Belt Clay

The Belt Clay is a mine located in Cascade county, Montana at an elevation of 3,760 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: Belt Clay
Secondary: Kootenai Fm High Alumina Clay
Secondary: Anaconda Copper Mining Clay Pit

Commodity

Tertiary: Aluminum
Tertiary: Water, Free
Tertiary: Silica
Tertiary: Iron

Location

State: Montana
County: Cascade
District: Unorganized 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

Type: Private Lease

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Owner Name: Anaconda Copper Co.
Home Office: Montana
Info Year: 1975

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Mining Method: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1905
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Interior Plains
Physiographic Province: Great Plains Province
Physiographic Section: Missouri Plateau, Unglaciated

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Quartz
Unknown: Pyrite
Unknown: Montmorillonite
Unknown: Kaolinite
Unknown: Illite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THE BELT CLAY PROPERTY SHOULD NOT RECEIVE A COMPLETE MAS EVALUATION AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE COMPLETE EVALUATIONS LIST. WITH 30 METERS OF SOFT MATERIAL AS OVERBURDEN AND AN ORE HORIZON OF 1.4 METERS OF CLAY THE PROPERTY WILL NOT BE A FUTURE ALUMINA RESOURCE. THE COSTS LISTED ARE FOR A SURFACE MINE USING FRONT- END LOADERS AND TRUCKS; DRAGLINES SHOULD PROBABLY BE USED. PREVIOUS COSTS WERE BASED ON UNDERGROUND MINING TECHNIQUES; LONGWALL MINING. LONGWALL MINING IS NOT FEASIBLE. THERE ARE THREE SETS OF COSTS; ORIGINAL 1975 COSTS. COST UPDATED FROM 1975 TO 1979; AND COMPLETELY RECOSTED 1979 COSTS.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): TONNAGE AND GRADE FIGURES WERE DEVELOPED IN HOUSE IN 1975. THE PRIMARY REFERENCE IS MONTANA BULL. 340, PP. 417- 422 (1907) BY CASSIUS A. FISHER. MATRIX GRADES AND TONNAGES ARE BASED ON WET TONNES.

References

Reference (Deposit): BERG, R.B., D.C. LAWSON, F.P. JONES, AND R.I. SMITH,

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 56, 1967, 20 PP.

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGY OF THE GREAT FALLS-LEWISTON COAL FIELDS, CENTRAL M

Reference (Deposit): SILVERMAN, A.J., AND W.L. HARRIS. STRATIGRAPHY AND ECONOMIC

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 11, 1959, 51 PP.

Reference (Deposit): SAHINEN, U.M., F.A. CROWLEY, SUMMARY OF MONTANA MINERAL RESO

Reference (Deposit): CASCADE COUNTY, MONTANA. U.S. BUMINES I.C. 7589, 1951, 81

Reference (Deposit): ROBERTSON, C.F., MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS (EXCEPT FUELS)

Reference (Deposit): U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 356, 1909, 85 PP.

Reference (Deposit): BULL 340, 1907, PGS. 417-423.

Reference (Deposit): FISHER, C.A. GEOLOGY OF THE GREAT FALLS COAL FIELD, MONTANA

Reference (Deposit): IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Reference (Deposit): FISHER, C.A., CLAYS IN THE KOOTENAI FORMATION NEAR BELT, MON

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA BUREAU OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULL. 70, 1968, 74 PP.

Reference (Deposit): UNPUB. M.S. THESIS, 1937.

Reference (Deposit): PROGRESS REPORT ON CLAYS AND SHALES OF MONTANA 1966-1967.

Reference (Deposit): MONTANA--CLAY INDUSTRY OF MONTANA. MONTANA SCHOOL OF MINES

Reference (Deposit): WARDE, J.M. GEOLOGY AND CLAYS OF THE KOOTENAI FORMATION OF

Principal Gold Districts of Montana

In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production. Read more: Principal Gold Districts of Montana.