Mountain Fuel Lease

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

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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.

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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"Where to Find Gold in Idaho" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Idaho. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Idaho.