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Athabasca Minerals Inc Profile

Welcome To Athabasca Minerals

Athabasca Minerals Inc. is an integrated group of aggregates companies involved in resource development, aggregates marketing and midstream supply-logistics solutions. Business activities include aggregate production, pit management services, sales from corporate-owned and third-party pits, acquisitions of sand and gravel operations, and new venture development.

Athabasca Minerals is the parent company of AMI RockChain Inc. – a midstream technology-based business providing integrated supply and transportation solutions for industrial and construction markets.

Athabasca Minerals is also the parent company of AMI Silica Inc. – a subsidiary positioning to become a leading supplier of premium domestic in-basin frac sand with regional deposits in Alberta and NE British Columbia. It is the joint venture owner of the Montney In-Basin and Duvernay Basin Frac Sand Projects.

Additionally, the Corporation has industrial mineral leases, such as those supporting the Richardson Quarry Project, that are strategically positioned for future development in industrial regions of high potential aggregates demand.

Assets & Operations

Athabasca Minerals Inc. is an integrated group of aggregates companies involved in resource development, aggregates marketing and midstream supply-logistics solutions. Business activities include aggregate production, pit management services, sales from corporate-owned and third-party pits, acquisitions of sand and gravel operations, and new venture development.


The Corporation has employees and consultants with experience in the aggregates industry in identifying, exploring and developing aggregate resources. Our team members have been involved with numerous acquisitions of aggregate resources and operations in Alberta.

Corporate Pits

Athabasca owns and operates a number of aggregate operations located in Western Canada.

Kearl

The Kearl pit is located 105 kilometers north-east of Fort McMurray. During March 2011 Athabasca received SML approval from the Government of Alberta to develop an open pit aggregate operation for a term of ten years. The Corporation completed construction of an all-weather road linking the Kearl aggregate operation to several major oil sands operations so the Corporation can sell product year-round.

The quality of the aggregate is suitable for road and infrastructure construction and ongoing maintenance. This pit is situated in close proximity to existing oil sands development and continues to be a major source of aggregate supply in the region.

Logan

The Logan pit is located approximately 160 km south of Fort McMurray. The Logan pit is accessible with a seasonal winter road. The quality of aggregate at the Logan Property has been determined to be suitable for road construction and maintenance.

House River

The House River pit is located approximately 11 km east of Highway 63 on the House River. During August 2011, the Corporation received SML approval from the Alberta Government to develop an open pit aggregate operation on the leased land for a term of ten years. The House River pit is currently accessible only by a winter season road.

Pelican

The Pelican Hill pit is located approximately 70 km southeast of the Hamlet of Wabasca. The Corporation received SML approval (10-year term) in June 2011 on this 79.7 acre (32 ha) mixed sand and gravel pit. The Corporation expects to supply aggregate from this property primarily to the oil and gas industry, as well as to the government or its partners for use in infrastructure projects in the area. The Corporation has cleared trees and topsoil at this site in anticipation of potential demand with the recovery in the oil & gas industry.

Emerson

The Emerson pit is located approximately 27 km southeast of the community of Hinton. The Corporation has the right to produce aggregate from the 75 acres (30 ha) mixed sand and gravel pit. The Corporation expects to supply aggregate from this property primarily to the oil and gas industry and its partners for use in infrastructure projects in the area.

Staging & Distribution Hubs

Athabasca has multiple staging and distrbution areas for the stockpiling and sale of aggregate products. 

Our current stockpile and distribution hubs are located at Conklin, AB; Sunday Creek, AB; House River, AB; and Poplar Creek, AB.

Please select a specific staging area for more information on products available and stockpiling solutions.

Conklin

The Corporation has a strategic inventory staging location on accessible year-round roads at Conklinto support product supply and deliveries to local clients and industry on demand through the year. 
 
In 2018, the Corporation will continue to develop its existing strategic hubs for the staging and distribution of aggregate inventories, as well as selectively grow its portfolio. The functionality of Conklin and Poplar Creek hubs will be expanded, and KM248 pit is also planned for conversion to a staging hub. New staging hubs will be identified and pursued for the Corporation’s House River Pit and Firebag Silica Sand deposit to improve year-round accessibility to raw materials currently limited due to winter-road access constraints to these resource locations.

Sunday Creek

The Corporation has strategic inventory staging locations on accessible year-round roads at Sunday Creek to support product supply and deliveries to local clients and industry on demand through the year. 

House River

 The Corporation is pursuing a strategic staging area in 2018 to support stock piling pit run inventories to be mined in Q4 2018.

Poplar Creek

In 2018, the Corporation will continue to develop its existing strategic hubs for the staging and distribution of aggregate inventories, as well as selectively grow its portfolio. The functionality of the Poplar Creek hub will be expanded, for potential aggregates and silica sand.

