Gros Ventre Range

Site Name

Primary: Gros Ventre Range
Secondary: Gros Ventre Range Combined

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Commodity

Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Uranium

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Location

State: Wyoming
County: Sublette
District: Western Phosphate

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Land Status

Land ownership: Federal
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.

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Holdings

Type: Other

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Workings

Type: Surface

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Ownership

Owner Name: U.S. Government
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Dist Of Columbia
Info Year: 1980

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Production

Not available

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Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Open Stope - Room and Pillar
Milling Method: Flotation
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

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Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Middle Rocky Mountains

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Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Phosphate, upwelling type

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Orebody

Not available

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Structure

Not available

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Alterations

Not available

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Rocks

Not available

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Analytical Data

Not available

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Materials

Unknown: Feldspar
Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Sphene
Unknown: Tourmaline
Unknown: Zircon
Unknown: Apatite
Unknown: Calcite
Unknown: Dolomite
Unknown: Fluorite
Unknown: Gypsum
Unknown: Illite
Unknown: Kaolinite
Unknown: Limonite
Unknown: Montmorillonite
Unknown: Pyrite

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Comments

Comment (Deposit): THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE DEPOSIT EXTENDS INTO TETON COUNTY. MINERAL HOLDINGS - ALL MINERAL RIGHTS ARE HELD BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Comment (Production): RECOVERIES IN THE YIELD DATA SET FOR TWO-PRODUCT MILLS ARE CALCULATED FROM THE TOTAL FEED TO THE MILL AND ARE NOT ACTUAL RECOVERIES WITHIN EACH ORE STREAM. WITHIN-ORE-STREAM RECOVERIES FOR TWO-PRODUCT MILLS PROPOSED IN THIS EVALUATION ARE 89.0 PERCENT FOR MILL K3, DEV SCH 1 AND 88.0 PERCENT FOR MILL K3, DEV SCH 2. EXACT RECOVERIES USED IN CALCULATING PRODUCT OUTPUT TONNAGES FOR TWO PRODUCT MILLS PROPOSED IN THIS EVALUATION ARE 6.3571 PERCENT FOR PRODUCT C, DEV SCH 1; 82.6429 PERCENT FOR PRODUCT H, DEV SCH 1; 6.2856 PERCENT FOR PRODUCT C, DEV SCH 2; 81.7144 PERCENT FOR PRODUCT H, DEV SCH 2.

Comment (Workings): ABBREVIATION FOR MINING DISTRICT: WEST. PHOSPHATE = WESTERN PHOSPHATE FIELD.

Comment (Geology): THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION IS SUBDIVIDED INTO FIVE MEMBERS BY MCKELVEY (BIBLIOGRAPHY REF. L010), TWO OF WHICH (THE MEADE PEAK AND RETORT MEMBERS) CONTAIN SIGNIFICANT PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS. IN UTAH AND SOUTHWESTERN WYOMING, THE MEADE PEAK MEMBER, AND IN CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN WYOMING, THE RETORT MEMBER CONTAIN THE DEPOSITS OF POTENTIAL INTEREST. THE PARK CITY FORMATION OF UTAH AND CENTRAL WYOMING AND THE SHEDHORN SANDSTONE OF NORTHWESTERN WYOMING ARE STRATIGRAPHIC EQUIVALENTS OF AND INTERTONGUE WITH THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION. THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION AND EQUIVALENT FORMATIONS ARE UNDERLAIN BY EITHER THE TENSLEEP SANDSTONE, WEBER QUARTZITE, WELLS FORMATION, OR DIAMOND CREEK SANDSTONE AND ARE OVERLAIN BY EITHER THE WOODSIDE OR DINWOODY FORMATIONS.

