Oolitic aragonite occurs naturally in seawater through a chemical and biological process

About Pisa Carolina

Pisa Carolina/noun: a synonym for Aragonite. Latin name for the pisolitic/oolitic variety.

Pisa Carolina was formed in 2018 to provide a source of supply for quality product into established aragonite markets. Currently Pisa operates through a US and Bahamian partnership, supplying historic clients with oolitic sand acquired through a licensed Bahamian supplier. The current distribution hub is located in the port district in Wilmington, DE and serves as the primary point of distribution for aragonite in the U.S. Pisa is currently suppling markets in the agriculture, GCC (Ground Calcium Carbonate), and glass market sectors.

Our Bahamian partnership gives Pisa Carolina access to multiple deposits throughout the Bahamas and supports the ability to provide distinct grades of raw product that meets the buyer’s needs. This partnership facilitates the ability to move cargos of up to 65,000 metric tons through a port facility in Freeport Harbor, Bahamas, where material is stockpiled and prepared for loading. An additional private port facility is operated in Nassau which is ideal for smaller cargos.

Moving forward, Pisa Carolina will continue to leverage robust strategic alliances in order to bring markets on-line that have been in the development stages for a decade or more. These initiatives will utilize this mineral’s unique qualities to develop superior products from a sustainable source.

Oolitic aragonite

Oolitic aragonite occurs naturally in seawater through a chemical and biological process. In the Bahamas, millions of tons of this mineral accumulate in vast shoals, where under certain conditions, it is accessible for commercial harvest. Oolites are ovoid or egg-shaped particles that form in agitated shallow-marine waters in tropical settings that are saturated with calcium bicarbonate. Carbon dioxide is lost to the atmosphere through degassing as a result of agitation, through elevated temperatures from solar radiation, and the activity of photosynthetic organisms. The loss of CO2 allows precipitation of calcium carbonate in the form of microscopic layers of interlocking crystals of aragonite on pre-existing skeletal or pelletoidal nuclei. Oolitic particles formed in this manner are composed of very pure calcium carbonate with unique physical properties.

Once many layers of calcium carbonate form, the oolitic particle becomes dense and falls out of suspension. In exclusive areas where conditions are right, a ridge of sand-like material will form and extend for more than 50 miles. Throughout the Bahamas more than 1 billion metric tons of material accumulate through this process, making aragonite truly sustainable, and one of the few renewable minerals in the marketplace today.

Oolitic Aragonite is generated by processing raw material and segregating a specific profile that contains only oolitic particles that can be chemically determined to be oolitic aragonite.