Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Hydraulic mining
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2047 |
U.S. Silica's Ottawa plant is North America's largest silica production facility, mining fine grain, nearly pure quartz sandstone. |
Source:
p. 52
Contractors
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Summary:
The Ottawa Operation’s target silica bearing formation is the St. Peter Sandstone, which is a massive formation in areal extent and thickness. Aerially, it extends from Minnesota to Arkansas and from Illinois into Nebraska and South Dakota. On a regional basis, the St. Peter Sandstone ranges in thickness from a few feet to over 1,200 ft, with a general thickness of 100 ft to 200 ft. In northern Illinois, the thickness can be over 300 ft thick.
The St. Peter Sandstone is the only strata of economic interest at the Ottawa Operation, and is very uniform in depositional nature and continuity throughout much of the surrounding region. BOYD considers the subject silica sand deposit to be of low geologic complexity. Furthermore, the geology of the St. Peter Sandstone is well understood after a lengthy history of commercial operations at Ottawa.
Within the defined resource boundaries, the St. Peter Sandstone exhibits: (1) low depth of cover, (2) lateral continuity, (3) a minimum thickness of 70 ft, (4) gentle dipping, and (5) minimal faulting.
The two members of the St. Peter Sandstone—the coarser-grained upper Starved Rock and finer-grained lower Tonti members— are easily identifiable and separable during mining and can be blended as required to meet product specifications. Deleterious materials such as iron (which manifests as orange staining) are easily removed during mining and processing. The sandstone unit is covered by a thin layer of overburden that is generally less th ........
Mining Methods
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Hydraulic mining
Summary:
Surface silica sand mining has been conducted at the Ottawa Operation for over 100 years. Recent and current mining operations are located in the South Ottawa Pit, on the south bank of the Illinois River.
In and around the Ottawa Operation, the St. Peter Sandstone generally exhibits a shallow depth, flat altitude, and consistent thickness. These characteristics favor conventional surface mining techniques. Since the target sandstone formation does not extend below the water table, the quarry is ‘dry-mined’ using truck and shovel mining methods. Mining occurs in a stair-like fashion to recover sand from the top of the formation (in elevation) down to the lowest practical elevation (generally 5 ft from the bottom of the St. Peter Sandstone).
Current mining at the Ottawa Operation takes place on the South Ottawa pit, where the St. Peter Sandstone is excavated using conventional surface mining methods. The first step in the mining process is the removal of the alluvial cover material, or “overburden,” from the sandstone layer. This is completed by a third-party contractor who uses a tracked excavator and articulated haul trucks. Next, blast holes are drilled into the sandstone and charged with a blasting agent. A front-end loader loads the sand into articulated haul trucks that carry the sand to a stockpile located on the pit floor. A bulldozer pushes sand from the stockpile to a high-pressure water cannon, or “monitor,” that uses recycled water from the p ........
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Recoverable Metal |
Proven
|
k tons
|
Silica
|
86,421 k tons
|
Probable
|
k tons
|
Silica
|
1,486 k tons
|
Proven & Probable
|
k tons
|
Silica
|
87,907 k tons
|
Inferred
|
88 k tons
|
Silica
|
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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