Comment (Economic Factors): Mining and beneficiation costs for each proposed operation were obtained by applying one of 34 basic mine models and 5 basic mill models developed for evaluating Utah and Wyoming phosphate deposits. Site-specific cost adjustments were made for land acquisition, infrastructure, unusual haulage distance to mill, the presence of multiple beds requiring mining of waste, and mill feed grade and recovery. All costs are in January 1980 dollars. The schedule of costs is based on the assumption that each proposed operation will be independently developed as soon as technically possible after the official January 1979 base date for the current phosphate study. Thus, land acquisition, exploration, and infrastructure capital costs are assumed to begin in 1979. Mine and mill capital costs include a contingency allowance of 15 percent of all other capital costs except working capital. Mine and mill working capital is estimated at 60 days of operating cost. A Bureau costing manual (bibliography data set ref. I030) was used to estimate surface and underground mine exploration, development, reclamation, plant, and equipment capital costs; underground mine operating costs; capital and operating costs for the calcining-hydration mill (if used) and for the flotation sections of other mills; costs of transporting products from proposed mills to existing final processing plants; and access road construction cost. Surface mine operating costs are size-scaled, using scaling factors from Bennett (bibliography data set ref. I001), and others (U.S. office of audit and investigation) for Idaho phosphate mines in 1976 and 1977. Infrastructure capital costs assigned to each proposed mine consist of only those railroad, transmission line, and access road costs which are needed for development of each mine. Railroad cost is estimated by the Richardson rapid construction cost estimating system (bibliography data set ref. I020). Transmission line cost is estimated from typical industry costs (A.W. Watts, 1980, Water and Power Resources Services, personal communication). Access road costs are estimated by using the capital and operating cost estimating handbook (bibliography data set ref. I030). Land acquisition costs are based on typical competitive bids for leases in southeastern Idaho, adjusted for specific deposit grade and thickness. Lease rentals and royalties are based on current rates for federal leases in the western phosphate field. Capital and operating costs for all mills, excepting the calcination-hydration mill (if used) and flotation sections of other mills, are size-scaled, using scaling factors from Bennett (bibliography data set ref. I001), from costs given for a sizing and calcining mill described by de Voto, et al. (bibliography data set ref. R030), vol. 2, appendix d. Site-specific cost adjustments for mill feed grade and recovery are made, using relative cost factors calculated from average cost and recovery curves for altered and unaltered ores (bibliography data set ref. I010).

Comment (Ownership): BECAUSE ABOUT 95 PERCENT OF THE DEPOSIT IS CLASSIFIED AS POTENTIALLY UNAVAILABLE (ROADLESS AREA REVIEW AND EVALUATION (RARE II) LAND), THE FUTURE POSSIBILITIES FOR FEDERAL PHOSPHATE LEASING ARE UNCERTAIN. THE REMAINING 5 PERCENT OR SO OF THE AREA IS ON NATIONAL FOREST LAND AND IS OPEN TO LEASING. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO PROSPECTING PERMITS OR PHOSPHATE LEASES IN THE AREA.

Comment (Production): PRODUCTS A,B,C,D, AND E, WHERE PROPOSED IN THIS EVALUATION, ARE ACID GRADE PRODUCTS, AND PRODUCTS F,G,H,I, AND J, ARE FURNACE GRADE PRODUCTS. NOT ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE USED IN THIS EVALUATION.

Comment (Reference): Numeric references within the geology and economic factors comments do not match the reference numbers. There have been several updates and renumberings since these comments were made (and an excellent reminder why short citations should include author and date).

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References

Reference (Geology): BLACKWELDER, ELIOT, 1911, A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF WESTERN WYOMING, IN U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 470, P. 452-483.

Reference (Geology): LOVE, J. D., 1975, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE GROS VENTRE JUNCTION QUADRANGLE, TETON COUNTY, WYOMING: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN FILE REPT. 75-334, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): SHELDON, R. P., 1963, PHYSICAL STRATIGRAPHY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF PERMIAN ROCKS IN WESTERN WYOMING: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 313-B, P. 49-273, PLATES.

Reference (Geology): GULBRANDSEN, R. A., 1967, SOME COMPOSITIONAL FEATURES OF PHOSPHORITES OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION, IN INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. OF GEOL. 15TH ANN. FIELD CONF., P. 99-102.

Reference (Production): RULE, A. R., KIRBY, D. E., AND DAHLIN, D. C., 1978, RECENT ADVANCES IN BENEFICIATION OF WESTERN PHOSPHATES; MIN. ENG., JAN. 1978, P. 37-40.

