Sheep Creek

The Sheep Creek is a phosphorus-phosphates mine located in Daggett county, Utah at an elevation of 6,988 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: Sheep Creek
Secondary: Horseshoe Canyon
Secondary: Flaming Gorge Group
Secondary: Sols Canyon
Secondary: Flaming Gorge

Commodity

Primary: Phosphorus-Phosphates
Tertiary: Uranium

Location

State: Utah
County: Daggett
District: Western Phosphate

Land Status

Land ownership: Mixed
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

Type: State Lease
Type: Federal Lease

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: State Of Utah
Home Office: Utah
Info Year: 1980

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

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Coal Mining Methods - Conventional Room & Pillar
Milling Method: Flotation
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Phosphate, upwelling type

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

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

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THIS MINERALS AVAILABILITY SYSTEM EVALUATION WAS DONE AS PART OF A 1980 STUDY OF UTAH AND WYOMING PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS BY THE INTERMOUNTAIN FIELD OPERATIONS CENTER, DENVER, COLORADO. THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE DEPOSIT EXTENDS INTO SUMMIT COUNTY. DOMAIN - ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE OUTCROP IS ON NATIONAL FOREST LAND WITH THE REMAINDER ABOUT EQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN STATE OF UTAH LAND AND PRIVATE LAND. MINERAL HOLDINGS

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 (Reserve-Resource): RESERVE RECORDS 1 AND 2 CONSIST OF RESOURCES BETWEEN HORSESHOE CANYON AND SHEEP CREEK ABOVE ENTRY LEVEL. RESERVE RECORDS 3 AND 4 REPRESENT ALL RESOURCES IN THE FLAMING GORGE AREA ABOVE ENTRY LEVEL. RESERVE RECORD 5 CONSISTS OF ALL RESOURCES IN THE FLAMING GORGE AREA WITHIN 1150 FEET OF VERTICAL DEPTH.

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 (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): A NUMBER OF FEDERAL AND STATE PHOSPHATE LEASES ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT COVERING, IT APPEARS, THE MAJORITY OF THE PHOSPHATE OUTCROPS IN THE DEPOSIT AREA, ESPECIALLY TOWARD THE EASTERN END OF THE OUTCROP AREA. REMAINING LANDS ARE OPEN TO FEDERAL OR STATE LEASING. THE PER- CENTAGE OWNERSHIP FIGURE FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WAS LEFT BLANK BECAUSE IT IS NOT KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE OUTCROP AREA IS UNDER LEASE. THE SAME APPLIES FOR STATE OF UTAH LAND.

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

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 RECOVERY FOR THE TWO-PRODUCT MILL PROPOSED IN THIS EVALUATION IS 89.0 PERCENT FOR MIL K1, DEV SCH 1&2. EXACT RECOVERIES USED IN CALCULATING PRODUCT OUTPUT TONNAGES FOR THE TWO-PRODUCT MILL PROPOSED IN THIS EVALUATION ARE 43.2190 PERCENT FOR PRODUCT A DEV SCH 1&2; 45.7810 PERCENT FOR PRODUCT F, DEV SCH 1&2.

References

Reference (Geology): PLATE.

Reference (Geology): 1918, PART I: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 690, P. 31-94,

Reference (Geology): ERALOG. SURVEY BULL. 59, 54 P., 3 PLATES.

Reference (Geology): CHENEY, T. M., 1957, PHOSPHATE IN UTAH: UTAH GEOL. AND MIN-

Reference (Reference): FIELD: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 1018, 89 P.

Reference (Reference): BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE

Reference (Reference): HARRIS, R. A., DAVIDSON, D. F., AND ARNOLD, B. P., 1954,

Reference (Deposit): CONF., 287 P., 3 PLATES.

Reference (Deposit): FIELD: INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. OF GEOL. 15TH ANN. FIELD

Reference (Production): ADVANCES IN BENEFICIATION OF WESTERN PHOSPHATES: MIN.

Reference (Production): MO., OCT. 19-21, 1977, 17 P.

