Wells Canyon Nickel and Clay Pits

The Wells Canyon Nickel and Clay Pits is a nickel, zinc, and clay mine located in Utah county, Utah at an elevation of 5,469 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: Wells Canyon Nickel and Clay Pits

Commodity

Primary: Nickel
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Clay

Location

State: Utah
County: Utah
District: Mercur District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Charles Mercer

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: High Plateaus Of Utah
Physiographic Detail: Uinta Extention

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: BLANKET

Form: BLANKET

Form: BLANKET

Structure

Type: R
Description: Basin And Range

Type: L
Description: Fractures And Fissures

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Sericitization, Limonitization And Silicification

Rocks

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Pennsylvanian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Kaolinite
Ore: Sericite
Ore: Smithsonite
Ore: Montmorillonite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chlorite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Geology): THE SHALES ARE HIGHLY SQUEEZED. LIMESTONES ARE BRECCIATED AND ALTERED. SECONDARY SILICA AND CALCITE OCCUR ALONG WITH SMITHSONITE IN VUGS, CAVITIES AND VEINS.

Comment (Location): INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION FIGURES ARE NOT KNOWN

Comment (Deposit): NICKEL MINERALS OCCURE AS VEINLETS OF BRIGHT GREEN MATERIAL IN A LIMONITIC MATRIX, AND ALSO AS A MASSIVE GREYISH GREEN SMITHSONITE IN LIMESTONES, EXPOSED IN A ROAD CUT OF 300 SQ FT AREA, NEAR THE CLAY PIT MINERLIZATION IS LOCALIZED TO FRACTURES

Comment (Workings): IN ADDITION TO CLAY PIT, SEVERAL OTHER SMALL PROSPECTING PITS AND TRENCHES ARE FOUND.

Comment (Deposit): AVERAGE NICKEL CONTENT OF SHALES AND LIMESTONES OF THIS AREA IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 0.1%, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE KNOWN AVERAGE VALUES (0.001% AND 0.0089%, RESPECTIVELY). ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV

References

Reference (Deposit): HYATT, E.R., 1956, CLAYS OF UTAH COUNTY, UTAH: U.G.M.S. BULL. 55.

Reference (Deposit): BISSELL, H.J., ET. AL., 1958, GUIDEBOOK TO THE GEOLOGY OF UTAH, NO 14, UT GEOL. SOC.: U.G.M. BULL. 14, 262 P.

Reference (Deposit): ANDERSON, B.J., 1959, NICKEL-ZINC MINERALIZATION IN THE SOUTHERN OQUIRRH MOUNTAINS, UTAH: M.S. THESIS, UNIV. OF UTAH

Reference (Deposit): VAN SANT, JOEL, N., 1964, REFRACTORY CLAY DEPOSITS OF UTAH: U.S. BUR. OF MINES INF.CIRC. 8213

Reference (Production): MOHAMMAD, H., 1981, ON SITE INVESTIGATION: U.G.M.S.

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