Middle Sulphur Canyon Proposed Mine

The Middle Sulphur Canyon Proposed Mine is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Caribou county, Idaho at an elevation of 7,201 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

Name: Middle Sulphur Canyon Proposed Mine  

State:  Idaho

County:  Caribou

Elevation: 7,201 Feet (2,195 Meters)

Commodity: Phosphorus-Phosphates

Lat, Long: 42.6481, -111.46170

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Middle Sulphur Canyon Proposed Mine

Middle Sulphur Canyon Proposed Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Middle Sulphur Canyon Proposed Mine
Secondary: Middle Sulphur Canyon Mining Plan
Secondary: Sulphur Canyon #2
Secondary: Middle Sulphur Canyon #2


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: Patented
Type: Federal Lease


Workings

Not available


Ownership

Owner Name: J. R. Simplot Co.
Info Year: 1978
Years: 1978 -

Owner Name: Federal Government-Bureau Of Land Management/USFS
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 1978
Years: 1978 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Deposit
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Surface
Mining Method: Open Pit
Milling Method: Washing
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
Deposit Size: M


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Great Basin


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Phosphate, upwelling type


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Structure: Trail Creek Syncline

Type: L
Structure: Minor Faults And Folds


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: 7 SAMPLES OVER 11.9 FT. THICKNESS IN SECTION 9 GAVE 12.8 % P2O5 MAX
Analytical Data: 25 SAMPLES OVER 69.4 FT THICKNESS IN SECTION 8 GAVE 28.8 % P2O5 MAX
Analytical Data: 8 SAMPLES OVER 17.1 FT THICKNESS IN SECTION 8 GAVE 32.8 % P2O5 MAX


Materials

Unknown: Calcite
Unknown: Dolomite
Unknown: Feldspar
Unknown: Limonite
Unknown: Sericite


Comments

Comment (Workings): 343 ACRES WILL BE EFFECTED ACCORDING TO EIA, 113 ACRES OF PITS, 57 ACRES OF DUMPS, 173 ACRES OF ROADS, BUILDINGS AND OTHER FACILITIES. THE MINE AREA HAS A RELIEF OF 500 FT. ENDANGERED SPECIES THAT LIVE IN THE AREA ARE:PERGRINE FALCON, PRAIRE FALCON, GOLDEN EAGLE, BALD EAGLE

Comment (Exploration): EXPLORATORY DRILLING HAS BEEN DONE ON SIMPLOTS PATENTED LAND SIMPLOT IS NOW DRILLING 88 HOLES AND PUTTING IN 5 TRENCHES ON THE LEASEABLE LAND. ORE GRADE DATA WILL BE COMPUTED WHEN THIS WORK IS COMPLETE

Comment (Geology): THE SOUTH END OF THE BIG PIT IS MARKED BY FAULTS. THE MEADE PEAK MEMBER IS 160 FT THICK. THE LOWER AND UPPER ORE ZONES TOTAL 30 FT THICK. THE SMALL PIT WILL BE 1108 FT LONG, 300 FT WIDE AND 100 FT DEEP. THE BIG PIT WILL BE 4200 FT LONG, 1100 FT WIDE, AND 350 FT DEEP. G SET FOR MIC3 IS THE AVERAGE OF THESE 2 PITS

Comment (Reserve-Resource): MATRIX1 COL 3 IS FROM EIS. PHOSPHATE GRADE WAS NOT GIVEN BUT IT IS STATED THAT THE ORE IS OF UNUSUAL THICKNESS AND GOOD QUALITY, THE MAIN BED (FOOTWALK) IS ESPECIALLY THICK, AVERAGING 8.5 FT. COMPLETE INFO ON THE INTERMEDIATE AND UPPER ZONES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTILL THE EXPLORATION DRILLING PROGRAM IS COMPLETE TONNAGE IS COMBINED FIGURE FOR BIG AND SMALL PITS CROSSECTIONS 19B,20B, JOHNSON CREEK QUAD. 75% PROB FIGURE IS FOR A 3.5:1 STRIPPING RATIO. TONNAGE IS FROM CROSSECTIONS 19B,20B. 16820 CUBIC YDS OF WASTE WOULD BE MOVED TO GET THE ORE. 25% PROB FIGURE IS FOR A 8.9:1 STRIPPING RATIO. TONNAGE IS FROM CROSSECTION 20B,19B. 75049 CUBIC YDS OF WASTE WOULD BE MOVED TO GET THE ORE. THE 25% FIGURE INCLUDES THE ORE AND WASTE TONNAGE FROM THE 3.5:1 STRIPPING RATIO.