Reference (Production): RULE, A. R., KIRBY, D. E., AND DAHLIN, D. C., 1978, RECENT

Reference (Production): PRESENTED AT S.M.E. FALL MEETING AND EXHIBIT, ST. LOUIS

Reference (Production): ADVANCES IN BENEFICIATION OF WESTERN PHOSPHATES, PAPER

Reference (Production): RULE, A. R., KIRBY, D. E., AND DAHLIN, D. C., 1977, RECENT

Reference (Reserve-Resource): GERE, W. C., 1964, PHOSPHATE, IN MINERAL AND WATER RESOURCES

Reference (Reserve-Resource): CORP.) BY EARTH SCIENCES INC., 1396 P. PLUS PLATES.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): OF ENERGY CONTRACT 50-54-5903 (BENDIX FIELD ENG.

Reference (Production): CONF.; ORLANDO, FLA., OCT. 23-27, 1979, 11 P.

Reference (Production): FORMATION, PAPER PRESENTED AT ISMA TECHNICAL/ECON.

Reference (Production): PARTIALLY ALTERED PHOSPHATE ROCK OF THE PHOSPHORIA

Reference (Production): FLOTATION OF CARBONATE AND SILICATE MINERALS FROM

Reference (Production): 1968, P. 11-21.

Reference (Production): RULE, A. R., DAHLIN, D. C., AND FERGUS, A. J., 1978,

Reference (Production): PHOSPHORUS AND POTASSIUM, NO. 35, MAY/JUNE

Reference (Production): NEUBERGER, R., 1968, PHOSPHATE ROCK CALCINATION IN ISRAEL:

Reference (Production): U.S. BUREAU OF MINES REPT. INV. 8154, 17 P.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): STATES AND FREE WORLD: SUBCONTRACT 78-177-S TO DEPT.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): URANIUM RECOVERY FROM PHOSPHATE RESOURCES, UNITED

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PHOSPHATE RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS OF

Reference (Reserve-Resource): DE VOTO, R. H., AND STEVENS, D. N., ED., 1979, URANIFEROUS

Reference (Reserve-Resource): REPT. INV. 6934, 158 P.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): PART 4, WYOMING AND UTAH: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES

Reference (Reserve-Resource): THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY AND ITS RESOURCES -

Reference (Reserve-Resource): COFFMAN, J. S., AND SERVICE, A. L., 1967, AN EVALUATION OF

Reference (Ownership): LAND MANAGEMENT MAP, 1:250,000 SCALE, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Ownership): OWNERSHIP AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT, BASIN - H: U.S. BUR.

Reference (Ownership): U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 1973, STATE OF UTAH LAND

Reference (Ownership): SPECIAL REPT. (IN PRESS), TEXT WITH MAPS AND OVERLAYS.

Reference (Geology): 490, 196 P., 3 PLATES.

Reference (Production): ENG., JAN. 1978, P. 37-40.

Reference (Geology): UTAH, COLORADO-WYOMING: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER

Reference (Geology): HANSEN, W. R., 1965, GEOLOGY OF THE FLAMING GORGE AREA,

Reference (Deposit): NO. 50-820, 1102 P.

Reference (Deposit): HALE, L. A., ED., 1967, ANATOMY OF THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE

Reference (Deposit): EASTERN IDAHO: U.S. DEPT. OF AGR. CONTRACT

Reference (Deposit): GARRAND CORPORATION, 1975 (?), PHOSPHATE RESERVES OF SOUTH-

Reference (Deposit): STRATEGIC MINER. INV. PRELIM. MAP 3-198, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA, IDAHO, WYOMING, AND UTAH: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Reference (Deposit): CLABAUGH, P. S., 1946, PERMIAN PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS OF

Reference (Reserve-Resource): ANN. FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 153-168.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): MOUNTAIN AREA, IN INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. OF GEOL. 16TH

Reference (Reserve-Resource): WILLIAMS, J. S., 1969, THE PERMIAN SYSTEM IN THE UINTA

Reference (Reserve-Resource): STA. BULL. 290, 44 P.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): WILLIAMS, J. S., 1939, PHOSPHATE IN UTAH: UTAH AGR, EXPT.

Reference (Production): CALCAREOUS PHOSPHATE ROCK BY CALCINATION AND HYDRATION:

Reference (Production): GOOD, P. C., 1976, BENEFICIATION OF UNWEATHERED INDIAN

Reference (Production): ITALY, APRIL 23-24, 1975, P. 53-54.

