Overview
Alagrow Zeolite Pty Ltd is a privately owned company that holds the mining lease and EPM on the Drummond Zeolite Deposit, Australia’s and possibly the world’s, highest quality Zeolite deposit. The site is located approx. 100 km West of Emerald in Queensland. The deposit has a confirmed hardness of 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness (GAIA Expert Ltd Report). Most naturally forming zeolite has a hardness of between 2 and 4.5. Alagrow Zeolite’s effectiveness in the environment and clean-up sector is attributed to its hardness and purity.
Much of the world’s Zeolite is formed on a base of clay and cooled in salt water and therefore unusable for any agricultural purpose due to high ph levels. The Alagrow Zeolite deposit is formed on a base of quartz and formed from volcanic ash falling into fresh water approx. 43 million years ago.
This translates to the Alagrow Zeolite deposit having far greater commercial applications than other naturally formed Zeolite ore.
With the increasing awareness of Global Warming, Kyoto, nuclear and toxic waste clean up and environmental responsibilities, Zeolite assumes a major role in resolving existing environmental problems and in the prevention of future environmental problems.
Its traditional industry use is in agriculture and waste water treatment, however the ore does have significant applications in medicine and the atomic and nuclear waste control industries.
The Alagrow Zeolite deposit is fresh water cooled and therefore has applications in a vast range of industries unlike much of the worlds known deposits. The Alagrow Zeolite deposit is of such high quality it is even suitable as a more economical substitute for 95% of the worlds synthetic medical grade zeolite.
Zeolite Testing
Recently a sample of the Alagrow Zeolite was tested in Bulgaria by GAIA – a European Analytical Company guaranteed by Lloyds of London, to confirm its quality and hardness. The test results not only confirmed the 6 – 6.5 hardness but also outlined the extended uses of high grade Zeolite over and above the normal commercial uses.
An independent geological report (please refer to Section 14.6 Geological Report) states that there is 2.3 million tons of proven reserves. Of this, approximately 30% is situated on the surface with the balance one to two metres underground. It is believed that further testing will prove up a further 5 million tons and possibly 15 million tons.
The extraction of the zeolite does not have any adverse environmental impacts on the surrounding landscape. Any spillages or leakages will be advantageous to the surrounding environment.
Alagrow Zeolite – Valuation & Process (GAIA Expert Ltd Report)
The Drummond Zeolite deposit to which this report refers, has a proven deposit of 2.3 million tons.
The optical microscopic study in thin sections was made by microscope Аmplival-pol-u in polarised light. Two thin sections, one crossed A-Z ⊥ , and another one parallel A-Z to the
bedding was prepared. Also in each thin section four microphotography in parallel and crossed nicols and under two magnifications (10x and 25x, with respectively 375 μ и 150 μ field view) were performed.
The main part of the rock was build by highly zeolite-modified volcanic glass. The vitroclasts, which is well seeing in parallel nicols, are angular with predominant size about 0,1-0,2 mm. The volcanic glass is rhyolitic, reddish, often with porous or with fluidal microstructure.
The zeolitization process spreads practically wholly the volcanic’s glass fragments and is more intensive on theirs periphery. Any kind of minerals from the zeolite’s group cannot be identified, because of the vitroclasts’ micro granulate texture, even under large optical magnifications. The zeolite minerals quantity in the rock is evaluated about 75-80%. The zeolite minerals have grey interference colours from the first order. A clear arrangement along to the long vitroclasts’ axis and parallel to the bedding was observed in the thin section A-Z ⊥ .
There are also clastic crystals established by:
Quartz – SiO2
and less by Sanidine – (K, Na)2O.Al2O3.6SiO2*
and
Plagioclase – ≈ 65% – Albite – NaAlSi3O8 ** molecule
rare and single Biotite – K2O.6(Mg, Fe)O.(Al, Fe)2O3.6SiO2.2H2O *
and Muscovite – K2O.(Al, Fe)2O3.6SiO2.2H2O *
and Ore, black opaque mineral
The type of the Plagioclase with about 65% – Albite molecule was identified approximately by Troger’s diagram [Troger, 1971] on the basis of the symmetric angle of extinction of Albite twin, equal to 18o in direction⊥(010). A rare and single Biotite and Muscovite crystals, and black opaque ore mineral was observed too. The classic crystals were presented as stand-alone single grains with irregular shape and size about 0,25 mm. They have good separation and were presented with quantity about of 20%. The Hematite pigmentation caused the colour of rock, which varies between red and brown, is spotted and irregular.
The specifics of the vitroclasts and the content of the clastic crystals are indications that zeolite generation process was realized under conditions of devitrification of acid rhyolite volcanic glass. The sedimentation process was realized from volcanic ash stream flowing in a watery body with calm hydrodynamics.