Potential from marine sources.^ ^ Zircon, the sole source of zirconium is a highly resistant mineral 

 that is commonly concentrated in beach, dune, and alluvial sands with rutile, ilmenite, magnetite, and 

 monazite. In 1965 three U.S. firms were producing zircon from ancient beach and dune deposits in 

 northern Florida.^' However, a large part of the 35,000 tons of zircon consumed in the United States 

 was imported from Australia. 



Zircon reserves in beach sands in the United States are estimated to exceed 12 million tons. Almost 

 90 per cent of the reserves are in Florida, South Carolina, and New Jersey. Zircon comprises 5 to 10 per 

 cent of the heavy minerals found in the deposits of these areas where the total heavy mineral 

 concentrate comprises 4 to 17 per cent of the sands. An additional one to two million tons of zircon can 

 be inferred in offshore deposits but the expected grades will be considerably less than in onshore 

 deposits because of the greater distance from source rock areas. Consequently the possibilities of 

 offshore production of zircon on the east coast are very poor. 



The same general situation exists on the west coast. Onshore reserves, estimated at 90,000 tons, have 

 never been exploited on a significant scale. Offshore reserves in significant concentrations cannot be 

 expected to exceed those onshore. Any recovery of zircon would necessarily be a by-product of a 

 venture recovering gold or other heavy minerals. 



The United States contains about half the world's known zirconium reserves in low grade on-land 

 deposits,^* so it appears doubtful that offshore recovery operations would be necessary for strategic 

 reasons. 



Summarized largely from Ocean Science and Engineering, Inc. report. 



5 7 



Eilertson. 



VII-163 



