Apex

The Apex is a germanium and gallium mine located in Washington county, Utah at an elevation of 541 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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Site Name

Primary: Apex
Secondary: Dixie

Commodity

Primary: Germanium
Primary: Gallium
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Silver

Location

State: Utah
County: Washington
District: Tutsagubet

Land Status

Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
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: Located Claim
Type: Patented

Workings

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Hecla Mining Co., 6500 Mineral Dr. Coeur D'Alene, Id
Percent: 100.0
Home Office: Idaho
Info Year: 1994

Production

Year: 1986
Description: 4500 Mt Of Ore Mined
Year: 1962
Time Period: 1884-1962
Description: Apex Mine Has Operated Intermittently From 1884 To 1962 Producing Over 7,000 Mt Of Cu, 400 Mt Of Pb, 5,600 Kg Of Ag

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Mining Method: Filled Stopes - Horiz Cut and Fill W/Waste Rock
Milling Method: Leach-Precipitation
Year First Production: 1884
Discovery Year: 1884
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Unknown: Malachite
Unknown: Azurite
Unknown: Brochantite
Unknown: Chrysocolla
Unknown: Covellite
Unknown: Cuprite
Unknown: Goethite
Unknown: Hematite
Unknown: Hydrozincite
Unknown: Jarosite
Unknown: Rosasite
Unknown: Smithsonite
Unknown: Adamite
Unknown: Anglesite
Unknown: Cerussite
Unknown: Aurichalcite

Comments

Comment (Geology): LABOR RECORD DATA BASE ON MINE AND RECOVERY PLANT AT FULL CAPACITY AND AT 240 OP DAYS/YR THE APEX ORE BODY IS AN IRREGULAR-SHAPED CHIMNEY-LIKE DEPOSIT CONTAINED WITHIN A SOLUTION COLLASPE BRECCIA THAT FORMED BY THE COLLASPE OF OVERLYING SEDIMENTARY ROCKS INTO SOLUTION CAVERNS WITHIN THE MISSISSIPIAN REDWALL LIMESTONE. THE GA & GE METALS ARE CONTAINED IN THE JAROSITE AND GOETHITE RESPECTIVELY. THE BRECCIA ZONE CONTAINS NUMEROUS OXIDE, SULFATE AND CARBONATE MINERALS FORMED BY OXIDATION AND SUPERGENE ENRICHMENT.

Comment (Ownership): HECLA MINING CO. PURCHASED PROPERTY IN MARCH 1989 FROM MUSTO EXPLORATION LTD (VANCOUVER, BC) FOR $5.5 MILLION).

Comment (Production): HECLA MINING CO. PURCHASED PROPERTY IN MARCH 1989 FROM MUSTO EXPLORATION LTD (VANCOUVER, BC) FOR $5.5 MILLION). PRODUCT RECS A, D, G: GA METAL PRODUCED 50% 4N PURE (99.99%) AND 50% 6N PURE (99.9999%) PRODUCT C, F, I: COPPER CEMENT CONTAINS 12% AS - HANDLED BY COMMODITY BROKER - AND SENT TO SMELTER IN SPAIN. AG AND ZINC NOT RECOVERED - SENT TO TAILS.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): M1C1=R1. M2C1=R2. M3C1=R3. M9C4=M1C1. M9C5=M2C1. M9C6=M3C1. THIS QUANT MATRIX REPRESENTS ORE RESERVES BELOW THE 5434-FT LEVEL. THIS QUANT MATRIX REPRESENTS STOCKPILED DUMP ORE THAT IS BEING BLENDED WITH MINED ORE AT RECOVERY PLANT. THIS QUANT MATRIX REPRESENTS LOW-GRADE ORE RESERVES LOCATED ABOVE 5434-FT LEVEL. REPORTED IN 1986 ANN REPT AS IND. BUT MINE MGR STATED RESERVE AS ACTUALLY PROVEN. THIS RESERVE TOO LOW GRADE AND TOO DIFFICULT TO MINE AT PRESENT

Comment (Geology): ADDITIONAL MINERALS NOT CODED FORTHIS MINE ARE HYDROZINCITE.

References

Reference (Deposit): GERMANIUM MINE ON LINE SOON. DEC. 1984, P. 4A,5A.

Reference (Geology): SOLUTION COLLAPSE BRECCIA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. CIRCULAR 995,

Reference (Geology): WENRICH, K. J., ET AL. APEX MINE - A COLORADO PLATEAU-TYPE

Reference (Geology): GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN FILE REPT OF-85-120, 1984, 19PP.

Reference (Geology): JARVIS PK. QUADRANGLES, WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH. U.S.

Reference (Geology): HINTZE. LEHI F., GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CASTLE CHIEF AND

Reference (Geology): V. 81, 1986, PP. 946-950.

Reference (Geology): GERMANIUM ORES OF THE APEX MINE, UTAH. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY,

Reference (Geology): DUTRIZAC, J. E., ET AL. HOST MINERALS FOR THE GALLIUM-

Reference (Geology): GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 1577. 1986, 9 PP.

Reference (Geology): GERMANIUM-GALLIUM MINE, WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH. U.S.

Reference (Geology): BERNSTEIN, L. R, GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF THE APEX

Reference (Reserve-Resource): MUSTO EXPLORATIONS 1984 ANNUAL REPORT, P. 2

Reference (Reserve-Resource): MUSTO EXPLORATIONS 1986 ANNUAL REPORT, P. 4.

Reference (Geology): 1987, PP. 73-74.

Reference (Deposit): PAYDIRT MAGAZINE INTERMOUNTAIN EDITION. ONLY U.S. GALLIUM-

Reference (Deposit): OUT. OCT. 1986, P. 29A.

Reference (Deposit): _______. UTAH GERMANIUM AND GALLIUM PRODUCER GETTING LINED

Reference (Deposit): RECOVERIES. FEB 1987, P. 23A.

Reference (Deposit): P. 29A.

Reference (Deposit): _______. ST. GEORGE STRUGGLING WITH GERMANIUM, GALLIUM

Reference (Deposit): SAYS RECOVERY PROBLEMS AT APEX IMPROVING. APRIL 1987,

Reference (Deposit): PAYDIRT MAGAZINE SOUTHWESTERN EDITION. ST. GEORGE MINING

Reference (Deposit): MUSTO EXPLORATIONS LTD. ANNUAL REPORTS 1981 - 1986.

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