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Kings Mountain

Past Producer in Cleveland county in North Carolina, United States with commodities Feldspar, Lithium, Mica, Silica
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10200004
MRDS ID ISM0493
MAS/MILS ID 0370450034
Record type Site
Current site name Kings Mountain
Related records 10024747

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -81.34372, 35.24791 (WGS84)
Elevation 274
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Cleveland(county)

North Carolina(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Kings Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Gastonia(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Charlotte(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Broad(hydrologic unit)

Santee(hydrologic accounting unit)

Edisto-Santee(hydrologic subregion)

South Atlantic-Gulf(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States North Carolina Cleveland

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Feldspar Secondary
Lithium Critical Primary
Mica Secondary
Silica Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Feldspar Unknown
Mica Unknown
Quartz Unknown
Spodumene Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -81.34372, 35.24791
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N00E
    Dip 80W
    Width 150M
    Area 162HA
    Depth to top 0M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 PEGMATITE
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin OTHER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. INTENSE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Strike And Dip N00E:80W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 162
    Date of Last Modification 830627

Comments on the geologic information

  • OTHER MODE OF ORIGIN IS IGNEOUS INTRUSION. OTHER TYPE OF WALL ROCK ALTERATION IS CONTACT METAMORPHISM. LENGTH AND THICKNESS OF DEPOSIT ARE UNAVAILABLE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1880
Mining method Open Pit
Year of first production 1942
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Tin-Spod Belt

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights Private Lease

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. 9100 E Mineral Cir. Englewood
    ID 3100119
    Interest 100
    Home office Colorado
    Year 1994

Comments on the ownership information

  • TOTAL LAND HOLDING IS 388 HECTARES.

Production statistics

  • Year 1975
    Description Crude Ore 336022 Metric Tons
  • Year 1976
    Description Crude Ore 46267 Metric Tons
  • Year 1977
    Description Crude Ore 57501 Metric Tons
  • Year 1978
    Description Crude Ore 54432 Metric Tons
  • Year 1979
    Description Crude Ore 122472 Metric Tons
  • Year 1980
    Description Crude Ore 287133 Metric Tons
  • Year 1981
    Description 6,700 Mt Lithium Carbonate Produced 306000 Mt Ore Milled Of 1.5%Li2o
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lithium Lithium 2wt-pct
  • Year 1982
    Description 3,600 Mt Lithium Carbonate Produced 251000 Mt Ore Milled Of 1.6%Li2o
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Lithium Lithium 251000mt 2wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Description 4,500 Mt Lithium Carbonate Produced 249000 Mt Ore Milled Of 1.6%Li2o
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lithium Lithium 249000mt 2wt-pct
  • Year 1984
    Description 5,400 Mt Lithium Carbonate Produced 269000 Mt Ore Milled Of 1.6%Li2o
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lithium Lithium 269000mt 2wt-pct
  • Year 1985
    Description 2,950 Mt Lithium Carbonate Produced 143000 Mt Ore Milled Of 1.6%Li2o
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lithium Lithium 14300mt 2wt-pct
  • Year 1986
    Description 950 Mt Lithium Carbonate Produced 83900 Mt Ore Milled Of 1.5%Li2o
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Lithium Lithium 83900mt 2wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • LITHIUM CARBONATE PLANT CLOSED JUN 1986. OPEN PIT MINE AND LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY CLOSED IN 1991. PRODUCTION HISTORY 1981-1986 FROM FOOTE MINERAL CO SEC FM 10-K REPORTS 1981-1986

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Indicated 22680000mt ore
    Demonstrated 22680000mt ore
    Total resources 22680000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lithium LiO2 1.47 wt-pct Lithium Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Indicated 21700000mt ore
    Demonstrated 21700000mt ore
    Total resources 21700000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Lithium LiO2 1.5 wt-pct Lithium Major 1987

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • AS OF 1988, THE KINGS MOUNTAIN MINE WAS ESSENTIALLY CLOSED. STILL CLOSED AT END OF 1989. GRADES IN TERMS OF LITHIUM

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 27HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Swell Factor .75
    Percent Waste Rock 85.7
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 0
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 55
    Capacity 1250
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 17.85
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on the workings information

  • MINING DISTRICT IS THE NORTH CAROLINA TIN-SPODUMENE BELT.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    USGS, GSC ID LIST, JULY 95.

  • Reserve-Resource

    FOOTE MINERAL COMPANY 1986 SEC FORM 10-K REPORT, P. 4.

  • Deposit

    BROADHURST, S.D., 1952, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPOGRAPHY,GEOLOGY, AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA.NORTH CAROLINA DEPT. OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT,DIVISION OF MINER. RES. EDUCATIONAL SERIES 2, RALEIGH, N.C., REV. BY E.P. ALLEN, 1970, 20 PP.

  • Deposit

    BROADHURST, S.D., 1956, LITHIUM RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA. NORTH CAROLINA DEPT. OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT,DIVISION OF MINER. RES. IC 15, RALEIGH, N.C., 37 PP.

  • Deposit

    GREAVES-WALKER, A.F., AND S.G. RIGGS, JR., 1937, THE LOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE CERAMIC MINERAL DEPOSITS OF NORTH CAROLINA. ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND ENGINEERING OF THE UNIV. OF NORTH CAROLINA BULL. NO. 14, RALEIGH, N.C., OCTOBER 1937, PP. 50-53.

  • Deposit

    FOOTE MINERAL COMPANY. FORM 10-K, FOR YEAR ENDED DECEMBER, 31, 1981. P. I-3.

  • Deposit

    GOTER, E.R., W.R. HUDSPETH, AND D.L. RAINEY., 1953, MINING AND MILLING OF LITHIUM PEGMATITES AT KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C.: MIN. ENG., V. 5, NO. 7, PP. 890-893.

  • Deposit

    KESLER, T.L., 1961, EXPLORATION OF THE KINGS MOUNTAIN PEGMATITES: MIN. ENG., V. 13, NO. 9, PP. 1063-1068.

  • Deposit

    REDEKER, I.H., 1979, CONCENTRATION OF SPODUMENE FROM NORTH CAROLINA PEGMATITE ORES: MIN. ENG., V. 31, NO. 4, PP. 395-398.

  • Deposit

    STUCKEY, J.L., 1970, MINERAL INDUSTRY OF NORTH CAROLINA FROM 1960 THROUGH 1967. NORTH CAROLINA DEPT. OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, DIVISION OF MINER. RES. ECON. PAPER 68,RALEIGH, N.C., P. 13.

  • Deposit

    WILSON, W.F., P.A. CARPENTER III, AND S.G. CONRAD. NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES: A FOUNDATION FOR PROGRESS. NORTH CAROLINA DEPT. OF NAT. & ECON. RES., DIVISION OF RES. PLANNING AND EVALUATION,

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit PROPERTY UPDATED JAN 1987. FORMERLY GSC ID# W026486: AS OF JULY 95 NEW USGS GSC# ISM0493.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 28-JUL-97 Hrabik, J. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusAbandoned since 03/08/1996
MSHA mine ID3100119
Mine name (MSHA)Kings Mountain Mine & Mineral Plant
Current operatorCyprus Foote Mineral Company
Current controller (parent)Cyprus Amax Minerals Company
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

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