Limestone

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LimestoneThe Future of Jamaicas Mining
Industry

• N.C.Davis Feb. 2009

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Minerals

• Minerals are classified as metallic and
  non-metallic.
• The main metallic mineral resources discovered in
  Jamaica are bauxite, cobalt, copper, gold, iron,
  lead, manganese, silver, titanium and zinc.
• Jamaicas non-metallic mineral resources consist
  of limestone, sand and gravel, dolomite, marble,
  gypsum, shale, pozollan, silica sand and skid
  resistant aggregates.
• Fossil fuels (e.g. peat, coal and petroleum) are
  also classified as minerals.

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Minerals in Jamaica

• The commercially exploitable minerals in
  Jamaica, including a wide variety of limestone,
  hard volcanic rocks, bauxite, marble, base and
  precious metals, sand and gravel.
• These minerals are of major significance to
  Jamaicas economic development, particularly
  their contribution to the national economy, their
  impact on, and linkages with other sectors.
• The mineral industry overall contribution to
  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) avg. 5.7 per
  year ( 2002 2007) and in 2008, the sector
  contributed in excess of US1.3 billion to the
  Jamaican economy.

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Present Status Jamaican Mineral Industry

• The Jamaican bauxite/alumina industry is in its
  mature stage, and presently experiencing a steep
  decline and deep trough - Aluminum (2002 2007)
  avg. world growth of 6.6 per year, cyclical
  industry, strategic, lightweight, re-cycle able
  metal.
• By contrast, the Jamaican non-metallic minerals
  sub-sector is still in the early stages of its
  economic development and growth.
• Limestone - The unpolished GEM

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LIME FOR LIFE

• Literally any object that exists in ones home,
  or office (or virtually any manufactured product)
  requires lime or limestone in some phase of its
  manufacture, directly or indirectly, either as a
  prime or incidental processing material.
• It is stated that there are six (6) essential
  building blocks of commerce and industry iron
  ore, salt, sulphur, petroleum, coal and
  limestone/lime.

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BASIC DEFINITION

• LIMESTONE
• Limestone is a highly porous rock formed over
  thousands of years from the compression of shells
  and the bones of sea animals.
• These carbonate rocks or fossils, comprises
  primarily of Calcium Carbonate (CaC03 ) or
  combinations of Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium
  Carbonate (MgCO3) with varying amounts of
  impurities (silica and alumina)

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HISTORY/ORIGIN

•  Unquestionably the use of lime and limestone is
  prehistoric they are among the oldest materials
  used by mankind
• During the Stone Age, primitive man utilized
  limestone the confine fires, construct stone
  shelters and make crude tools and weapons.
• The pyramids of ancient Egypt are the first
  recorded use of limestone and lime for the
  building of these structures

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DEPOSITS

•  Limestone abundance is evidenced by the fact
  that an estimated 3.5 4 of the elements in
  the earths crust contain calcium and 2 contain
  magnesium dolomitic (CaCO3 or MgCO3)
•  Of all elements, calcium ranks 5th in abundance,
  exceeded only by oxygen, silicone, aluminium and
  iron.

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USES of LIMESTONE

• Limestone, the source material for all lime based
  value added products calcined, hydrated,
  precipitated.
• Limestone is widely used as a building
  construction material concrete, blocks.
• Limestone is used in the manufacture - cement and
  glass.
• Limestone is used to strengthen and stabilise the
  sub-grade in road construction.
• Limestone is an alkali and is used extensively to
  neutralize acids PH control .

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LIMESTONE DEPOSITS in JAMAICA

• Jamaicas most abundant mineral is limestone
  approx 50 - 60 billion tonnes.
• Limestone deposits in Jamaica account for 65 of
  the island by weight, and 85 of its surface
  coverage.
• High quality deposits exist 98 CaCO3 high
  purity grade.

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LIMESTONE QUARRIES

• Active Quarries (Limestone) 85 ( 55 are
  community based operations)
• Licensed Quarries - 215
• 80 of Quarries producing less than 100,000mt/
  year
• 2 of Quarries producing over 500,000mt/year
• Production of approx. 6 - 8 million mt/year for
  domestic consumption.
• Quantity of Limestone exported approx 250,000mt
  per year.
• Employment 1,500 (direct) and 7,500 (indirect)

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SEVERAL PICTURES IN THE QUARRY
Limestone post-blasting
Hard Limestone
Soft Limestone
Quarry Benching
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QUARRY SITE
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GROUND CALCIUM CARBONATE

• In its natural state, calcium carbonate occurs in
  many forms, including higher spec. chemical
  filler grade limestone commonly known as
  Whiting.
• Both wet and dry grinding methods are commonly
  used in processing the GCC for industrial uses. 
• Paper, plastic, paint and rubber producers use
  calcium carbonate as a way to improve quality and
  lower manufacturing costs. 
• GCC deposits in Jamaica St. Ann, Westmoreland,
  Portland St. Thomas.
• There is one GCC/Whiting operations in St. Ann
  producing approx. 100,000mt/yr for export.

