The Mountain Fuel Lease is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Caribou county, Idaho at an elevation of 7,051 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: 7,051 Feet (2,149 Meters)
Commodity: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Lat, Long: 42.6394, -111.28470
Map: View on Google Maps
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Mountain Fuel Lease MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Mountain Fuel Lease
Secondary: Conda Pardnership
Secondary: Dry Canyon Lease (1966)
Secondary: South Schmid Ridge
Secondary: Dry Valley, Area C, 10-17
Secondary: Harrington Peak, Area B, 8
Secondary: Dry Canyon Phosphate Prospect
Commodity
Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Uranium
Tertiary: Vanadium
Location
State: Idaho
County: Caribou
District: Soda Springs Area
Land Status
Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Administrative Organization: Caribou National Forest
Holdings
Type: Federal Lease
Workings
Type: Surface
Ownership
Owner Name: Monsanto Co.
Years: 1966 -
Owner Name: Washington Const. Co.
Home Office: Idaho
Info Year: 1984
Years: 1984 -
Owner Name: Nu-West Industries, Inc.
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Colorado
Info Year: 1994
Years: 1992 -
Production
Year: 1986
Description: Phosphate Rock 25.4% P2o5 25000 Mt Ore
Deposit
Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Thermal Decomposition
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Middle Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Phosphate, upwelling type
Orebody
Form: IRREGULAR
Form: TABULAR, SEDIMENTARY
Form: TABULAR, SEDIMENTARY
Structure
Type: R
Structure: Dry Valley Anticline
Type: R
Structure: Dairy Syncline
Type: R
Structure: Slug Creek Syncline
Type: R
Structure: Schmid Syncline
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Chert
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian
Name: Shale
Role: Host
Description: Phosphatic Shale
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: 182 SAMPLES ( SECTION 14 ) GAVE 35.9 % P2O5 MA
Analytical Data: 61 SAMPLES OF STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION GAVE 34.2 % P2O5 MAX ( SECTION 20 )
Analytical Data: 193 SAMPLES ( SECTION 19 ) GAVE 35.3 % P2O5 MAX
Materials
Unknown: Dolomite
Unknown: Chalcedony
Unknown: Collophane
Unknown: Kaolinite
Unknown: Limonite
Unknown: Montmorillonite
Unknown: Orthoclase
Unknown: Pyrite
Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Sericite
Unknown: Calcite
Comments
Comment (Reserve-Resource): Conda Partnership Data,1984 Resources To 250 M Down Dip. Resources From Lowe, Et.Al.(1980) And Upgraded From Identified To Demonstrated. Resources From Lowe, Et.Al.(1980), Lying Between Outcrop And A Downward Vertical Projection Of Lease Boundaries.
Comment (Production): Mine Production Will Be 8705 T/D;6078 T/D Of Screened Low + Med. Grade And 2295 T/D Unscreened High Grade Ore. Eq-Dev 1 And La-Dev 1 Relate To The North Pt. Eq-Dev 2 And La-Dev 2 Relate To The South Pit.
Comment (Deposit): Mountain Fuel Lease Is Federal Lease I-012989. This Lease Equals 227 Hectares. Property Will Be Mined Out 9-93. North Mtn Fuel Extension May Be Extended Into Monsanto.
Comment (Development): 560 Acre Lease ( 1975 ) ; Econ.Com: Stripping Ratio 1.5 : 1 (Expressed As Cy Waste : Tons Ore)
Comment (Workings): Beker Proposes 25 Deep Holes, 40 Shallow Holes; Proposed Pit To Be 4700 Ft Long, 200 - 1000 Ft Wide , 100 - 325 Ft Deep
Comment (Deposit): 187.23 Ft Thickness Of Phosphatic Shale Member ( Section 19 )
Comment (Location): Dry Canyon Phosphate Lease In Sections 9 , 15 ; Deposit Plotted In Section 9
References
Reference (Deposit): McKelvey, V. E., And Others, 1953 , Stratigraphic Sections Of The Phosphoria Formation In Idaho, 1947 - 1948 , Part 1 : USGS Circ. 208 , 49 P.
Reference (Deposit): V.E. Mitchell, Et. Al; Mines And Prospects Map Series, 1981, Preston Quad, Location No. 126
Reference (Deposit): Smedley, D., Personal Communication-Representative For Conda Partnership (General Mine Information) Conda Partnership, 1984.
Reference (Deposit): U.S. Bureau Of Land Management. Environmental Assessment Plan Of The Champ Mine Lease No. I-04979, Report Number 08/82-01 P, 35 Pp.
Reference (Deposit): Carter, Russell A., 1978, An Integrated Industry - Phosphate Mining And Milling In Idaho: Mining Engineering, V. 30, No. 1, P. 29-36.
Reference (Deposit): Steckley, R.C. And Lemmons, J.F., A Method For Evaluating Cost Estimates For The Mineral Availability System, U.S. Bumines Mas File Report, 1976, 41 Pp.
Reference (Reserve-Resource): U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau Of Land Management, And Forest Service, 1978, Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Development Of Phosphate Resources In Southeastern Idaho, Four Volumes.
