspindler@stcloudmining.

28 Gerry Spindler CEO (203) Dan Eyde CTO & President (520) Joe McEnaney Sr. VP (203) St Cloud Mining Company 30

Mineral Supply and Consumption Searching for a Twenty-First Century Balance

Mineral Supply and Consumption Searching for a Twenty-First Century Balance presentation for the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable The National Academies W. David Menzie U.S. Geological