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Industrial Minerals Projects
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Industrial minerals are usually defined as "any rock, mineral
or other naturally occurring substance of economic value
exclusive of metallic ores and mineral fuels". They include
such well known materials as granite and marble used as
dimension and ornamental stone, limestone, slate, silica,
asbestos and a host of other non-metallic minerals that are
used principally for industrial purposes. Industrial minerals
operations are considerably more market-dependent than metals
and for this reason, promotion of the province's industrial
minerals resources involves more detailed assessment of the
resources than is necessary in the metals programs. In metals
exploration, identification of a prospective geological
environment is often sufficient to spark exploration activity;
for industrial minerals, however, it is more often necessary to
define a resource of economic dimensions and define potential
markets in order to spark private sector investment.
Industrial Minerals Programs are delivered by the section's
Industrial Mineral specialist. These programs have a two-fold
thrust:
1. Resource identification and evaluation:
Project geologists look for potential industrial mineral resources through literature research and field examinations.
This search may be sparked by an approach from a potential investor looking for a specific commodity, or through
recognition on the part of the geologist of a potential resource that needs to be evaluated. These programs include
evaluation of the size and characteristics of the deposit, initiating and supervising such physical and chemical tests
of the material as may be necessary to determine its marketability, and attempting to promote this resource as an investment
opportunity to the private sector.
2. Provision of expertise to existing operators:
The section's geologists are available to existing industrial minerals producers, many of whom do not have substantial geological expertise, to help with problems related to the
geological characteristics of their deposit.
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