Laramie Range Anorthosite area

Prospect in Albany county in Wyoming, United States with commodities Aluminum, Calcium, Iron, Silica, Sodium, Titanium, Water, Free
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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10279152
MAS/MILS ID 0560010001
Record type Deposit
Current site name Laramie Range Anorthosite area

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -105.3306, 41.57997 (WGS84)
Elevation 2072
Location accuracy 10000(meters)
Relative position Deposit covers an area of about 250 sq. miles, 30 miles N-S by 6 to 11 miles E-W. (See IC-8335, p. 145). The experimental plant is about 3 mi. south of Laramie.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Albany(county)

Wyoming(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Goat Mountain(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Rock River(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Cheyenne(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lower Laramie(hydrologic unit)

North Platte(hydrologic accounting unit)

North Platte(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Wyoming Albany

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 019 N 071 W 34 NWE2N2 Wyoming

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Aluminum Critical Primary
Calcium Tertiary
Iron Tertiary
Silica Tertiary
Sodium Tertiary
Titanium Critical Tertiary
Water, Free Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Hornblende Unknown
Ilmenite Unknown
Labradorite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Olivine Unknown
Orthoclase Unknown
Pyroxene Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -105.3306, 41.57997

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 400M
    Length 33800M
    Width 11265M
    Area 38075HA
    Depth to top 5M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Shape of Orebody #1 MASSIVE
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 5
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 38075
    Date of Last Modification 800624

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1870
Mining method Open Pit
Milling method Sinter Plants

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership
Type of mineral rights State Lease
Type of mineral rights Federal Lease

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Unknown
    Owner Multiprivate Ownership In Fee
    Year 1974

Comments on the production information

  • "approximately 32,000 tons of anorthosite was mined in sec 2, T16N, R72W, for a pilot plant recovering alumina from anorthosite" (reference is St. Clair and others, 1959, p. 69-70, 118-120.) "The average analysis of this material was 28% Al2O3" (USBM IC 8335, p. 146).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 38075HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method PROPOSED
    Mining Method BENCH (BERM)
    Swell Factor .34
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Avg. Overburden Thickness .5
    Primary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore HARD ROCKS
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 15
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 45
    Capacity 20000
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 1400
    Unit Production Cost .39
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1975

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    HAGNER, 1951, Anorthosite of the Laramie Range, Albany County, Wyoming, as a possible source of alumina: GEOL. SURV. OF WYOMING, BULL NO. 43, 15 p.

  • Deposit

    Newland, Hagner, and NEWHOUSE, 1957, Geologic map of anorthosite areas, southern part of Laramie Range, Wyoming, USGS MIN. INV. FIELD STUDIES MAP MF-119.

  • Deposit

    BROWN, 1947, Recovery of alumina from Wyoming anorthosite by the line-soda-sinter process: US BUR MINES REPT. OF INV. 4132, 127 p.

  • Deposit

    ST. CLAIR, H.W., and 6 others, 1959, Operation of experimental plant for producing alumina from anorthosite: US BUR MINES BULL. 577, 127 p.

  • Deposit

    FOWLER, 1930, The anorthosite area of the Laramie Mountains, Wyoming[parts I and II]: AM. JOUR. SCI. V. 19,P. 305-315, 373-403.

  • Deposit

    KLUGMAN 1960 GUIDE TO GEOL OF COLO., GEO SOC AM ANNUAL MEET.

  • Deposit

    Lundquist, 1963, Recovery of alumina from anorthosite, San Gabriel Mountains, California, using the lime soda sinter process: US BUreau of MINES REPT of INV 6288, 12 p.

  • Deposit

    Lundquist and Singleton, 1962, Some characteristics of iron in the lime soda sinter process for recovering alumina from anorthosite: US BUreau of MINES REPT of INV 6090, 14 p.

  • Deposit

    HODGE and others, 1973, Gravity interpretation of the Laramie anorthosite complex, Wyoming: GEOL SOC AMER BULL, V. 84, no. 4, P. 1451-1464.

  • Deposit

    PAUL BIGGS-USBM ENERGY RES CENTER, LARAMIE, WYOMING.

  • Deposit

    WALTER DUNCAN, NATURAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE, UNIV WYOMING, LARAMie

  • Deposit

    U.S. Bureau of Mines, Potential Sources of Aluminum: USBM Information Circular 8335, p. 8, 145-146.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit WITH 65 BILLION TONS OF ORE THIS DEPOSIT COULD SUPPLY MAXIMUM OF 1400 MINES FOR 25 YEARS, IF EACH MINE PRODUCED 50 OF ORE PER DAY. COMMENT-SEE IC 8335 P. 28 FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS COMMENT-ORE BODY IS LARGE. AREAL EXTENT IS T16-21N,R71-72W. COMMENT-MULTIPRIVATE OWNERSHIP IN FEE SIMPLE PLUS STATE AND F COMMENT-GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE IS ANTICLINAL. THE NORTHERN ORE B TRENDS N-S. SOUTHERN BODY TRENDS N60E. BENEFICIATION PRODUCTS INCLUDE 2% MOIST., 1% LOI, & 2% OTHER COST ESTIMATES COURTESY OF R. STECKLEY, 15 APR 75.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-MAR-95 Steckley, Robert C. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 30-NOV-09 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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