Reference (Geology): TO PHOSPHATE, IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY,

Reference (Geology): UINTA MOUNTAINS, NORTHERN UTAH, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE

Reference (Geology): SCHULTZ, A. R., 1919. A GEOLOGIC RECONNAISSANCE OF THE

Reference (Geology): ANN. FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 141-152.

Reference (Geology): COUNTY, UTAH, IN INTERMOUNTAIN ASSOC. OF GEOL. 16TH

Reference (Geology): CREEK CANYON GEOLOGICAL AREA AND VICINITY, DAGGETT

Reference (Geology): SCHELL, E. M., 1969, SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGY OF THE SHEEP

Reference (Geology): UTAH GEOL. AND MINERALOG. SURVEY BULL. 66, 116 P.

Reference (Geology): SURVEY BULL. 1007, 185 P., PLATES.

Reference (Geology): RITZMA, H. R., 1959, GEOLOGIC ATLAS OF UTAH-DAGGETT COUNTY:

Reference (Geology): AREA, DUCHESNE AND UINTAH COUNTIES, UTAH: U.S. GEOL.

Reference (Geology): KINNEY, D. M., 1955, GEOLOGY OF THE UINTA RIVER, BRUSH CREEK

Reference (Reserve-Resource): P 195-205.

Reference (Reserve-Resource): OF UTAH: UTAH GEOL. AND MINERALOG. SURVEY BULL. 73,

Reference (Ownership): MONTANA, UTAH, AND WYOMING, 1979: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES

Reference (Ownership): FEDERAL LAND STATUS IN THE OVERTHRUST BELT OF IDAHO,

Reference (Ownership): SCHUMACHER, O. L., PENSE, R. A., AND DAVIS, R. B., 1979,

Reference (Geology): TAIN ASSOC. OF GEOL. 15TH ANN. FIELD CONF., P. 99-102.

Reference (Geology): PHOSPHORITES OF THE PHOSPHORIA FORMATION, IN INTERMOUN-

Reference (Geology): GULBRANDSEN, R. A., 1967, SOME COMPOSITIONAL FEATURES OF

Reference (Geology): 3 PLATES.

Reference (Geology): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 313-A, P. 1-47,

Reference (Geology): SHEDHORN FORMATIONS IN THE WESTERN PHOSPHATE FIELD:

Reference (Geology): MCKELVEY, V. E., 1959, THE PHOSPHORIA, PARK CITY, AND

Reference (Production): INTERNAT. MINERALS PROCESSING CONGRESS, KAGLIARI,

Reference (Production): FICIATION OF LEAN PHOSPHATE WITH CARBONATE GANGUE, 11TH

Reference (Production): DEPOSIT WITH CALCAREOUS GANGUE, IN SEMINAR ON BENE-

Reference (Production): BENEFICIATION STUDIES ON A HIMALAYAN LEAN PHOSPHATE

Reference (Production): GOKHALE, K. V. G. K., RAO, T. C., AND BISWAS, A. K., 1975,

Reference (Production): METALURSKI ZBORNIK, NO. 2-3, 1970, P. 275-283.

Reference (Production): CALCINATION, THE MATERIAL BALANCE: RUDARSKO -

Reference (Production): EBERL, E., 1970, BENEFICIATION OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE BY

Reference (Production): UNIV. OF WYO. NAT. RES. RESEARCH INST. BULL. 6, 60 P.

Reference (Production): PHOSPHATE ROCK - CHARACTER, PROCESSING, AND ECONOMICS:

Reference (Production): DUNCAN, W. E., AND FISK, H. G., 1957, CENTRAL WYOMING

Reference (Geology): SURVEY, 1:250,000-SCALE MAP, 1 SHEET.

Reference (Geology): 1-DEGREE BY 2-DEGREE TOPOGRAPHIC MAP: U.S. GEOL.

Reference (Geology): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1954, VERNAL, UTAH; COLORADO.

Reference (Geology): 306, 40 P.

Reference (Geology): FORMATION IN UTAH, 1949-51: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRC.

Reference (Geology): M. A., 1953, STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS OF THE PHOSPHORIA

Reference (Geology): CHENEY, T. M., SMART, R. A., WARING, R. G., AND WARNER,

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