Reference (Geology): Emigh, G. D., 1958, Petrography, Mineralogy And Origin Of Phosphate Pellets In The Phosphoria Formation: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology, Pamphlet No. 114, 60 P.
Reference (Geology): Campbell, 1953, Stratigraphic Sections Of Phosphoria Formation In Idaho, 1947-48, Part Ii: U.S. Geological Survey Trace Elements Investigations Report 187, P. 46-51.
Reference (Geology): Mc Kelvey, V. E., Armstrong, F. C., Gulbrandsen, R. A., And Campbell, R. M., 1953, Stratigraphic Sections Of The Phosphoria Formation In Idaho, 1947-48, Pt. 2, U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 301, P. 38-43.
Reference (Deposit): Service, A. L. And Popoff, C. C., 1964, An Evaluation Of The Western Phosphate Industry And Its Resources (In Five Parts), 1. Introductory Review: U.S. Bureau Of Mines, Report Of Investigations 6485, 86 P.
Reference (Deposit): Service, A. L., 1966, An Evaluation Of The Western Phosphate Industry And Its Resources (In Five Parts), 3. Idaho: U.S. Bureau Of Mines, Report Of Investigations 6801, 201 P.
Reference (Deposit): Mc Divitt, J. F., 1956, Economic Evaluation Of Phosphate And Other Minerals In Southern Idaho: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology, Pamphlet No. 111, 48 P.
Reference (Deposit): Li, Ta M., 1978, Southeastern Idaho Phosphate Mining: How An Environmental Impact Statement Distorts Growth Plans: Mining Engineering, V. 30, No. 1, P. 25-28.
Reference (Reserve-Resource): Garrand, L. J., 1975, Phosphate Study Southeastern Idaho, For U.S. Department Of Agriculture, Caribou National Forest, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Contract No. 50-820: Garrand Corp.
Reference (Geology): Martin, G. W., 1958, Mineralogy Of Phosphate Oolites: Economic Geology, V. 53, No. 8, December, P. 1046-1048.
Reference (Deposit): Rule, A. R., D. E. Kirby, And D. C. Dahlin, 1978, Recent Advances In Beneficiation Of Western Phosphates: Mining Engineering, V. 30, No. 1, P. 37-40.
Reference (Deposit): Powell, J. D., 1974, Evaluation Of Phosphate Resources In Southeastern Idaho: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology, Information Circular No. 25, 33 P.
Reference (Deposit): R. M. Campbell, 1953, Stratigraphic Sections Of The Phosphoria Formation In Idaho, 1947-48, Pt. 2: U. S. Geological Survey, Circular 301, P. 38-43.
Reference (Deposit): Mc Kelvey, V. E., F. C. Armstrong, R. A. Gulbrandsen, And R. M. Campbell, 1953, Stratigraphic Sections Of Phosphoria Formation In Idaho, 1947-48, Part Ii: U. S. Geological Survey, Trace Elements Investigations Report 187, P. 34-39
Reference (Deposit): Mckelvey, V.E., The Phosphoria Park City, And Shedhorn Formations In The Western Phosphate Field, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Paper 313-A, 1959, 47 Pp.
Reference (Deposit): Lowe, N.T., Benjamin, D.A. Camm, T.W., Gosling, B.B., And Gale, G.D., Western Phosphate Field-Southern Idaho Proposed Mines, U.S. Dep. Interior, Bumines Mas File Report, 1980, 238 Pp.
Reference (Deposit): 1953 Compile V. E. Mc Kelvey And Others, Circ. 301
Reference (Deposit): Service, A. L., And N. S. Petersen, 1967, An Evaluation Of The Western Phosphate Industry And Its Resources (In Five Parts) Trends And Outlook: U.S. Bureau Of Mines, Report Of Investigations 6935, 131 P.
Reference (Deposit): Mansfield, G. R., 1927 , Geography, Geology, And Mineral Resources Of Part Of Southeastern Idaho: USGS Prof. Paper 152 , 453 P.
Reference (Deposit): Gosling, B. B., Western Phosphate Field-Southeastern Idaho Active Mines, U.S. Dep. Interior, Bumines Mas File Report 1980, 150 Pp.
Reference (Deposit): Hagins, F. Personal Communication-General Phosphate Resource And Royalty Information, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management, 1984.
Reference (Deposit): Thompson, M. E., 1954, Further Studies Of The Distribution Of Uranium In Rich Phosphate Beds Of The Phosphoria Formation: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1009-D, P. 107-122
Reference (Deposit): Thompson, M. E., 1953, Distribution Of Uranium In Rich Phosphate Beds Of The Phosphoria Formation: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 988-D, P. 45-65
Reference (Deposit): 1967 Direxpl Mountain Fuel Supply Co., USGS Draft Environmental Impact Statement, V. 2 , Pt. 5.3
Reference (Geology): Cressman, E. R., And Gulbrandsen, R. A., 1955, Geology Of The Dry Valley Quadrangle, Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1015-I, P. 257-270.
Reference (Deposit): Day, R. L., 1973, Trends In The Phosphate Industry Of Idaho And The Western Phosphate Field: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology, Pamphlet 155, 63 P.
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