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Apex

Past Producer in Washington county in Utah, United States with commodities Arsenic, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Silver, Zinc
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Production statistics
  16. Reserves and resources
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10276875
MAS/MILS ID 0490530085
Record type Site
Current site name Apex
Alternate or previous names Dixie

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Main Entrance
Geographic coordinates: -113.80471, 37.06938 (WGS84)
Elevation 165
Location accuracy 10(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Washington(county)

Utah(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Jarvis Peak(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Saint George(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Cedar City(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Virgin(hydrologic unit)

Lower Colorado-Lake Mead(hydrologic accounting unit)

Lower Colorado-Lake Mead(hydrologic subregion)

Lower Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

BLM Administrative Area(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Utah Washington

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Salt Lake 043 S 017 W 06 NWSWSW Utah

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Copper Secondary
Gallium Critical Primary
Germanium Critical Primary
Silver Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Adamite Unknown
Anglesite Unknown
Aurichalcite Unknown
Azurite Unknown
Brochantite Unknown
Cerussite Unknown
Chrysocolla Unknown
Covellite Unknown
Cuprite Unknown
Goethite Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Hydrozincite Unknown
Jarosite Unknown
Malachite Unknown
Rosasite Unknown
Smithsonite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Main Entrance (1) -113.80471, 37.06938
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 350M
    Length 60M
    Width 24M
    Area 40HA
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 BRECCIA FILL
    Shape of Orebody #1 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control FRACTURING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 SILICIFICATION
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #2 DOLOMITIZATION
    Minimum Depth to Top 200
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 40
    Date of Last Modification 870512

Comments on the geologic information

  • ADDITIONAL MINERALS NOT CODED FORTHIS MINE ARE HYDROZINCITE.
  • 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.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1884
Mining method Filled Stopes - Horiz Cut and Fill W/Waste Rock
Year of first production 1884
Milling method Leach-Precipitation

Mining district

District name Tutsagubet

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Patented
Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Hecla Mining Co., 6500 Mineral Dr. Coeur D'Alene, Id
    Interest 100
    Home office Idaho
    Year 1994

Comments on the ownership information

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

Production statistics

  • Year 1962
    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
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Trace Silver Silver 5600000g
    Lead Lead 400mt
    Minor Copper Copper 7000mt
  • Year 1986
    Description 4500 Mt Of Ore Mined

Comments on the production information

  • 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.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Measured 163302mt ore
    Demonstrated 163302mt ore
    Total resources 163302mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gallium Ga 0.0419 wt-pct Gallium Major 1986
    Germanium Ge 0.115 wt-pct Germanium Major 1986
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1984
    Measured 45400mt ore
    Demonstrated 45400mt ore
    Total resources 45400mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Zinc Zn 2 wt-pct Zinc Trace 1984
    Gallium Ga 0.019 wt-pct Gallium Major 1984
    Copper Cu 1.55 wt-pct Copper Minor 1984
    Germanium Ge 0.037 wt-pct Germanium Major 1984
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Indicated 83350mt ore
    Demonstrated 83350mt ore
    Total resources 83350mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gallium Ga 0.026 wt-pct Gallium Major 1986
    Germanium Ge 0.072 wt-pct Germanium Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 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

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method HORIZ CUT & FILL W/WASTE ROCK 10-60
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock NONCOHERENT WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NONCOHERENT
    Rock Support Chars. UNSUPPORTING MAY SLOUGH
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 180
    Number of Adits 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 45
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 80
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 240
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1987
  • Type of workings Underground
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method HORIZ CUT & FILL W/WASTE ROCK 10-60
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock NONCOHERENT WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics NONCOHERENT
    Rock Support Chars. UNSUPPORTING MAY SLOUGH
    Mine Support Chars. TIMBER
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 180
    Number of Adits 2
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 91
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 53.89
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 240
    Operating Shifts per Day 1
    Year of Information 1987

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    BERNSTEIN, L. R, GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF THE APEX

  • Geology

    GERMANIUM-GALLIUM MINE, WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH. U.S.

  • Geology

    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 1577. 1986, 9 PP.

  • Geology

    DUTRIZAC, J. E., ET AL. HOST MINERALS FOR THE GALLIUM-

  • Geology

    GERMANIUM ORES OF THE APEX MINE, UTAH. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY,

  • Geology

    V. 81, 1986, PP. 946-950.

  • Geology

    HINTZE. LEHI F., GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CASTLE CHIEF AND

  • Geology

    JARVIS PK. QUADRANGLES, WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH. U.S.

  • Geology

    GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN FILE REPT OF-85-120, 1984, 19PP.

  • Geology

    WENRICH, K. J., ET AL. APEX MINE - A COLORADO PLATEAU-TYPE

  • Geology

    SOLUTION COLLAPSE BRECCIA. U.S. GEOL. SURV. CIRCULAR 995,

  • Geology

    1987, PP. 73-74.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MUSTO EXPLORATIONS 1986 ANNUAL REPORT, P. 4.

  • Reserve-Resource

    MUSTO EXPLORATIONS 1984 ANNUAL REPORT, P. 2

  • Deposit

    MUSTO EXPLORATIONS LTD. ANNUAL REPORTS 1981 - 1986.

  • Deposit

    PAYDIRT MAGAZINE SOUTHWESTERN EDITION. ST. GEORGE MINING

  • Deposit

    SAYS RECOVERY PROBLEMS AT APEX IMPROVING. APRIL 1987,

  • Deposit

    P. 29A.

  • Deposit

    _______. ST. GEORGE STRUGGLING WITH GERMANIUM, GALLIUM

  • Deposit

    RECOVERIES. FEB 1987, P. 23A.

  • Deposit

    _______. UTAH GERMANIUM AND GALLIUM PRODUCER GETTING LINED

  • Deposit

    OUT. OCT. 1986, P. 29A.

  • Deposit

    PAYDIRT MAGAZINE INTERMOUNTAIN EDITION. ONLY U.S. GALLIUM-

  • Deposit

    GERMANIUM MINE ON LINE SOON. DEC. 1984, P. 4A,5A.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 15-OCT-96 Hite, Alan G. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Maps centered on this site