8
It was determined that the lower, sandy part of the
Montgomery/Lissie Formation cannot be mined economi-
cally due to the thick clayey overburden, and that the upper
part of the formation (overburden) contained insufficient
quantities of sand to make mining economic. This was sup-
ported by the regional study that showed the Deweyville
was host to all sand operations in the area.
The price was renegotiated.
The lesson here is to consider the geology of the site in
context with the regional geology.
SUMMARY
This paper describes three studies of specialty sand or gravel
deposits studies that essentially contained no meaningful
discussion of geology. Instead, the studies relied completely
on robust drilling and sampling programs as their primary
source of data. As a result, the three studies fell short of
their objectives of preparing reliable resource estimates.
The first study described an abundant, widespread
deposit of concrete sand that the owner was considering
developing. Because there was no geologic information in
the study, a new regional geologic study was conducted to
provide background data that the existing report neglected.
The new geologic study identified saprolitized granitic bed-
rock in the nearby Piedmont that was on strike with the
purported sand deposit. It was hypothesized that saprolite,
not sand, underlaid most of the property. A drilling pro-
gram on the property in question confirmed that was the
case. It was determined that there was insufficient concrete
sand on the property to economically be mined, processed,
and marketed.
The second study described an abundant, widespread
deposit of metallurgical gravel that the landowner, along
with a potential partner, were proposing to mine. There was
no geologic information in the existing report and the client
did not want a regional geological study. New drilling and
track hoe excavations quickly proved that the gravel was
covered with too much overburden to profitably mine, and
that the gravel clasts were too weak to meet specifications
for metallurgical purposes. A visit to an abandoned gravel
pit accompanied by a short verbal tutorial on the regional
geology, conjured up while sitting on the drill rigs, con-
vinced the potential partner to abandon the project. The
landowner tried to mine the gravel but was not successful.
The third study described an abundant, widespread
deposit of proppant (frac sand) underlying a property that
was being offered for sale at a price that included an assumed
value of a large deposit of proppant. The report contained
no helpful geological information and ignored the complex
geologic processes that formed the various types of geologic
deposits. A step-wise approach to study the geology, first of
the region, and then of the property, confirmed the pres-
ence of two radically different geologic formations on the
property, with potential proppant limited to only one of the
formations. The amount of proppant that could be mined,
processed, and sold at a profit was drastically reduced. The
negotiated price was reduced accordingly.
Geology can play a critical role in the evaluation of
mineral resources. Failure to consider geology can lead to
an over-optimistic estimate of resources.
What hides in a stone?
***pebble says,
I am hiding all the world’s memory.
(from Alyson Hallett, Conversation with a Pebble, in
Suddenly Everything)
Geology can reveal all the pebble’s memories.
It was determined that the lower, sandy part of the
Montgomery/Lissie Formation cannot be mined economi-
cally due to the thick clayey overburden, and that the upper
part of the formation (overburden) contained insufficient
quantities of sand to make mining economic. This was sup-
ported by the regional study that showed the Deweyville
was host to all sand operations in the area.
The price was renegotiated.
The lesson here is to consider the geology of the site in
context with the regional geology.
SUMMARY
This paper describes three studies of specialty sand or gravel
deposits studies that essentially contained no meaningful
discussion of geology. Instead, the studies relied completely
on robust drilling and sampling programs as their primary
source of data. As a result, the three studies fell short of
their objectives of preparing reliable resource estimates.
The first study described an abundant, widespread
deposit of concrete sand that the owner was considering
developing. Because there was no geologic information in
the study, a new regional geologic study was conducted to
provide background data that the existing report neglected.
The new geologic study identified saprolitized granitic bed-
rock in the nearby Piedmont that was on strike with the
purported sand deposit. It was hypothesized that saprolite,
not sand, underlaid most of the property. A drilling pro-
gram on the property in question confirmed that was the
case. It was determined that there was insufficient concrete
sand on the property to economically be mined, processed,
and marketed.
The second study described an abundant, widespread
deposit of metallurgical gravel that the landowner, along
with a potential partner, were proposing to mine. There was
no geologic information in the existing report and the client
did not want a regional geological study. New drilling and
track hoe excavations quickly proved that the gravel was
covered with too much overburden to profitably mine, and
that the gravel clasts were too weak to meet specifications
for metallurgical purposes. A visit to an abandoned gravel
pit accompanied by a short verbal tutorial on the regional
geology, conjured up while sitting on the drill rigs, con-
vinced the potential partner to abandon the project. The
landowner tried to mine the gravel but was not successful.
The third study described an abundant, widespread
deposit of proppant (frac sand) underlying a property that
was being offered for sale at a price that included an assumed
value of a large deposit of proppant. The report contained
no helpful geological information and ignored the complex
geologic processes that formed the various types of geologic
deposits. A step-wise approach to study the geology, first of
the region, and then of the property, confirmed the pres-
ence of two radically different geologic formations on the
property, with potential proppant limited to only one of the
formations. The amount of proppant that could be mined,
processed, and sold at a profit was drastically reduced. The
negotiated price was reduced accordingly.
Geology can play a critical role in the evaluation of
mineral resources. Failure to consider geology can lead to
an over-optimistic estimate of resources.
What hides in a stone?
***pebble says,
I am hiding all the world’s memory.
(from Alyson Hallett, Conversation with a Pebble, in
Suddenly Everything)
Geology can reveal all the pebble’s memories.