Lost Sheep Mine

Past Producer in Juab county in Utah, United States with commodities Fluorine-Fluorite, Uranium, Beryllium
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. Alteration
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10069422
MRDS ID W006951
Record type Site
Current site name Lost Sheep Mine
Alternate or previous names Purple Pit
Related records 10227477

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -113.23415, 39.73327 (WGS84)
Elevation 1631
Relative position THE MINE IS FOUND ON USGS TOPO MAP.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Juab(county)

Utah(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Topaz Mountain West(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Fish Springs(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Delta(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Southern Great Salt Lake Desert(hydrologic unit)

Great Salt Lake(hydrologic accounting unit)

Great Salt Lake(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Utah Juab

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Salt Lake 012S 012W 21 Utah

Comments on the location information

  • SECTION SUBDIVISIONS NW 1/4 NE 1/4 SE 1/4

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Primary
Uranium Secondary
Beryllium Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • CHIEF IMPURITIES ARE MONTMORILLONITE, CREAM COLORED DOLOMITE & QUARTZ

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bertrandite Gangue
Chert Gangue
Clay Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Clay Alteration, Silica

Analytical data

Result 1964 ASSAYS: S. ORE BODY, OPEN CUT = .011% U3O8
Result MAIN ORE BODY, OPEN CUT = .020% U3O8, 82.7% CAF2, .009% U3O8, 88.0% CAF2, .011% U3O8, .016% U3O8, 88.5% CAF2, .014% U3O8, .029% U3O8, 78.6% CAF2, .016% U3O8, .021% U3O8, 84.7% CAF2
Result VEIN 25 FT E. OF MAIN ORE BODY = .033% U3O8, .031% U3O8
Result S. ORE BODY, SURFACE = .014% U3O8, 66.7% CAF2
Result ADIT = .009% U3O8, 82.5% CAF2

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Silurian
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Rhyolite Plug
    Rock description Rhyolite Plug
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
    Rock unit name Lost Sheep Dolomite;Harrisite Dolomite;Bell Hill Dolomite
    Rock description Lost Sheep Dolomite;Harrisite Dolomite;Bell Hill Dolomite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Chert

Nearby scientific data

(1) -113.23415, 39.73327

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Basin & Range
Type of structure Local
Structure description Numerous Branching Faults. One Normal Fault Crops Out On W. Side Of Hill, About 600 Ft W. Of Purple Pit

Ore body information

  • General form PIPE-LIKE-CRESCENT SHAPED/IRREG. OUTLINE
    Plunge 90 DEG
    Length 56.39M
    Width 22.86M
    Depth to top 0M
    Depth to bottom 121.92M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Along Pipes And Veins In Favorable Replacement Carbonates & In Brecciated Fault Zones

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE PURPLE PIT PIPE EXTENDS OVER 400 FT DEEP THROUGH SIL. LOST SHEEP, HARRISITE & BELL HILL DOLOMITES. STRATA NEAR PIPE STRIKE N40-45E & DIP 37-42 NW.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1948
Discoverer Al. & Earl Wilden (Delta, Utah)
Year of first production 1948

Mining district

District name Spor Mtn-Thomas Range

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner E. J. Hamblin
  • Type Owner
    Owner Fair Deal Mining Co.
    First year 1980

Production statistics

  • Year 1975
    Period 1948-1975
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Cp_Grade: ^78-95% Caf2, 2.6% Sio2
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    SIL Silica Silica 3wt-pct
    Major CaF2 Ore Fluorine-Fluorite Fluorine 87wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • ITEM #10 IS REPORTED BY E.J. HAMBLIN ORALLY TO ME ON APRIL 14, 1980. E.J. HAMBLIN IS THE PRESENT OPERATOR.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • ACCORDING TO (1971) UNPUBLISHED INFORMATION BY R. G. WORL (USGS) THE SPOR MOUNTAIN DISTRICT RESERVES ARE 328,000 MET. TONS OF 40% CAF2 ORE AND LARGE, LOW GRADE BE AND U DEPOSITS

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 121.92M

Comments on the workings information

  • THE PIPES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY OPEN CUTS, AN INCLINE SHAFT, A VERTICAL SHAFT, ADITS, CROSSCUTS 4 RAISES. CROSSCUTS DEVELOPED ON 150, 250, 325, & 400 FT LEVELS

Comments on development

  • RECENT URANIUM EXPLOR. INDICATES A FAIR U3O8 CONTENT BUT IT OCCURRS IN COMPLEX STRUCTURE WITH F IONS WHICH MAKES IT ECONOMICALLY MARGINAL FOR EXTRACTION

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE NORMAL FAULT WEST OF THE PURPLE PIT STRIKES N55E & DIPS 38 SE, AND PROJECTS TO A POINT ABOUT 400 FT BELOW THE ORIGINAL SURFACE OF THE PURPLE PIT. MOVEMENT ALONG THIS FAULT HAS PLACED BELL HILL DOLOMITE IN THE HANGING WALL AGAINST THE TOP OF THE SWAN PEAK QUARTZITE IN THE FOOTWALL. THUS, THE PURPLE PIT PIPE IS NOT EXPECTED TO PROJECT BELOW 400 FT LEVEL ; INFO.SRC : 3 FIELD OBSERV
Deposit 2 PIPES CROP OUT ON THE PROPERTY. THE MOST PRODUCTIVE IS CALLED THE PURPLE PIT, & THE SMALLER PIPE LIES 700 FT TO THE SOUTH AND IS CALLED THE BADGER HOLE PIT DEPOSIT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1975 Schruben, Paul G. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-1980 Everts, Mike L. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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