Uranium mining in Utah
Encyclopedia
Uranium mining in Utah, a state of the United States
, has a history going back more than 100 years. Uranium
started as a byproduct of vanadium mining about 1900, became a byproduct of radium mining about 1910, then back to a byproduct of vanadium when the radium price fell in the 1920s. Utah saw a uranium boom in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but uranium mining declined in the 1980s. Since 2001 there has been a revival of interest in uranium mining, as a result of higher uranium prices.
goes back to the late 19th century, at the northern end of the Uravan mineral belt (see Uranium mining in Colorado), where it crosses into Grand County, Utah
. Uranium occurs in the Salt Wash member of the Morrison Formation
of Jurassic
age. Because much of the value depended on the vanadium content, the only economic ore minerals were carnotite
and tyuyamunite. Following World War II
buying for nuclear weapons programs made uranium valuable for its own sake, and attracted hundreds of prospectors to southeast Utah.
in Lisbon Valley, San Juan County
in 1913, and some carnotite
was mined on a small scale for vanadium
in 1917, 1940, and 1941. In the uranium mining boom of 1948, mining began in sandstone of the Permian
Cutler Formation
. Then in 1952, Charles Steen
drilled into a rich 70 feet (21.3 m) uraninite
orebody in the Triassic
Chinle Formation
; that type of deposit became the largest producer in the district. Ore is distributed along 15 miles of outcrop on the southwest side of the Lisbon valley anticline. The district produced 49 million pounds of U3O8 (uranium oxide) through 1965.
uranium district 40 miles to the south which straddles the Utah/Arizona state line (see Uranium mining in Arizona
). Uranium occurs in the Shinarump Member of the Triassic
Chinle Formation
. Primary ore minerals are uraninite
and coffinite
. Through 1965, the White Canyon district produced 10 million pounds of U3O8.
district, in Piute
and Sevier
counties, uranium occurs in hydrothermal veins in igneous rocks (quartz monzonite
, latite
porphyry, and aplite
). Primary uranium minerals are uraninite
and umohoite, with associated gangue minerals pyrite
, fluorite
, quartz
, and adularia.
mines at the Silver Reef/Harrisburg district, at Silver Reef
, Washington County
. No uranium was extracted until 1950, when a small shipment was made. The uranium occurs as carnotite
along with copper
mineralization and the silver
mineral chlorargyrite
in the Chinle Formation
. Uranium production has been minor.
Spor Mountain Formation at the Yellow Chief mine in the Thomas Range
of Juab County
. The uranium ore minerals were beta-uranophane
, weeksite, and schroekingerite.
in Salt Lake County
, a large porphyry copper mine, recovered 120,000 to 150,000 pounds of uranium
oxide each year from 1978 through 1989, as part of its copper mining operation.
’s numerous uranium mines closed prior to 2000, because of low uranium prices.
In late 2006, Denison Mines
reopened the Pandora mine in the La Sal mining district of southeastern Utah
. Denison Mines
has received all the required permits from the state of Utah and the US Bureau of Land Management to reopen its Tony M uranium mine in the Henry Mountains
; ore production is expected to begin in 2008. The Tony M deposit is said to contain 5.3 million pounds (2400 tonnes) of U3O8.http://www.denisonmines.com/files/objects/070910%20-%20Tony%20MV3.pdf Nearby the Tony M deposit, Denison has another uranium deposit, the Bullfrog. Denison is currently stockpiling production ore at its White Mesa uranium processing mill at Blanding, Utah
while processing "alternate feed material" received from other North American producers. After a scheduled shut-down from mid-2009, the mill resumed processing production ore in March 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, has a history going back more than 100 years. Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
started as a byproduct of vanadium mining about 1900, became a byproduct of radium mining about 1910, then back to a byproduct of vanadium when the radium price fell in the 1920s. Utah saw a uranium boom in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but uranium mining declined in the 1980s. Since 2001 there has been a revival of interest in uranium mining, as a result of higher uranium prices.