Silica
Sand

OUR VISION – To create the in-basin premium-sand model in Alberta by developing silica deposits located in the province, thereby creating jobs that stimulate the local economy

OUR GOALS

1. Become a supplier and a midstream service provider of Silica-Sand, with multiple in-basin sand sources 

2. Strategically locate all facilities, starting with our Mayerthorpe hub (with rail access) in the heart of the Duvernay formation

3. Vertically Integrate our operation to provide a mine to well-site solution to our customers, while reducing risks to well-site operations and costs

4. Run operations with a Zero-Waste objective, with majority of sales in the Frac-Sand market and some in the Industrial Sands markets

For further information please contact:

Troy Sidloski

AMI Silica

Director, Business Development & Applications

Dir (403) 519-3753

Email: [email protected]

 

Richardson Granite / Dolomite

Project Details

Location

Approximately 130 km north of Fort McMurray within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Northeastern Alberta    

Access

Via Highway 63 and existing winter road

Size

3,904 Hectares under Alberta Metallic and Industrial Minerals Leases

Exploration

This potential mega quarry contains high quality dolomite and granite.  During fiscal 2012, the Corporation identified a granite outcrop at the Richardson Project.  During Q1 2013, initial drilling in this area was performed that confirmed granite and dolomite extends beyond the granite outcrop.  In March 2014, the Corporation announced the completion of a second drilling program at the Richardson Project.  All holes successfully cored the dolomite and all but one intersected the Precambrian basement granite.  
 

Lease Description

The Richardson Project comprises three Metallic and Industrial Mineral (“MIM”) Leases totaling 3,904 hectares. The lease area was evaluated in a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report prepared by Apex Geoscience of Edmonton, Alberta. The report estimates approximately 683 million tonnes of inferred crush rock aggregate resource is situated in the Winnipegosis Formation with a thickness ranging from 8.3 m to 47.9 m averaging 39.5 m.  The resource lies beneath an estimated 221 cubic metres of unconsolidated glaciofluvial sand and boulders (“overburden”) with an average thickness of 35.7 m.
A secondary objective of the 43 101 was an aggregate assessment of the basement granite and describes a potential granite deposit of approximately 165 million tonnes in the resource area.  This estimate is conservative as it assumes a maximum depth of 10 m corresponding to when most of the drill holes were terminated; however, one of the drill holes confirmed uniform granite to a depth of 48.35 m.  The granite could easily be extended so that it could account for 319 million tonnes if, for example, the modelling depth was extended to 20 m instead of 10 m.  Coarse grains of quartz and alkali feldspar dominate the granite which ranges from light blue grey to salmon pink.

High Quality Aggregates

The Winnipegosis Formation and Precambrian basement granite were analyzed using relevant aggregate analytical techniques, and the results were compared to Alberta Transportation (“AT”) and Canadian Standards Association aggregate specifications and standards.  The results show that both the Winnipegosis dolomite and Precambrian granite meet major aggregate test methods including plasticity index, Los Angeles abrasion, magnesium sulphate soundness, and unconfined freeze-thaw.  Based on the results of this test work and evidence of the homogeneity and uniformity of the rock units, the 43-101 concludes that the dolomite and granite represent material suitable for several AT aggregates designations including Designation 1 (asphalt concrete pavement) and Designation 2 (base coarse aggregate). 

Growth Opportunity

Proximity to market and market demand are important factors. The Richardson Project is directly adjacent to the Athabasca oil sands region of northeastern Alberta.  The oil sands operations represent an area of enormous growth opportunity and require substantial sources of local aggregate.  At the same time, sand and gravel aggregates in the oil sands region are scarce and inadequate to meet industry demand.  As a result, local sources such as crushed aggregate are required to minimize impediments such as transportation costs.  
Existing road access from Fort McMurray to the Richardson Project is as follows:
•    65 km on paved Hwy. 63
•    25 km on high grade all-season gravel road
•    40 km on seasonal winter road

Regulatory Review

The MIM leases provide the Corporation with subsurface rights related to commercial development of industrial minerals, but prior to commencing operations, the leases are subject to a regulatory review including an environmental impact assessment and public consultations. Other municipal development permits and provincial authorizations (e.g. under the Public Land Act & Water Act) will also be required.

AMI ROCKCHAIN INC

For more information on AMI RockChain visit  www.amirockchain.com.

AMI RockChain Inc. is an aggregates supply chain extension with a digital solution platform. We source, buy, ensure quality and transport aggregates across Western Canada for projects that require all types of aggregates. Our RockChain™ digital platform includes a growing network of hundreds of suppliers, transportation, quality assurance laboratories and equipment companies to determine the optimal supply-transport combination which increases sales to aggregates producers and trucking companies, with price and service benefits to customers.

AMI RockChain Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Athabasca Minerals Inc. with staff in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.

Last changed at 03-Mar-2020 10:34PM by