Peerless Prospect

The Peerless Prospect is a mica, tantalum, beryllium, and feldspar mine located in Pennington county, South Dakota at an elevation of 4,560 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Peerless Prospect
Secondary: Monarch
Secondary: Monitor
Secondary: Protector

Commodity

Primary: Mica
Primary: Tantalum
Primary: Beryllium
Primary: Feldspar
Secondary: Lithium
Secondary: Tin

Location

State: South Dakota
County: Pennington
District: Keystone District

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: Black Hills National Forest

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Keystone Feldspar And Chemical Co

Owner Name: Northwest Beryllium Co. And Newton And Cordes

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Interior Plains
Physiographic Province: Great Plains Province
Physiographic Section: Black Hills

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR LENS

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Lithiophilite
Ore: Feldspar
Ore: Muscovite
Ore: Amblygonite
Ore: Columbite
Ore: Cassiterite
Ore: Beryl
Ore: Albite
Gangue: Svanbergite
Gangue: Chrysoberyl
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Uranophane
Gangue: Uraninite
Gangue: Staurolite
Gangue: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Rutile
Gangue: Stannite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Pyrrhotite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Andalusite
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Cleavelandite

Comments

Comment (Location): SE 1/4, NE 1/4

Comment (Production): FELDSPAR PRODUCTION WAS NOT RECORDED. ITEM 1 - IN 1962 BETWEEN 10,000 AND 100,000 LBS OF BERYL WERE PRODUCED. ITEM 2 - 1,000 LTU OR MORE.

Comment (Development): DIAMOND DRILLING BY FEDERAL BUREAU OF MINES AND FEDERAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN 1950-51.

Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN BY OPENCUTS, DRIFTS AND A GLORY HOLE.

Comment (Geology): BERYL CRYSTALS UP TO 12 INCHES IN DIAMETER.

References

Reference (Production): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1955, BLACK HILLS MINERAL ATLAS, SOUTH DAKOTA: PART 2, BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 7707 / SOUTH DAKOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS REPORTS 10 AND 11

Reference (Deposit): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1955, BLACK HILLS MINERAL ATLAS, SOUTH DAKOTA: PART 2, BUREAU OF MINES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 7707

Reference (Deposit): ACKERMAN, W.C., 1952, THE PEERLESS PEGMATITE, SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY

Reference (Deposit): ROBERTS, W.L., AND RAPP, GEORGE, 1965, MINERALOGY OF THE BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN 18

Reference (Deposit): BIENIEWSKI, C.L., AND AGNEW, A.F., 1964, THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF SOUTH DAKOTA IN 1962, SOUTH DAKOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS REPORT 10/BIENIEWSKI, C.L., AND MCGREGOR, D.J., 1965, THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF SOUTH DAKOTA IN 1963, SOUTH DAKOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MINERALS REPORT 11

Reference (Deposit): 1950 DIREXPL

Reference (Deposit): 1950 DIREXPL FEDERAL BUREAU OF MINES

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