(Investment Opportunities) Mian K. Habib Industrial Minerals Canada Consulting Inc. Hamilton, ON L9A 2M2 Canada Mian@indmin.ca Industrial Minerals Congress 24, 57 June 2018 Barcelona, Spain
Proterozoic Arabian Shield (Quartz & Pegmatite) Phanerozoic cover rocks (Siliceous Sandstones) Empty Quarter Basalt fields
Commercially Viable Currently Exploited Silica Resources Siliceous Sandstones in Phanerozoic Cover Rocks Orthoquartzite (well cemented siliceous sandstone) Great Potential Silica Resources (not yet exploited) Homogenous Pegmatite (exploited for feldspar) Quartz Veins, Zoned Pegmatite, Quartz Float Diatomite Sand Dunes (For Frac Sand)
Al Butayn 100 million ton (Restricted Area) Silica Resources Near Riyadh Jibal Ad Doghm 100 million ton (Closed) Jabal Burmah 70 million ton
S & SE of Riyadh Newly discovered areas Bani Tamim & Al Kharj Great potential, high quality silica sand 5000 km 2 area
South Taymah High quality silica sand near Tabuk (S. Taymah) 1997 exploration: Surface samples, trenches, road cuts, 400 million ton
Taken from Saudi Geological Survey 2000 exploration 40 core holes 600 million ton measured resource of silica sand 2001 exploration 40 core holes 600 million ton measured resource of silica sand
2000 2001 2017
Al Jawf High quality silica sand in north, near Domatul Jandal ( Al Jawf) 27 Core holes (525 m) Down to 20m High quality white somewhat rounded silica sand: 60 million tons
AL JAWF AN NAFUD DESERT HAIL CITY
SiO 2 Al 2 O 3 Fe 2 O 3 TiO 2 CaO MgO Na 2 O K 2 O Cr 2 O 3 99.15 0.27 0.037 0.026 0.148 0.029 0.012 0.008 0.0007 Average chemical composition of Ad Doghm silica sand (washed) Sample S. # SiO2 Al 2 O 3 Fe 2 O 3 TiO 2 LOI Raw Process A 92.4 98.10 4.72 0.81 0.09 <0.05 0.37 0.22 2.18 0.47 Raw Process B 94.70 99.66 2.15 0.36 <0.05 <0.05 0.10 <0.05 1.99 0.91 Raw C Process 92.10 5.38 0.07 0.23 2.58 97.55 1.32 <0.05 <0.05 0.49 chemical composition of A.D silica sand before and after washing
TAYMAH AREA More than 15 quarries mostly dry screening Al Marbaie silica quarry wet processing (AKW Germany) Processing Fe2O3% in the final product (0.10.5mm) Customers Al Raddadi silica quarry wet processing (AKW Germany) Processing Micronization (various grades down to 20 micron) Customers
AD DOGHM AREA (RIYADH) Adwan Chemicals wet processing (AKW, Germany) Processing Micronization Silica chemicals (sodium silicate and potassium silicate) Eldarees silica quarry Dry & wet processing, micronizing. Export to GCC, MENA Delmon Silica sand and other oil well minerals
Clear float glass, Colored container glass Fiberglass Ceramics and Porcelain, Glaze Silica Flour (plastic, paint & coatings, Rubber) Filtration Sand Construction Chicken Feed Saudi Arabia, RAK (UAE), MENA
Saudi vision to produce 200 gigawatt solar energy by 2030 Low iron silica sand for solar glass (both PV solar and CSP) Specialty silicas (precipitated silica, silica gel) High quality silica flour (ultra fine, high quality) Silica sand and cristobalite for Engineered stone Extraction of kaolin from silica sand (up to 35% kaolin) Production of silicon carbide Resin coated sand Frac Sand Play sand, Beach sand, Golf sand
Technology transfer (Processing Manufacturing) Market Research (reliable & Useful data) Joint Venture Business in Product Manufacturing Access to European Markets with Specialty Material World Class Research & Analytical Services Recycling Technology On Site Training (workers, plant and production managers)
Quartz is found as quartz veins, zoned pegmatite, homogenous pegmatite and metaquartzite within ARABIAN SHIELD Orthoquartzite (well cemented sandstone) is found within Phanerozoic COVER ROCKS
Quartz Feldspar
Quartz Floats (potential source of commercial quartz)
Google Earth, A Useful Tool in Quartz Exploration
Bulk Sampling, Core Drilling, Mapping Processing (physical, chemical, thermal) for HPQ Testing for Silicon metal manufacture Fluid inclusion, petrography, SEM, Chemical analysis on each process step Suitability for highmedium quality filler (EMC) Engineered quartzstone) Optical Glass
After chlorination After thermal treatment After leaching After F.F After mag. Sep. After scrubbing After classification After crushing 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 After After After mag. After thermal After After crushing After F.F After leaching classification scrubbing Sep. treatment chlorination Al 274 227 160 134 96 81 79 75 Fe 69 52 33 11 3 0.2 0.3 0.3 Na 36 26 23 23 22 10 8 0.5 K 105 83 42 25 11 2.3 2.1 0.2 Li 8.4 7.7 7.1 7 7 6.8 6.6 1.4 Ti 3.9 3.7 3.1 2.8 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3
HPQ manufacturing from Saudi quartz (problem?) Silicon Metal manufacturing (main concern?) Saudi Quartz for other uses EMC filler, Optical Glass Engineered quartzstone (what is needed?)
Trichlorosilane SOLAR (POLY) SILICON EMC Fillers Engineered Quartz stone Solar silicon (Direct reduction) UPGRADING Dimethyldichloro silane SILICONES SILICON METAL Filler in silicones SILICON METAL Silicon tetrachloride FUMED SILICA Aluminum alloys QUARTZ UPGRADING HPQ Quartz Glass Product 25
2009 2016 Illegal mining activities are causing the disappearance of quartz resources
Abundant silica sand resources (>13 b.ton measured resource) Abundant quartz resources, 40% explored, more yet to be found. Diatomite need more attention Quartzite: 80% resources not yet explored. Silica sand product manufacturing sector need technology, JV business with large players, reliable and useful market study; access to European markets, more efforts to get MENA and S. Asian markets. Saudi Aramco should open its door to Saudi investors in Frac Sand. Global producers should cooperate with local silica producers
1) Illegal mining activities 2) Delay in silica licensing (silica sand & quartz) 3) Free hand to investors (no dictations, no binding) 4) Lack of experience, knowledge, training THANK YOU