Uravan mineral belt
Mining of uranium-vanadium ore in southeast UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
goes back to the late 19th century, at the northern end of the Uravan mineral belt (see Uranium mining in Colorado), where it crosses into Grand County, Utah
Grand County, Utah
Grand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 had been estimated at 8,743. It was named for the Colorado River, which at the time of statehood was known as the Grand River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.-Geography:According...
. Uranium occurs in the Salt Wash member of the Morrison Formation
Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Late Jurassic sedimentary rock that is found in the western United States, which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltstone and limestone and is light grey, greenish...
of Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
age. Because much of the value depended on the vanadium content, the only economic ore minerals were carnotite
Carnotite
Carnotite is a potassium uranium vanadate radioactive mineral with chemical formula: K222·3H2O. The water content can vary and small amounts of calcium, barium, magnesium, iron, and sodium are often present.-Occurrence:...
and tyuyamunite. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
buying for nuclear weapons programs made uranium valuable for its own sake, and attracted hundreds of prospectors to southeast Utah.
Lisbon Valley
Uranium was discovered in sandstone of the Chinle FormationChinle Formation
The Chinle is a geologic formation that is spread across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. The Chinle is controversially considered to be synonymous to the Dockum Group in eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southwestern Kansas, the...
in Lisbon Valley, San Juan County
San Juan County, Utah
As of the current census of 2010, there were 14,746 people and 4,505 households. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 50.4% Native American, 45.8% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% African American and 2.3% reporting two or more races...
in 1913, and some carnotite
Carnotite
Carnotite is a potassium uranium vanadate radioactive mineral with chemical formula: K222·3H2O. The water content can vary and small amounts of calcium, barium, magnesium, iron, and sodium are often present.-Occurrence:...
was mined on a small scale for vanadium
Vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery gray, ductile and malleable transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation. The element is found only in chemically combined form in nature...
in 1917, 1940, and 1941. In the uranium mining boom of 1948, mining began in sandstone of the Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
Cutler Formation
Cutler Formation
The Cutler is a rock unit that is spread across the U.S. states of Arizona, northwest New Mexico, southeast Utah and southwest Colorado. It was laid down in the Early Permian during the Wolfcampian stage. In Arizona and Utah it is often called the Cutler Group but the preferred USGS name is Cutler...
. Then in 1952, Charles Steen
Charles Steen
Charles A. Steen , was a geologist who made and lost a fortune after discovering a rich uranium deposit in Utah during the Uranium boom of the early 1950s.-Early years:Steen was born in Caddo, Texas and attended high school in Houston...
drilled into a rich 70 feet (21.3 m) uraninite
Uraninite
Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2, but also contains UO3 and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements...
orebody in the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
Chinle Formation
Chinle Formation
The Chinle is a geologic formation that is spread across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. The Chinle is controversially considered to be synonymous to the Dockum Group in eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southwestern Kansas, the...
; that type of deposit became the largest producer in the district. Ore is distributed along 15 miles of outcrop on the southwest side of the Lisbon valley anticline. The district produced 49 million pounds of U3O8 (uranium oxide) through 1965.
White Canyon and Monument Valley districts
Uranium associated with copper mineralization at the White Canyon district in was identified in 1920, but production did not begin until 1946. The geology is similar to that of the Monument ValleyMonument Valley
Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching above the valley floor. It is located on the northern border of Arizona with southern Utah , near the Four Corners area...
uranium district 40 miles to the south which straddles the Utah/Arizona state line (see Uranium mining in Arizona
Uranium mining in Arizona
Uranium mining in Arizona has taken place since 1918. Prior to the uranium boom of the late 1940s, uranium in Arizona was a byproduct of vanadium mining of the mineral carnotite.-Carrizo Mountains:...
). Uranium occurs in the Shinarump Member of the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
Chinle Formation
Chinle Formation
The Chinle is a geologic formation that is spread across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. The Chinle is controversially considered to be synonymous to the Dockum Group in eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southwestern Kansas, the...
