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Aurora Operations

Prospect in Beaufort county in North Carolina, United States with commodities Phosphorus-Phosphates, Fluorine-Fluorite, Aluminum, Iron, Magnesite, Uranium
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Mineral rights holdings
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Reserves and resources
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10175774
MRDS ID ISM0353
MAS/MILS ID 0370130001
Record type Site
Current site name Aurora Operations
Alternate or previous names Canvas Creek Mine, North Carolina Phosphate Corp.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -76.77108, 35.33339 (WGS84)
Elevation 3
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Beaufort(county)

North Carolina(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Aurora(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Bayboro(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Rocky Mount(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Pamlico(hydrologic unit)

Pamlico(hydrologic accounting unit)

Neuse-Pamlico(hydrologic subregion)

South Atlantic-Gulf(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States North Carolina Beaufort

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Phosphorus-Phosphates Primary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Tertiary
Aluminum Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Magnesite Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Apatite Ore
Dolomite Gangue
Montmorillonite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Limestone Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Ilmenite Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 244
USGS model code 34d
Deposit model name Phosphate, warm current type

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Phosphorite
    Rock unit name Pungo River Formation

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) Surficial Deposits, Undivided
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name none

Ore body information

  • Thickness 12M
    Length 11180M
    Width 11180M
    Area 12800HA
    Depth to top 30M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 DISSEMINATED
    Type of Orebody #3 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Secondary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 24
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 30
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 24
    Total Surface Area (HA) 12800
    Date of Last Modification 960625

Comments on the geologic information

  • ORE MINERAL IS FRANCOLITE, A FINE-GRAINED MINERAL IN THE APATITE GROUP.
  • Horizontal flat-lying ore,strata dips southeast at about 0.1 degrees.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1951
Mining method Strip-Level
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name North Carolina Phosphate District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Potash Corp. Of Saskatchewan
    Interest 85
    Home office Canada
    Year 1995
    First year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Texasgulf Chemicals Co.
    Interest 100
    Home office Connecticut
    Year 1987
    First year 1985
    Last year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Elf Aquitain Sa (85% Of Texasgulf)
    Interest 85
    Home office France
    Year 1995
    Last year 1995
  • Type Owner
    Owner Williams Co. (15% Of Texasgulf)
    Interest 15
    Home office Connecticut
    Year 1995
  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner North Carolina Phosphate Corp.
    Interest 100
    Home office North Carolina
    Year 1982
    Last year 1985

Comments on the ownership information

  • OTHER MAP NAMES: BATH, SOUTH CREEK, RANSOMVILLE, EDWARD, BAYBORO AND REELSBORO. IN 1995 EFL AQUITAIN SA SOLD TEXASGULF TO POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN. WILLIAMS CO. STILL OWNS 15% OF TEXASGULF.

Production statistics

  • Year 2010
    Period 1968-2009
    Material This tonnage phosphate rock produced more than 169,500,000 metric tons concentrate. Grade not specified.
    Ore mined 400900000mt
    Accuracy Accurate

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2010
    Measured 504960000metric tons
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 11.554 wt-pct Phosphorus Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2010
    Indicated 13620000metric tons
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 11.41 wt-pct Phosphorus Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2010
    Proved 410570000metric tons
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 13.7 wt-pct Phosphorus Primary 2010
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 2010
    Probable 30430000metric tons
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Phosphorus-Phosphates P2O5 12.58 wt-pct Phosphorus Primary 2010

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • QUANTITY ASSAYS ARE IN IN-SITU GRADES. MINING RECOVERY = 95%. .
  • Marston (2010, p. 1-3): "...resources and reserves based on a strip ratio cutoff of 30 bank cubic yards (bcy) of waste per ton of recovered P2O5 concentrate. This cutoff is based on historic performance. Additionally, above this cutoff, the deposit is less continuous. A market price of phosphate rock price of $32.50 per ton CIF U.S. East Coast Port at a 28.5% P2O5 value, excluding transportation and quality adjustments, was used for the economic analysis and reserve basis. This market price was adjusted to $36.90/ton for quality and barge transportation to Aurora....Reserves are stated for recovered phosphate rock based on an overall P2O5 recovery of 70.8%. Mining and pumping recovery of matrix is approximately 85%, and process recovery of the matrix to concentrate rock averages 39.2%."
  • Reaources are exclusive of reserves. Recoverable Reserves are Proven = 151,700,000 metric tons concentrate @ 26.40% P2O5 and Probable = 10,260,000 @ 25.83%. Total Recoverable concentrate @ 30.67% P2O5 is 139,190,000 metric tons and @ 100% P2O5 is 42,690,000 metric tons.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Marston North Carolina, P.C. (Terry Kremmel, P.E. writer), 2010, Aurora Operations 2010 Resource and Reserve update technical report: Marston, North Carolina P.C. (Marston) NI 43-101 compliant report for PCS Phosphate Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Inc. 120. p.

  • Workings

    TODD, JOAN C. PRODUCTION OF PHOSPHATE TO START IN 1987 BY NORTH CAROLINA PHOSPHATE. ENG. & MIN. J, MAY 1984 PP. 13, 15.

  • Ownership

    MINING ENGINEERING, MAY 1995, P. 407.

  • Deposit

    BROWN, P.M. THE RELATION OF PHOSPHATES TO GROUND WATER IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. ECON. GEOL., V. 53, 1958, PP. 85-101.

  • Ownership

    JOHN M. HIRD, LEE CREEK MINE MANAGER, TEXASGULF CHEMICALS CO.; 8/12/87 TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH LEE OSMONSON.

  • Deposit

    CALDWELL, A.B. LEE CREEK OPEN-PIT MINE AND FERTILIZER PLANTS. ENG. AND MIN. J., JAN. 1968, PP. 59-82.

  • Ownership

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES. 1985 MINERALS YEARBOOK, VOL. 2, AREA REPORTS: DOMESTIC, P. 429.

  • Deposit

    HIRD, J.M. CONTROL OF ARTESIAN GROUND WATER IN STRIP MINING PHOSPHATE ORES - EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. PRESENTATION AT AIME ANNUAL CONF., DENVER, COLO., FEB., 1970, 11 PP.

  • Deposit

    KIMERY, J.O. DESCRIPTION OF THE PUNGO RIVER FORMATION IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. NORTH CAROLINA DEPT. OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT BULL. 79, 1968, 131 PP.

  • Deposit

    ROONEY, T.P. AND P.F. KERR. MINERALOGIC NATURE AND ORIGIN OF PHOSPHORITE, BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. GEOL. SOC. AM. BULL., V. 78, JUNE, 1967, PP. 731-748.

  • Deposit

    STUCKEY, J.L. NORTH CAROLINA: ITS GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES. NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, RALEIGH, 1965, 550 PP.

  • Deposit

    ZELLARS-WILLIAMS, INC. EVALUATION OF THE PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA USING THE MINERALS AVAILABILITY SYSTEM. BUMINES OPEN FILE REPORT 14-79.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OTHER MAP NAMES: BATH, SOUTH CREEK, RANSOMVILLE, EDWARD, BAYBORO AND REELSBORO. DIMENSIONS ARE IDEALIZED FOR MINABLE AREA.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 25-JUN-96 Hite, Alan G. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Updater 10-NOV-10 Causey, J. Douglas U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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