Clear Hills Iron Deposits Information Needs

The report 'Peace River Iron Deposits' (Betram and Mellon, January 1973) effectively summarizes the present state of knowledge on the Clear hills deposits. Known are the following:

1. grade: 32 to 35 percent Fe

2. Thickness: 5 to 30 feet

3. chemistry.

Partially known are:

4. beneficiation or smelting methods;

5. mineralogy: basically oolitic sandstone, with iron-bearing minerals, siderite and geothite. However, variations across and in the different blocks of the deposit unknown.

6. reserves: not critical - more than 200 million tons recoverable now proven

7. Rate of oxidation of unweathered ore with exposure.

beneficiation Studies should be of primary consideration. Research is recommended on the following aspects related to ore beneficiation and smelting (see appended discussion by Bertram, August 1973).

1. grindability of the ore,

2. reducibility of the ore,

3. minimum level of reduction for efficient magnetic separation,

4. agglomeration (pelletizing) characteristics of the ore,

5. reducibility of the agglomerated ore,

6. smelting qualities and conditions,

7. quality of the steel produced from the iron.

Betram mentions the importance of using representative samples of the bulk of the ore. It should be noted that most large samples for previous beneficiation work were obtained from the weathered ore pit in block A.