Reference (Geology): MCKELVEY, V. E., 1959, THE PHOSPHORIA, PARK CITY, AND SHEDHORN FORMATIONS IN THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE FIELD: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 313-A, P. 1-47, 3 PLATES.

Reference (Geology): MCKELVEY, V. E., SWANSON, R. W., AND SHELDON, R. P., 1953, PHOSPHORIA FORMATION IN SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO AND WESTERN WYOMING IN INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. OF PETROLEUM GEOL. GUIDEBOOK, 4TH ANN. FIELD CONF., P 41-47.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): SIMONS, F. S., LOVE, J. D., KEEFER, W. R., HARWOOD, D. S., KULIK, D.S., AND BIENIEWSKI, C.L., 1988, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE GROS VENTRE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, TETON AND SUBLETTE COUNTIES, WYOMING: U.S. GEOL. SURVEY BULL. 1591, 65 P.

Reference (Deposit): GARRAND CORPORATION, 1975 (?), PHOSPHATE RESERVES OF SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO: U.S. DEPT. OF AGR. CONTRACT NO. 50-820, 1102 P.

Reference (Deposit): HALE, L. A., ED., 1967, ANATOMY OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE FIELD: INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. OF GEOL. 15TH ANN. FIELD CONF., 287 P., 3 PLATES.

Reference (Geology): LOVE, J. D., REED, J. C., JR., CHRISTIANSEN, R. L., AND STACEY, J. R., 1972, GEOLOGIC BLOCK DIAGRAM AND TECTONIC HISTORY OF THE TETON REGION, WYOMING - IDAHO: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISC. INV. MAP I-730.

Reference (Geology): LOVE, J. D., 1975, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE TETON VILLAGE QUADRANGLE, TETON COUNTY, WYOMING: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN FILE MAP 75-335, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): DE VOTO, R. H., AND STEVENS, D. N., ED., 1979, URANIFEROUS PHOSPHATE RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS OF URANIUM RECOVERY FROM PHOSPHATE RESOURCES, UNITED STATES AND FREE WORLD: SUBCONTRACT 78-177-S TO DEPT. OF ENERGY CONTRACT 50-54-5903 (BENDIX FIELD ENG. CORP.) BY EARTH SCIENCES INC., 1396 P. PLUS PLATES.

Reference (Deposit): CLABAUGH, P. S., 1946, PERMIAN PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF MONTANA, IDAHO, WYOMING, AND UTAH: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STRATEGIC MINER. INV. PRELIM. MAP 3-198, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Geology): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1955, DRIGGS, IDAHO; WYOMING, 1-DEGREE BY 2-DEGREE TOPOGRAPHIC MAP: U.S. GEOL. SURVEY, 1:250,000-SCALE MAP, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Production): GOKHALE, K. V. G. K., RAO, T. C., AND BISWAS, A. K., 1975, BENEFICIATION STUDIES ON A HIMALAYAN LEAN PHOSPHATE DEPOSIT WITH CALCAREOUS GANGEU, IN SEMINAR ON BENEFICIATION OF LEAN PHOSPHATE WITH CARBONATE GANUE, 11TH INTERNAT. MINERALS PROCESSING CONGRESS, KAGLAIARI, ITALY, APRIL 23-24, 1975, P. 53-54.

Reference (Reference): HARRIS, R. A., DAVIDSON, D. F., AND ARNOLD, B. P., 1954, BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE FIELD; U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 1018, 89 P.

Reference (Geology): RICHMOND, G. M., 1945, GEOLOGY OF NORTHWEST END OF THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS, SUBLETTE COUNTY, WYOMING: U.S. GEOL. SURVEY OIL AND GAS INV. MAP OM-31.

Reference (Production): EBERL, E., 1970, BENEFICIATION OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE BYCALCINATION, THE MATERIAL BALANCE: RUDARSKO - METALURSKI ZBORNIK, NO. 2-3, 1970, P. 275-283.

