3
knowledge of the nearby outcroppings of micaceous sap-
rolite erroneously inferred that the mica-rich sand was
an actual fluvial deposit of sand. If the existence of sap-
rolite along strike had been known to the original inves-
tigator, he or she may have had different conclusions and
recommendations.
The plans to develop the property as a sand mine were
abandoned.
The lesson here is to understand the site in the context
of the greater regional geologic setting.
“THE OLE GRAVEL PIT”
In my golden years, I reflect back to years done
reveling memories of the Ole Gravel Pit, so beloved.
(From Idchev, 2020, Reflections of the Ole Gravel Pit)
A person had accepted a property located in Gulf Coastal
Plain sediments as collateral for a loan and, by default of
payment on the loan, obtained ownership of the property.
According to existing reports, the property was underlain
with metallurgical gravel. The owner of the property was
attempting to interest a person to partner with him to
develop the metallurgical gravel.
Potential Minerals Reported
Metallurgical gravel is high purity quartz gravel and is the
primary ingredient in the manufacture of silicon and ferro-
silicon metal. The highest-quality ferrosilicon is made in an
electric arc furnace by reducing silica with coke in the pres-
ence of iron (usually derived steel scrap or iron ore). The
most popular grade of ferrosilicon contains 75 weight per-
cent (wt%) silicon, but the amount can range from 15–90
wt% depending on the application. The preferred size for
metallurgical gravel is ¾ inch to 5 inches because impuri-
ties tend to be concentrated on the surface, and the larger
volume objects have a smaller surface area to volume ratio
than smaller objects.
The property lies in the Fall Line Hills ecoregion. The
site consists of two cultivated terraces on a hillside underlain
by gravel of unknown thickness and buried at an unknown
depth. A small stream runs through the valley bottom,
separating the farmland on the terraces on one side of the
valley from the opposing heavily-wooded hillside. Wooded
wetlands occupied most of the stream valley. An abandoned
gravel pit was located on the property extending between
the two terraces, and exposed gravel at both terraces. The
gravel in the pit was originally discovered in the bottom
of a deep ravine flowing through the sloping land between
the two terraces. Were it not for the ravine, gravel probably
would have gone unnoticed and The Ole Gravel Pit prob-
ably never would have existed. Local lore was that the ole
gravel pit provided material for a nearby interstate highway
Existing Technical Report
An existing report prepared for a previous owner detailed a
drilling program of at least 39 auger holes supplemented by
about 20 track hoe test pits. Drilling was conducted mostly
in the upper terrace and the wooded part of the property,
whereas, the test pits were exclusively in the cultivated fields
on the lower terrace.
Thirty-nine samples were combined and divided into
three larger samples for testing for use as metallurgical grav-
els. All three samples met quality requirements. In addition,
the report stated, “From a conservative perspective based
on the information at hand, the total reserve base of silica
sand and gravel is in excess of 50 million tons.” The report
supported the possibility for marketing the material by not-
ing the presence of a metallurgical gravel pit in a nearby
valley bottom. There was neither an explanation of how the
50-million-ton volume was calculated, nor a divvying up of
sand versus gravel. Figure 2a shows the impression that the
Figure 1. Side-by-side logs showing sand at site considering
geology (lefft log) and without geology (right log)
knowledge of the nearby outcroppings of micaceous sap-
rolite erroneously inferred that the mica-rich sand was
an actual fluvial deposit of sand. If the existence of sap-
rolite along strike had been known to the original inves-
tigator, he or she may have had different conclusions and
recommendations.
The plans to develop the property as a sand mine were
abandoned.
The lesson here is to understand the site in the context
of the greater regional geologic setting.
“THE OLE GRAVEL PIT”
In my golden years, I reflect back to years done
reveling memories of the Ole Gravel Pit, so beloved.
(From Idchev, 2020, Reflections of the Ole Gravel Pit)
A person had accepted a property located in Gulf Coastal
Plain sediments as collateral for a loan and, by default of
payment on the loan, obtained ownership of the property.
According to existing reports, the property was underlain
with metallurgical gravel. The owner of the property was
attempting to interest a person to partner with him to
develop the metallurgical gravel.
Potential Minerals Reported
Metallurgical gravel is high purity quartz gravel and is the
primary ingredient in the manufacture of silicon and ferro-
silicon metal. The highest-quality ferrosilicon is made in an
electric arc furnace by reducing silica with coke in the pres-
ence of iron (usually derived steel scrap or iron ore). The
most popular grade of ferrosilicon contains 75 weight per-
cent (wt%) silicon, but the amount can range from 15–90
wt% depending on the application. The preferred size for
metallurgical gravel is ¾ inch to 5 inches because impuri-
ties tend to be concentrated on the surface, and the larger
volume objects have a smaller surface area to volume ratio
than smaller objects.
The property lies in the Fall Line Hills ecoregion. The
site consists of two cultivated terraces on a hillside underlain
by gravel of unknown thickness and buried at an unknown
depth. A small stream runs through the valley bottom,
separating the farmland on the terraces on one side of the
valley from the opposing heavily-wooded hillside. Wooded
wetlands occupied most of the stream valley. An abandoned
gravel pit was located on the property extending between
the two terraces, and exposed gravel at both terraces. The
gravel in the pit was originally discovered in the bottom
of a deep ravine flowing through the sloping land between
the two terraces. Were it not for the ravine, gravel probably
would have gone unnoticed and The Ole Gravel Pit prob-
ably never would have existed. Local lore was that the ole
gravel pit provided material for a nearby interstate highway
Existing Technical Report
An existing report prepared for a previous owner detailed a
drilling program of at least 39 auger holes supplemented by
about 20 track hoe test pits. Drilling was conducted mostly
in the upper terrace and the wooded part of the property,
whereas, the test pits were exclusively in the cultivated fields
on the lower terrace.
Thirty-nine samples were combined and divided into
three larger samples for testing for use as metallurgical grav-
els. All three samples met quality requirements. In addition,
the report stated, “From a conservative perspective based
on the information at hand, the total reserve base of silica
sand and gravel is in excess of 50 million tons.” The report
supported the possibility for marketing the material by not-
ing the presence of a metallurgical gravel pit in a nearby
valley bottom. There was neither an explanation of how the
50-million-ton volume was calculated, nor a divvying up of
sand versus gravel. Figure 2a shows the impression that the
Figure 1. Side-by-side logs showing sand at site considering
geology (lefft log) and without geology (right log)