. Primary ore minerals are uraninite
Uraninite
Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2, but also contains UO3 and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements...
and coffinite
Coffinite
Coffinite is a uranium-bearing silicate mineral with formula: U1-x4x.It occurs as black incrustations, dark to pale-brown in thin section. It has a grayish black streak. It has a brittle to conchoidal fracture. The hardness of coffinite is between 5 and 6.It was first described in 1954 for an...
. Through 1965, the White Canyon district produced 10 million pounds of U3O8.
Marysvale district
At the MarysvaleMarysvale, Utah
Marysvale is a town in Piute County, Utah, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census. Marysvale is a trail head for the Paiute ATV Trail.-Geography:Marysvale is located at ....
district, in Piute
Piute County, Utah
Piute County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. The population in 2000 was 1,435, and by 2005 had been estimated to decrease to 1,365. It was named for the Paiute tribe of Native Americans. The county seat is Junction and the largest city is Circleville.-Geography:According to the U.S...
and Sevier
Sevier County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,842 people, 6,081 households, and 4,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,016 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
counties, uranium occurs in hydrothermal veins in igneous rocks (quartz monzonite
Quartz monzonite
Quartz monzonite is an intrusive igneous rock that has an approximately equal proportion of orthoclase and plagioclase feldspars. The plagioclase is typically intermediate to sodic in composition, andesine to oligoclase. Quartz is present in significant amounts. Biotite and/or hornblende...
, latite
Latite
Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture. Its mineral assemblage is usually alkali feldspar and plagioclase in approximately equal amounts. Quartz is less than five percent and is absent in a feldspathoid-bearing latite, and olivine is absent in a...
porphyry, and aplite
Aplite
Aplite in petrology, the name given to intrusive rock in which quartz and feldspar are the dominant minerals. Aplites are usually very fine-grained, white, grey or pinkish, and their constituents are visible only with the help of a magnifying lens...
). Primary uranium minerals are uraninite
Uraninite
Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2, but also contains UO3 and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements...
and umohoite, with associated gangue minerals pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
, fluorite
Fluorite
Fluorite is a halide mineral composed of calcium fluoride, CaF2. It is an isometric mineral with a cubic habit, though octahedral and more complex isometric forms are not uncommon...
, quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
, and adularia.
Silver Reef district
Uranium minerals were noted by 1881 in the silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mines at the Silver Reef/Harrisburg district, at Silver Reef
Silver Reef, Utah
Silver Reef is a ghost town in Washington County, Utah, United States, about northeast of St. George and west of Leeds. Silver Reef was established after John Kemple, a prospector from Nevada, discovered a vein of silver in a sandstone formation in 1866. At first, geologists were uncertain about...
, Washington County
Washington County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 90,354 people, 29,939 households, and 23,442 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 36,478 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
. No uranium was extracted until 1950, when a small shipment was made. The uranium occurs as carnotite
Carnotite
Carnotite is a potassium uranium vanadate radioactive mineral with chemical formula: K222·3H2O. The water content can vary and small amounts of calcium, barium, magnesium, iron, and sodium are often present.-Occurrence:...
along with copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mineralization and the silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mineral chlorargyrite
Chlorargyrite
Chlorargyrite is the mineral form of silver chloride . Chlorargyrite occurs as a secondary mineral phase in the oxidation of silver mineral deposits. It crystallizes in the isometric - hexoctahedral crystal class. Typically massive to columnar in occurrence it also has been found as colorless to...
in the Chinle Formation
Chinle Formation
The Chinle is a geologic formation that is spread across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western New Mexico, and western Colorado. The Chinle is controversially considered to be synonymous to the Dockum Group in eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southwestern Kansas, the...
. Uranium production has been minor.
Yellow Chief mine
Uranium was mined from tuffaceous conglomerate and sandstone of the MioceneMiocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
Spor Mountain Formation at the Yellow Chief mine in the Thomas Range
Thomas Range
The Thomas Range is a mountain range of Utah east of the Thomas caldera....
of Juab County
Juab County, Utah
Juab County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,238, and by 2005 had been estimated at 9,113. It was named from an Indian word meaning thirsty valley, or possibly only valley. Its county seat and largest city is Nephi.Juab County is part of the...