Reference (Production): DUNCAN, W. E., AND FISK, H. G., 1957, CENTRAL WYOMING PHOSPHATE ROCK - CHARACTER, PROCESSING, AND ECONOMICS: UNIV. OF WYO. NAT. RES. RESEARCH INST. BULL. 6, 60 P.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): COFFMAN, J. S., AND SERVICE, A. L., 1967, AN EVALUATION OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY AND ITS RESOURCES - PART 4, WYOMING AND UTAH: U.S. BUREAU OF MIINES REPT. INV. 6934, 158 P.

Reference (Ownership): U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 1978, STATE OF WYOMING LAND STATUS: U.S. BUR. OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 1978, STATE OF WYOMING LAND STATUS: U.s. bUR. OF LAND MANAGEMENT MAP, 1:500,000 SACLE, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Production): NEUBERGER, R., 1968, PHOSPHATE ROCK CALCINATION IN ISRAEL: PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM, NO. 35, MAY/JUNE 1968, P. 11-21.

Reference (Production): RULE, A. R., KIRBY, D. E., AND DAHLIN, D. C., 1977, RECENT ADVANCES IN BENEFICIATION OF WESTERN PHOSPHATES, PAPER PRESENTED AT S.M.E. FALL MEETING AND EXHIBIT, ST. LOUIS MO., OCT. 19-21, 1977, 17 P.

Reference (Geology): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1960, MINERAL AND WATER RESOURCES OF WYOMING: U.S. CONGRESS - SENATE, DOC. 76, P. 14-16, 145-147.

Reference (Production): GOOD, P. C., 1976, BENEFICIATION OF UNWEATHERED INDIAN CALCAREOUS PHOSPHATE ROCK BY CALCINATION AND HYDRATION: U.s. BUREAU OF MINES REPT. INV. 8154, 17 P.

Reference (Production): RULE, A. R., DAHLIN, D. C., AND FERGUS, A. J., 1978, FLOTATION OF CARBONATE AND SILICATE MINERALS FROM PARTIALLY ALTERED PHOSPHATE ROCK OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION, PAPER PRESENTED AT ISMA TECHNICAL/ECON. CONF.; ORLANDO, FLA., OCT. 23-27, 1979, 11 P.

Reference (Geology): SWANSON, R. W., MCKELVEY, V. E., AND SHELDON, R. P., 1953, PROGRESS REPORT ON INVESTIGATIONS OF WESTERN PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRC. 297, 16 P.

Reference (Geology): SHELDON, R. P., WARING, R. G., WARNER, M. A., SMART, R. A., 1953, STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS OF THE PHOSPHORIA FOR MATION IN WYOMING, 1949-50: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRC. 307, 45 P.

Reference (Geology): SHELDON, R. P., 1957, PHYSICAL STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION IN NORTHWESTERN WYOMING: U.S. GEOL. SURVEY BULL. 1042-E, P. 105-185, PLATES.

Reference (Geology): SHELDON, R. P., 1956, STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION IN THE JACKSON HOLE REGION, WYOMING, IN WYOMING GE ASSOC. 11TH ANN. FIELD CONF. (JACKSON HOLE), P. 66-69.

Reference (Geology): CHENEY, T. M., SHELDON, R. P., WARING, R. G., AND WARNER, M. A., 1954, STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION IN WYOMING, 1951: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRC. 324, 22 P.

Reference (Geology): HORBERG, LELAND, NELSON, VINCENT, AND CHURCH, VICTOR, 1949, STRUCTURAL TRENDS IN CENTRAL WESTERN WYOMING: GEOL. SOC. OF AMERICA BULL., V. 60, P. 183-216.

Reference (Geology): LANE, D. W., 1973, THE PHOSPHORIA AND GOOSE EGG FORMATIONS IN WYOMING: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WYO., PRELIM. REPT. 12, 24 P.

Reference (Deposit): Spangenberg, D.R., Carey, E.F., and Takosky, P.M., 1983, Minerals availability commodity directory on phosphate: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular IC-8926, 678 p.
Pages: P. 404-408.

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