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EspañolURANIUM MINING IN WYOMING
'Uranium mining in Wyoming', a state of the United States was formerly a much larger industry than it is today. Wyoming once had many operating uranium mines, and still has the largest known uranium ore reserves of any state in the U.S. The Wyoming uranium mining industry was hard-hit in the 1980s by the drop in the price of uranium. When the uranium price dropped, the uranium-mining boom town of Jeffrey City lost 95% of its population in three years.[1]
US Geological Survey geologist J. D. Love discovered uranium in 1951 near Pumpkin Buttes, about 25 miles northeast of Midwest, Wyoming. Other deposits were found along a 60-mile northwest-southeast trend in the southwest part of the Powder River Basin, and production began in 1953. The deposits are roll fronts in fluvial sandstones of the Eocene Wasatch Formation and underlying Paleocene Fort Union Formation.[1] The principal ore minerals are uraninite, coffinite, metatyuyamunite, and carnotite. Gangue minerals are calcite, gypsum, pyrite, iron oxide, and barite.[2]
Uranium was discovered in 1952 in Cretaceous sandstones of the Inyan Kara Group near its outcrop in Crook County, Wyoming, near the northeast edge of the Black Hills. Production began in 1953. Ore minerals are uraninite and coffinite in unoxidized sandstone, and carnotite and tyuyamunite in oxidized sandstone. Gangue minerals in unoxidized deposits are pyrite, marcasite, and calcite; in oxidized deposits calcite and iron oxide.[3]
No mining has taken place in the Northern Black Hills district in recent years, but recent high uranium prices have brought new exploration drilling to the area.[2]
The Gas Hills district, straddling the Natrona-Fremont county line in central Wyoming, was discovered in 1953, and ore production began in 1955. The ore consisted of lenticular bodies of meta-autunite, uraninite, and coffinite in fluvial arkosic sandstones in the upper Wind River Formation of Eocene age. Mining was mostly by open pit, although there were also some underground mines.[4] Strathmore Minerals Corp. of Kelowna, British Columbia is currently applying for permits to mine properties in the Gas Hills district.[3]
In the Little Mountain mining district on the west side of the Bighorn Mountains, Big Horn County, Wyoming, uranium was produced from 1955 to 1970 from paleokarst breccias in the Madison Limestone of Mississippian age. The uranium occurs as carnotite and tyuyamunite.[5]
Uranium was discovered in the Shirley Basin, Carbon County, in 1955. Production began in 1960 from underground and open-pit mines. Mining by in-situ leaching began in 1964. The ore occurs as roll fronts in Eocene sandstone of the Wind River Formation, as uraninite with pyrite, marcasite, hematite, calcite, and organic matter.[6]
The Crooks Gap district of Fremont County contains uranium ore in fluvial sandstones of the Eocene Battle Spring Formation.[7]
By 2006, the only active uranium mine in Wyoming was the Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ leaching operation in the Powder River Basin, owned by a subsidiary of Cameco. The mine produced 907 tonnes of yellowcake (uranium concentrate) in 2006, making it the leading uranium producer in the United States.[8]
★ Wyoming Geological Survey: ''Uranium Page''
★ Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality: ''Uranium Mill Tailing Cleanup Program FAQs''
★ Wyoming Mining Association: ''Wyoming Uranium''
1. Raymond E. Langden, ''Geology and geochemistry of the Highland uranium deposit'', Wyoming Geological Association Earth Science Bulletin, Dec. 1973, p.41-48.
2. Vernon A Mrak (1968) ''Uranium deposits in the Eocene Sandstones of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming'', in ''Ore Deposits of the United States 1933-1967'', New York: American Institute of Mining Engineers, p.838-848.
3. Olin M. Hart (1968) ''Uranium in the Black Hills'', in ''Ore Deposits of the United States 1933-1967'', New York: American Institute of Mining Engineers, p.832-837.
4. F. D. Everett (1963) ''Mining Practices at Four Uranium Properties in the Gas Hills, Wyoming'', US Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8151.
5. Ray E. Harris (1983) ''Uranium and thorium in the Bighorn Basin'', in ''Bighorn Basin'', Wyoming Geological Association, 34th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p.171-177.
6. E. N. Harshman (1972) ''Geology and Uranium Deposits, Shirley Basin Area, Wyoming'', US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 745.
7. Milton O. Childers, Uranium occurrences in Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary Strata of Wyoming and Northern Colorado, The Mountain Geologist, Oct. 1974, p.137-141.
