Quarrying at Wick

On any visit to Wick Golden Valley LNR, you cannot fail to notice the huge limestone quarry, operated by Cemex. The quarry is a huge, impressive hole in the ground, and there's often lots of activity going on as big trucks move material back and forth. But what is limestone, and why go to all this effort to get at it?

What is Limestone?

Chemically, limestone is calcium carbonate, CaCO₃. It is formed mainly from the remains of organisms that lived in ancient seas; see the Geology Overview for more information.

Why Quarry Limestone?

Limestone is a valuable commodity. Amongst it's uses are:

• Aggregate or crushed rock
• Building
• Cement production
• Chemical production - fertiliser, filler etc
• Iron and steel
• Lime

What goes on at the quarry

Before limestone can be removed, excess rocks and sub-soil must be removed and dumped elsewhere on site

A bulldozer then levels and compacts the dumped material to ensure that as much can be placed here as possible - despite the huge size, space is tight in a quarry

Limestone is blasted from the quarry face and then placed in these trucks, which transport the raw material across the quarry.

The limestone is dumped from the truck into the processing plant where it is crushed, ready to be used in many applications.

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