Industrial Mineral Resources in Alberta Formation Waters

Stratigraphic intervals in four regions of Alberta were previously identified as having formation waters with potentially economic concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), iodide (I), Lithium (Li) and bromide (Br). The present study estimates the element resources in each of the four areas and stratigraphic intervals. For each area, maps were produced of the distributions of thickness, porosity and element concentration. Resource distribution maps were then generated in units of thousands of tonnes per square kilometre for each element of potential economic interest.

Formation waters in Lower Elk Point strata of northeastern Alberta contain high concentrations of Ca, Mg, K and Br, with Ca and Mg concentrations exceeding the detailed exploration threshold. Above the Lotsberg salt deposit, where data control is good, resources of Ca and Mg are of the order of 200 - 600 Tx10³/km² and 20 - 60 Tx10³/km², respectively. Formation waters in Beaverhill Lake strata of southern Alberta also have high concentrations of Ca, Mg, K and Br, with Ca, Mg and K concentrations exceeding their detailed exploration thresholds. In this region, Ca resources range from 250 - 1250 Tx10³/km², Mg resources range from 50 - 200 Tx10³/km², and K resources from 5 - 250 Tx10³/km². Formation waters in Woodbend and Beaverhill Lake strata of west-central Alberta have a high Li content with resources of about 1 - 2 Tx10³/km² where data control is good. Formation waters in Viking strata across central and southern Alberta have regions of high I concentrations with resource estimates locally as high as 0.6 Tx10³/km², but generally of the order of 0.2 Tx10³/km². In lower Belly River strata resources are in the range 10 - 50 Tx10³/km². The producibility of the resources characterized for these four regions of Alberta will be examined in the third phase of the study.