Industrial Mineral Operations in BC

Industrial minerals include any rock, mineral or other naturally occurring material (e.g. peat) that has economic value except metals ores, fossil fuels and gemstones. Familiar rocks such as granite and slate are classified as industrial minerals; so are minerals like graphite and gypsum. This group also includes mineral by-products of other processes: sulphur from refineries and slag from smelters. British Columbia's interesting and complicated bedrock geology determines where industrial mineral and other mineral deposits occur. Where they are developed, however, depends on extraction costs, access to power and transportation, and environmental concerns. » Read more...
The MREPBC has produced Industrial Mineral Operations in British Columbia: Teacher Information and Student Activities (PDF, Updated July 2009), focussed on the industrial minerals of BC to accompany our Mining in BC poster .

The booklet includes:

• an introduction to the diversity and importance of BC's industrial minerals
• a list of industrial minerals operations and processing plants in BC
• information on how BC's industrial minerals are used in everyday products
• student crosswords, word searches and more!

See also:

• Industrial Mineral Operations in BC (PDF)
• Industrial Mineral Processing Plants in BC (PDF)
• Uses of Industrial Minerals (PDF)
• Mining in BC Poster
• Mining in BC Bookmark