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LIME Value Added Products

• Calcined lime
• Quicklime/Burnt lime/White wash is obtained by
  heating limestone at temperatures above 900 degC
  in a Kiln.
• CaCO3 heat CaO 2CO2
• Hydrated lime
• Calcium Hydroxide/Slaked Lime is a dry powder,
  resulting from the controlled slaking of Calcined
  Lime with water in a Hydrator.
• CaO H2O ------- Ca (OH)2
• Precipitated Calcium Carbonate
• Carbonation of Hydrated lime, also known
  as purified, refined or synthetic Calcium
  carbonate.
• CaO H2O CO2 ------- CaCO3 H2O
  

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Limestone Cycle
Limestone
Calcium Hydroxide ) Ca(OH)2 - WET
CO2
Calcium oxide (CaO)
CO2
H2O
Heat
Lime
Milk of Lime
H2O
H2O
Hydrated Lime
Slurry
Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2 - DRY
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USES of LIME

• Flux Alumina, Steel
• Lubricant Wire drawings, Oil Wells
• Neutralisation Water Treatment, Agricultural
  soils
• Solvent Leather, Paints
• Absorption Bleaches, Sulphur Dioxide removal
• Raw Material Rubber, Concrete, Glass,
  Tooth-paste
• Bonding Agent Mortars, Plasters, Road Soil
  stabilisation
• Causticisation Caustic soda, Alkali scrubbing

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LIME KILNS

• In Jamaica there are five (5) operating Lime
  kilns aging from (9 54 yrs) and one (1) aged
  Hydrator - supplying products primarily to the
  Alumina Sugar industries.
• These Kilns combined produce Calcined lime -
  approx. 340,000 mt/yr vs. local demand of
  420,000mt/yr resulting in a shortfall of 60K
  80K mt/yr.
• The shortfall of Calcined lime has to be
  imported primarily from South America.
• More costly than local produced lime
• Multiple handling Storage
• Lower quality than local lime

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Vertical Lime Kiln
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STRENGTHS

• Quality of limestone (97 99 CaCO3) exceeds
  minimum requirements in both local and foreign
  markets
• Large deposits of Limestone (approx 60 billion
  tons)
• Jamaica is arguably the easiest location in the
  Latin American and the Caribbean region to access
  a wide variety of consistent quality aggregate.
• Deposits exists at or close to the surface which
  makes for easy extraction.
• High quality of Calcined lime produced (93 - 95
  CaO)

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WEAKNESSES

• Many Limestone Quarry facilities (static and
  mobile plants) are old, unreliable and
  inefficient.
• Lime Kilns and Hydrator old insufficient
  capacity
• Lack of sufficient Port facilities Harbour Head
• Most limestone quarries are land-locked hence
  high transportation costs from Quarry to Port.
• Need to streamline the Quarry Zoning process
  Tourism, Agriculture, Housing
• Low level of research and product development
• Low economies of scale small operations
• Capital intensive ( mobile static plants)
• Need for frequent structured training -
  Operations, maintenance blasting.

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OPPORTUNITIES

• Could be a major player in the USA markets
• Estimated to be 25 30million mt/yr
• Pres Obama Stimulus plan (Infrastructure
  development Clean Coal Energy plan) - Road ,
  building construction, desulphurization
• Take advantage of the fact that several of US
  domestic Quarries in Florida are being
  exhausted/retired.
• Potential Limestone exports to the Caribbean
  region 2.0 million mt/yr
• Growing export market for value-added products in
  the USA GCC PCC 1.0 million mt/yr
• Import substitution - limestone based products
  can be manufactured locally rather than import
  (grout, plasters, mortars)
• Further develop valueadded downstream industrial
  activities- GCC, Hydrated Lime, PCC. Financial
  returns increases along the Value chain.

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THREATS

• High operating overheads conversion costs-
• - Interest rates
• - Security costs
• - Energy costs
• Environment issues dust, noise, soil erosion,
  aesthetics
• Competition from other developing markets for the
  export of limestone Dom Rep, Mexico, Colombia
• High inland freight (road/rail)
• Importation of Calcined lime

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CONSIDERATIONS

• The lime and limestone industry needs to get
  national prominence (as bauxite/alumina) by all
  stakeholders in Jamaica.
• Further develop the export market for
  lime/limestone PCC, GCC, Hydrated.
• Implement import substitution of both limestone
  and lime based products being imported in
  Jamaica.

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CONSIDERATIONS

• Utilise the Windalco corridor rail network to
  transport limestone aggregates 70 miles
  (Ewarton Sp. Twn. Williamsfield).
• Organise a comprehensive training certification
  programme HEART/NTA UTECH, NSU, UWI.
• Develop proper Port facilities, including
  multiple usage of the existing five (5)
  Bauxite/Alumina Ports.
• Utilise barges to transport building and road
  construction materials around the island
  Caribbean Salt River, Bowden, Mosquito Cove.

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MAJOR PORTS IN JAMAICA
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Port Esquivel
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CONSIDERATIONS

• Encourage the use of manufactured sand from
  Limestone and reduce the environmental pressures
  created by river sand mining from some present
  operations.
• Revitalise existing non-performing assets WCC,
  Salt River pier.
• Develop stand alone Lime facilities independent
  of the Bx/Alumina Kilns/locations

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Summary Limestone The Future of Jamaican
Industry

• Abundance of the mineral in Jamaica
• Good consistent quality easily extracted.
• Simplicity and versatility of limestone.
• Numerous uses of limestone and lime.
• Value added products.
• Vast experience expertise in the minerals
  industry
• Close proximity to major markets

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Thank You