. The uranium ore minerals were beta-uranophane
Uranophane
Uranophane Ca22·5H2O is a rare calcium uranium silicate hydrate mineral that forms from the oxidation of uranium bearing minerals. Uranophane is also known as uranotile. It has a yellow color and is radioactive....
, weeksite, and schroekingerite.
Bingham Canyon copper mine
The Bingham Canyon MineBingham Canyon Mine
The Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is the deepest open-pit mine in the world. The mine is owned by Rio Tinto Group, an...
in Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County, Utah
Salt Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It had a population of 1,029,655 at the 2010 census. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the state capital. It occupies Salt Lake Valley, as well as parts of the surrounding mountains, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west...
, a large porphyry copper mine, recovered 120,000 to 150,000 pounds of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
oxide each year from 1978 through 1989, as part of its copper mining operation.
Current activity
All of UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
’s numerous uranium mines closed prior to 2000, because of low uranium prices.
In late 2006, Denison Mines
Denison Mines
Denison Mines Corp. is a Canadian uranium exploration, development, and production company. Founded by Stephen B. Roman, and best known for its uranium mining in Elliot Lake, it later diversified into coal, potash, and other projects....
reopened the Pandora mine in the La Sal mining district of southeastern Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Denison Mines
Denison Mines
Denison Mines Corp. is a Canadian uranium exploration, development, and production company. Founded by Stephen B. Roman, and best known for its uranium mining in Elliot Lake, it later diversified into coal, potash, and other projects....
has received all the required permits from the state of Utah and the US Bureau of Land Management to reopen its Tony M uranium mine in the Henry Mountains
Henry Mountains
The Henry Mountains are located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Utah and run in a generally north-south direction, extending over a distance of about 30 miles . They were named by John Wesley Powell in honour of Joseph Henry, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The...
; ore production is expected to begin in 2008. The Tony M deposit is said to contain 5.3 million pounds (2400 tonnes) of U3O8.http://www.denisonmines.com/files/objects/070910%20-%20Tony%20MV3.pdf Nearby the Tony M deposit, Denison has another uranium deposit, the Bullfrog. Denison is currently stockpiling production ore at its White Mesa uranium processing mill at Blanding, Utah
Blanding, Utah
Blanding is a city in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,162 at the 2000 census, making it the most populated city in San Juan County. It was settled in the late 19th century by Mormon settlers, predominantly from the famed Hole-In-The-Rock expedition...
while processing "alternate feed material" received from other North American producers. After a scheduled shut-down from mid-2009, the mill resumed processing production ore in March 2010.
See also
- Atlas Uranium Mill
- Moab TailingsMoab TailingsMoab Tailings is a uranium mill waste pond situated alongside the Colorado River, currently under the control of the U.S. Department of Energy. Locals refer to it as the Moab Tailings Pile....
- Uranium mining in the United StatesUranium mining in the United StatesUranium mining in the United States is the extraction of uranium-bearing ore from the earth. While uranium is used primarily for nuclear power, uranium mining had its roots in the production of uranium-bearing ore in 1898 with the mining of carnotite-bearing sandstones of the Colorado Plateau in...
- The Navajo People and Uranium MiningThe Navajo People and Uranium MiningThe Navajo People and Uranium Mining is a non-fiction book edited by Doug Brugge, Timothy Benally, and Esther Yazzie-Lewis; it uses oral histories to tell the stories of Navajo Nation miners and families in the uranium mining industry. The foreword is written by Stewart L. Udall, former U.S. House...
- The Return of Navajo BoyThe Return of Navajo BoyThe Return of Navajo Boy is an award-winning documentary film produced by Jeff Spitz and Bennie Klain about the Cly family, Navajo who have suffered health problems due to environmental contamination from uranium mining on tribal land in Monument Valley, Utah...
, a documentary film about Native Americans struggling with the legacy of uranium mining on their lands