The Sanostee Deposit is a zirconium, iron, thorium, and titanium, metal mine located in San Juan county, New Mexico at an elevation of 6,601 feet.
About the MRDS Data:
All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.
Mine Info
Elevation: 6,601 Feet (2,012 Meters)
Commodity: Zirconium, Iron, Thorium, Titanium, Metal
Lat, Long: 36.45222, -108.89000
Map: View on Google Maps
Satelite View
MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.
Sanostee Deposit MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Sanostee Deposit
Commodity
Primary: Zirconium
Primary: Iron
Primary: Thorium
Primary: Titanium, Metal
Secondary: Niobium (Columbium)
Secondary: REE
Location
State: New Mexico
County: San Juan
District: Shiprock District
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Tom Tyler, Sanostee, Nm
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1955
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Navajo Section
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: LENSE
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous
Name: Sandstone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: CHIP SAMPLES AVERAGED 15.6 % TIO2, 13.2 % FE, 2.6 % ZRO2, 0.12 % THO2 (EQUIVELENT), AND 0.11 % NB2O5. YTTRIUM IS ALS0 REPORTED AS BEING PRESENT IN MEASURABLE AMOUNTS
Materials
Ore: Brookite
Gangue: Magnetite
Unknown: Zircon
Unknown: Monazite
Unknown: Rutile
Unknown: Ilmenite
Unknown: Anatase
Comments
Comment (Commodity): THERE IS NO TANTALUM ASSOCIATED WITH THE NIOBIUM. YTTRIUM OCCURS IN SOLID SOLUTION WITH ZIRCON.
Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION FOR POINT LOCATED AT SE END OF MESA AT TOP OF CLIFF.
Comment (Deposit): SEVERAL SMALL TO MEDIUM ELONGATE LENSES TRENDING NW
Comment (Geology): ORE OCCURS IN THE MENEFEE MEMBER OF THE MESAVERDE FOORMATION. ; GEOL.DESC: PLACER-FOSSIL-BEACH AND MARINE
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1950'S
Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT IS ON UNSURVEYED LAND OF NAVAJO RESERVATION 2 MI. N. OF SANOSTEE, AND IS FLAT-LYING. FOUR SAMPLES AVERAGED 15.6% TIO2, 2.6% ZRO2, 13.2% FE, AND 0.12% EQUIVALENT THO2. THE POTENTIAL RESOURCES OF TITANIFEROUS SANDSTONE IN THE 33 NEW MEXICO DEPOSITS, INCLUDING THE SANOSTEE, ARE ESTIMATED AT 4,751,200 ST WITH WEIGHTED AVERAGE GRADE PERCENTS OF 12.82 TIO2, 2.07 ZRO2, 15.51 FE, AND 0.10 EQUIVALENT THO2.
References
Reference (Deposit): CHENOWETH, W.L., 1957, NMGS GUIDEBOOK, 8TH FIELD CONFERENCE, P. 212-217
Reference (Deposit): DOW, V.T., AND J.V. BATTY, 1961, USBM REPORT OF INV. 5860, P. 34-42.
Reference (Deposit): BINGLER, E.C., 1963, NMBMMR, CIRC 68, 59 PAGES
Reference (Deposit): NMBMMR GENERAL FILE DATA
The Top Ten Gold Producing States
These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.
