Deposit with commodities niobium, rare-earth elements, thorium, uranium
More information at and near this site: Nb-CO00019
| Feature ID | Nb-Mo00853 |
|---|---|
| Geographic coordinates | -107.071, 38.2599 |
| Point definition | Approximate center of the merged polygons |
| Polygon definition | Approximate extent of the carbonatite unit from the geologic maps - Olson (1974) (2) and Hedlund and Olson (1975) |
| Reference | Hedlund and Olson (1975); Map GQ-1178 Date: 1975; Scale: Medium (1:24,000-1:250,000)
|
| Remarks | (1) Staatz and others (1979); (2) Olson (1974) |
| Commodities | niobium; rare-earth elements; thorium; uranium |
|---|---|
| Valuable materials | chalcopyrite; columbite; galena; monazite; pyrochlore; sphalerite; thorite; thorogummite; xenotime |
| Associated materials | aegirite; alkali feldspar; ankerite; ankeritic dolomite; apatite; barite; biotite; calcite; carbonate minerals (2); chalcedonic jasper; diopside; dolomite; fluorapatite; fluorite; garnet; goethite; hematite; idocrase; ilmenite; magnetite; manganese oxide; melilite; orthoclase; phlogopite; pyrite; pyrolusite (2); quartz; rutile (1); siderite; sodic amphiboles; zeolite; zircon (1) |
| Mineralization style | dikes; veins |
| Age of mineralization | 570 Ma (1) |
| Host rock age | Cambrian or Neoproterozoic (2) |
| Host unit name | Carbonatite (3) |
| Host lithologies | ankeritic dolomite (2); carbonatite; dolomite (2) |
| Alteration | biotite (2); carbonate minerals (2); phlogopite (2) |
| Reference | Van Gosen, B.S., and Lowers, H.A., 2007, Iron Hill (Powderhorn) carbonatite complex, Gunnison County, CO—A potential source of several uncommon mineral resources: Mining Engineering, v. 59, no. 10, [October 2007], p. 56–62. |
| Additional references | (1) Staatz and others (1979); (2) Olson and Hedlund (1981); (3) Hedlund and Olson (1975) |
“Iron Hill is made up entirely of the massive carbonatite […] The carbonatite exposed on this hill would all be in the category of reserves. Probable potential resources would lie below Iron Hill and could be extended to a depth of another 800 ft. The area underlain by carbonatite is 38,070,000 ft2.”
Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p.
| Type | Model | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit model | Carbonatite-hosted REE deposits | Verplanck, P.L., Van Gosen, B.S., Seal, R.R, and McCafferty, A.E., 2014, A deposit model for carbonatite and peralkaline intrusion-related rare earth element deposits: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5070-J, 58 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20105070J. |
| Geoenvironmental model | Carbonatite deposits | Modreski, P.J., Armbrustmacher, T.J., and Hoover, D.B., 1995, Carbonatite deposits, in du Bray, E.A., eds., Preliminary compilation of descriptive geoenvironmental mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-831, p. 47–49, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr95831. |
| Date | Description | Class | Type | Material | Contained | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Reserves | Unclassified | ore | thorium oxide (ThO2) | 31,080 | tons |
| 1979 | Resources | Probable Potential | ore | niobium oxide (Nb2O5) | 1,523,000 | tons |
| 1979 | Resources | Probable Potential | ore | thorium oxide (ThO2) | 114,900 | tons |
| 1979 | Resources | Probable Potential | ore | uranium oxide (U3O8) | 33,930 | tons |
| 1979 | Reserves | Unclassified | ore | niobium oxide (Nb2O5) | 411,900 | tons |
| 1979 | Reserves | Unclassified | ore | uranium oxide (U3O8) | 9,180 | tons |
| 1979 | Reserves | Unclassified | ore | total rare-earth oxide (TREO) | 2,865,000 | tons |
| 1979 | Resources | Probable Potential | ore | total rare-earth oxide (TREO) | 10,590,000 | tons |
| 1979: Reserves, Unclassified | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Reserves |
| Resource classification | Unclassified |
| Material | thorium oxide (ThO2) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 722,700,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.004 |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 31,080 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 655,600,000(calculated)(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.004(calculated) |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 24,780(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | Th |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 30 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Resources, Probable Potential | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Resources |
| Resource classification | Probable Potential |
| Material | niobium oxide (Nb2O5) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 2,672,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.057(calculated) |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 1,523,000 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 2,424,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.04(calculated) |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 965,800(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | Nb |
| Remarks | Grade reported as average grade from analytical data of 28 samples |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 31 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Resources, Probable Potential | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Resources |
| Resource classification | Probable Potential |
| Material | thorium oxide (ThO2) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 2,672,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.004 |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 114,900 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 2,424,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.004 |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 91,600(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | Th |
| Remarks | Grade reported as average grade of measurements from 151 stations |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 31 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Resources, Probable Potential | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Resources |
| Resource classification | Probable Potential |
| Material | uranium oxide (U3O8) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 2,672,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.001 |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 33,930 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 2,424,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.001 |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 26,100(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | U |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 31 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Reserves, Unclassified | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Reserves |
| Resource classification | Unclassified |
| Material | niobium oxide (Nb2O5) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 722,700,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.057 |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 411,900 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 655,600,000(calculated)(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.04(calculated) |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 261,200(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | Nb |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 30 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Reserves, Unclassified | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Reserves |
| Resource classification | Unclassified |
| Material | uranium oxide (U3O8) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 722,700,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.001 |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 9,180 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 655,600,000(calculated)(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.001(calculated) |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 7,060(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | U |
| Remarks | Grade reported as average grade from analytical data of 28 samples |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 30 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Reserves, Unclassified | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Reserves |
| Resource classification | Unclassified |
| Material | total rare-earth oxide (TREO) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 722,700,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.397 |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 2,865,000 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 655,600,000(calculated)(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.397 |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 2,599,000(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | TREO |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 30 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| 1979: Resources, Probable Potential | |
|---|---|
| Year of estimate | 1979 |
| Resource description | Resources |
| Resource classification | Probable Potential |
| Material | total rare-earth oxide (TREO) |
| Material type | ore |
| Material amount | 2,672,000,000(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Amount units | tons |
| Grade | 0.396(calculated) |
| Grade units | percent |
| Contained commodity | 10,590,000 |
| Contained commodity units | tons |
| Material amount SI | 2.424(calculated)(includes amounts of more than one commodity) |
| Material amount SI units | metric tons |
| Grade SI | 0.396(calculated) |
| Grade SI units | percent |
| Contained commodity SI | 9,607,000(calculated) |
| Contained commodity SI units | metric tons |
| Contained commodity element | TREO |
| Remarks | Grade reported as average grade from analytical data of 28 samples |
| Short reference | Staatz and others (1979)Page 31 |
| Reference | Staatz, M.H., Armbrustmacher, T.J., Olson, J.C., Brownfield, I.K., Brock, M.R., Lemons, J.F., Jr., Coppa, L.V., and Clingan, B.V., 1979, Principal thorium resources in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 805, 42 p. |
| Dates | Status | Detail | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 to 1965 | Exploration | Exploration activities by Du Pont included extensive exploratory drilling for niobium and an exploratory adit | Van Gosen and Lowers (2007) |
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| Geologic map unit | -107.071, 38.2599 |
|---|---|
| Nearby scientific data | Find additional scientific data near this location |