8. W.M. Sutherland, ''Wyoming'', Mining Engineering, May 2007, p.126.
★ Uranium mining
★ Uranium mining in the United States
★ List of uranium mines
| Contents |
| Powder River Basin |
| Northern Black Hills |
| Gas Hills |
| Little Mountain district |
| Shirley Basin |
| Crooks Gap district |
| Current Activity |
| External links |
| Citations |
| See also |
Powder River Basin
US Geological Survey geologist J. D. Love discovered uranium in 1951 near Pumpkin Buttes, about 25 miles northeast of Midwest, Wyoming. Other deposits were found along a 60-mile northwest-southeast trend in the southwest part of the Powder River Basin, and production began in 1953. The deposits are roll fronts in fluvial sandstones of the Eocene Wasatch Formation and underlying Paleocene Fort Union Formation.[1] The principal ore minerals are uraninite, coffinite, metatyuyamunite, and carnotite. Gangue minerals are calcite, gypsum, pyrite, iron oxide, and barite.[2]
Northern Black Hills
Uranium was discovered in 1952 in Cretaceous sandstones of the Inyan Kara Group near its outcrop in Crook County, Wyoming, near the northeast edge of the Black Hills. Production began in 1953. Ore minerals are uraninite and coffinite in unoxidized sandstone, and carnotite and tyuyamunite in oxidized sandstone. Gangue minerals in unoxidized deposits are pyrite, marcasite, and calcite; in oxidized deposits calcite and iron oxide.[3]
No mining has taken place in the Northern Black Hills district in recent years, but recent high uranium prices have brought new exploration drilling to the area.[2]
Gas Hills
The Gas Hills district, straddling the Natrona-Fremont county line in central Wyoming, was discovered in 1953, and ore production began in 1955. The ore consisted of lenticular bodies of meta-autunite, uraninite, and coffinite in fluvial arkosic sandstones in the upper Wind River Formation of Eocene age. Mining was mostly by open pit, although there were also some underground mines.[4] Strathmore Minerals Corp. of Kelowna, British Columbia is currently applying for permits to mine properties in the Gas Hills district.[3]
Little Mountain district
In the Little Mountain mining district on the west side of the Bighorn Mountains, Big Horn County, Wyoming, uranium was produced from 1955 to 1970 from paleokarst breccias in the Madison Limestone of Mississippian age. The uranium occurs as carnotite and tyuyamunite.[5]
Shirley Basin
Uranium was discovered in the Shirley Basin, Carbon County, in 1955. Production began in 1960 from underground and open-pit mines. Mining by in-situ leaching began in 1964. The ore occurs as roll fronts in Eocene sandstone of the Wind River Formation, as uraninite with pyrite, marcasite, hematite, calcite, and organic matter.[6]
Crooks Gap district
The Crooks Gap district of Fremont County contains uranium ore in fluvial sandstones of the Eocene Battle Spring Formation.[7]
Current Activity
By 2006, the only active uranium mine in Wyoming was the Smith Ranch-Highland in-situ leaching operation in the Powder River Basin, owned by a subsidiary of Cameco. The mine produced 907 tonnes of yellowcake (uranium concentrate) in 2006, making it the leading uranium producer in the United States.[8]
External links
★ Wyoming Geological Survey: ''Uranium Page''
★ Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality: ''Uranium Mill Tailing Cleanup Program FAQs''
★ Wyoming Mining Association: ''Wyoming Uranium''
Citations
1. Raymond E. Langden, ''Geology and geochemistry of the Highland uranium deposit'', Wyoming Geological Association Earth Science Bulletin, Dec. 1973, p.41-48.
2. Vernon A Mrak (1968) ''Uranium deposits in the Eocene Sandstones of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming'', in ''Ore Deposits of the United States 1933-1967'', New York: American Institute of Mining Engineers, p.838-848.
3. Olin M. Hart (1968) ''Uranium in the Black Hills'', in ''Ore Deposits of the United States 1933-1967'', New York: American Institute of Mining Engineers, p.832-837.
4. F. D. Everett (1963) ''Mining Practices at Four Uranium Properties in the Gas Hills, Wyoming'', US Bureau of Mines, Information Circular 8151.
5. Ray E. Harris (1983) ''Uranium and thorium in the Bighorn Basin'', in ''Bighorn Basin'', Wyoming Geological Association, 34th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p.171-177.
6. E. N. Harshman (1972) ''Geology and Uranium Deposits, Shirley Basin Area, Wyoming'', US Geological Survey, Professional Paper 745.
7. Milton O. Childers, Uranium occurrences in Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary Strata of Wyoming and Northern Colorado, The Mountain Geologist, Oct. 1974, p.137-141.
8. W.M. Sutherland, ''Wyoming'', Mining Engineering, May 2007, p.126.
See also
★ Uranium mining
★ Uranium mining in the United States
★ List of uranium mines
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