2. COMMERCIAL KAOLIN
• White (white firing) non-swelling clay
- Also called “China Clay”
• Dominantly kaolinite
World Production 30mtpa (US$3b)
Export markets 9mtpa
3. USES OF KAOLIN
v Papermaking Pigment/Filler/Coating
v Pigment in paint/inks High
v Plastics/Rubber Value
v Ceramics
o Mineral Filler Low Value Products
o Source of Al2O3
o Refractories
4. Commercial Economics
PREMIUM GRADE CRITERIA
A high priced Kaolin has :
v Superior Brightness
v Superior Whiteness
v Desired particle size
v High opacity (good hiding power)
v Chemical purity
v Low viscosity (for paper markets)
v Other properties - abrasivity, conductivity, etc
5. Pigment markets -
Brightness Competitors
Pigment Price per tonne (A$)
v TiO2 $3500 - $6000
v CaCO3 $350 - $500
v Kaolin $200 - $1200
Kaolin gives good performance for the price
6. Markets - Paper Demand
v Paper demand increases with GDP
v Asian paper production to overtake
USA by 2010*
Asia imports Kaolin from:
Georgia Brazil UK
* Source: Pulp and Paper Magazine
8. KAOLIN FORMATION
v Economic deposits mainly weathering
related
v Associated with laterite and bauxite
v Formed in wet/dry tropical climate
v Over 1500m rain pa
v Leaching process
10. MORE EFFECTIVE LEACHING
v More water flow
(fresh water & permeability)
v More time
v More bugs
v Acid groundwater (oxidising organics)
§Parent is only important if time is short or
leaching is slow.
11. REMOVAL OF IRON
v Ferrous leached more easily than ferric.
v Least iron just below lowest water table
v But leaching is slow below the water table
v Organic grey kaolins formed here.
12. DIAGENESIS OF KAOLIN
Feldspars & clays kaolinite
Kaolinite increases in grain size
The perfect kaolin recipe -
Formed below water table then raised
above it
13. SEDIMENTARY KAOLINS?
v Cannot separate kaolinite from other clays
by sedimentation.
v All commercial kaolins are formed in situ
(Pickering & Hurst 1997)
v Ball clays? (70% disordered kaolin).
14. SKARDON RIVER KAOLIN -
discovery….
Andrew White in 1985
• 19 holes
• 2 in lease
• Target of “Bulimba” kaolin found;
• Older weathering kaolin noted.
• Samples to CSIRO
15. SKARDON RIVER KAOLIN -
exploration history pre SRK
v 1986 - Drilled 93 holes - geology only
v 1987 - 1990 Bulk sampling & testwork
v 1993 - 188 RC holes - geology & ‘clay’
v 1994 - 10 DD holes
v 1994 - 97 - Testing selected drill samples
v 1997 - 207 RC holes - poor control
16. MISTAKES…..
o No initial raw values
o Did not relate metallurgy to geology
o Poor technical knowledge at board level
o Moving goal posts
o Rolls Royce plant
o Major cost over-runs
o No coordination of consultants/contractors
29. Resource Summary
In 000s t Measured Indicated Inferred
Claystone 640 920 5,200
Meas + Ind claystone 1560
Fluvial 728 4,270
Total 100 years at 75,000tpa.
30. Skardon Kaolin Properties
Claystone K3 Fluvial
Grit content
(+ 45 m)
3% 56% 55%
-45 m psd 70% -1m 75% -1m 80% -1m
Brightness,
-5 m (ISO %)
65 60 70
Hydrous prod’t
(ISO%)
70 70 +80 +85
Calcined bright
-ness (ISO %)
90 – 91.5 83 91
31. • Hydrous Kaolins
Plant capacity 75,000 tpa
• Wide range of industrial
applications
• Represents the bulk of
world supply
• Target of paint &
rubber markets
Skardon Product Range
• Calcined Kaolins
Plant capacity 75,000 tpa
• Higher performance
• Better brightness,
opacity
• Competes with TiO2
• Premium price
• Limited number of
producers
• Paint, rubber, paper
34. MAJOR WORLD DEPOSITS
Georgia, USA
Amazon, Brazil
Cornwall, UK ……….the odd one out
Hercynian granite 280mA
Debate weathering vs hydrothermal
Coarse grained well crystallised kaolin
Very limited available resources
Product yield 15-20%
35. Georgia - Geology
Cretaceous and Tertiary bedded kaolins
Exposed just south of Fall Line
Cap bentonite
Cretaceous 60% -2micron
Tertiary 85% -2micron
36.
37. Georgia - Economics
ADVANTAGES
v Two types of kaolin
v Expertise
v Reputation
v Transport for E USA &
Europe
DISADVANTAGES
v Older updated plants
v Mine locations
v High stripping ratios
v Transport to Asia
38. Amazon Geology
Under bauxite exposed on slopes.
Rio Jari – Pliocene, very fine grained 75%
-2 micron. 36m thick deposit.
Rio Capim – also Tertiary. Coarser than
Jari. Thinner and some grit.
40. Summary of the Skardon
River Kaolin Project
Long mine life
Growing international demand
Premium products
Exceedingly low CAPEX entry price
Best logistics for Asia
Marketing and distribution agreements
Technical Management Expertise