Comment (Deposit): SIMPLOT MINING PLAN INVOLVES 2 MINING PANELS ON FEDERAL PHOSPHATE LEASE I-01603 (688 ACRES). THE 2 PANELS COVER 74 ACRES MINING WILL BE ON THE WEST LIMB OF THE TRAIL CREEK SYNCCINE THE AREA IS A DIP-SLOPE OUTCROP WITH A THICK CAPPING OF REX CHERT. THIS THICKNESS TENDS TO OFFSET THE LOW STRIPPING RATIO WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE BE EXPECTED. THICKCHERT MUST BE DRILLED AND BLASTED, WHICH GREATLY INCREASES THE COST OF OVER BURDEN REMOVAL DEPOSIT EXTENDS SOUUTH INTO THE NW 1/4 OF SECTION 17 MINING WILL INVOLVE 2 PITS. THE PIT MINED FIRST WILL BE IN A SMALL FAULT BLOCK OF ORE LOCATED 300 FT DUE WEST OF THE MAIN PIT. THIS BLOCK HAS BEEN DOWNTHROWN AND DIPS 45 DEG E THIS BLOCK CONTAINS 200000 ST OF ORE, 300000 BANK CUBIC YDS OF WASTE WILL BE PRODUCED FROM IT THE LARGER PIT WILL PRODUCE 5 MILLION ST OF ORE AND 17 MILLION CUBIC YDS OF WASTE. THIS BIG PIT MAY GO DEEPER IF WATER PROBLEMS ARE NOT TOO GREAT ORE WILL BE SENT BY TRUCK OR SLURRY TO THE MILL AT CONDA LOCATED ON U.S.FOREST SERVICE LANDS. DRILLED OUT AND LEFT BY SIMPLOT. MAYBE 50 YEARS OR SO.

Comment (Development): 688.08 ACRE LEASE ( 1975 )

Comment (Workings): 2 PROPOSED PITS, 1 WILL BE 1100 FT LONG 300 FT WIDE, AND 100 FT DEEP; 2ND WILL BE 4200 FT LONG, 1100 FT WIDE, 350 FT DEEP; 3 DIAMOND DRILL HOLES BY USBM IN SECTIONS 8 AND 9


References

Reference (Deposit): 1975 RECON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, V. 2 , PT. 10.2

Reference (Deposit): 1966 RECON USBM REPT. INV. 6801

Reference (Deposit): FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT VOL. 11, DEVELOPMENT OF PHOSPHATE RESOURCES IN SOUTHERN IDAHO, USGS, BLM, FOREST SERVICE, 1977

Reference (Deposit): GARRAND, LEONARD, 1975, PHOSPHATE STUDY OF SE IDAHO FOR USDA -FOREST SERVICE

Reference (Deposit): SERVICE, A.L., 1966, AN EVALUATION OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY AND ITS RESOURCES, PART 3, IDAHO. US BUREAU OF MINES REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 6801

Reference (Deposit): USGS, 1975 , DEVELOPMENT OF PHOSPHATE RESOURCES IN SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO: DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, V. 2 , PT. 10.2 , P. 30 - 62

Reference (Deposit): MC KELVEY, V. E., AND OTHERS, 1953 , STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION IN IDAHO, 1947 - 1948 , PART 1 : USGS CIRC. 208 , 49 P.

Reference (Deposit): 1910 DIREXPL SAN FRANCISCO CHEMICAL CO., USBM REPT. INV. 6801

Reference (Deposit): 1948 DIREXPL USBM, USGS CIRC. 208

Reference (Deposit): 1953 COMPILE V. E. MC KELVEY AND OTHERS, CIRC. 208


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