Abstract

Three mineral exploration booms in the Topaz Mountains have discovered economic deposits of fluorspar in the 1940s, uranium in the 1950s, and beryllium in 1959. In 1937, Fay Spor found fluorspar on the Fluoride claims. In 1955, uranium was discovered on the Goodwill claims in Dugway Dell. In 1959, prospectors collected hard, blue-white siliceous nodules from Topaz Mountain area, which subsequently were determined to contain beryllium. The resulting exploration boom lead to the development of a world-class mining district.

Over forty fluorspar deposits occurring in Paleozoic carbonate rocks are known in the district and production to date is reported to exceed 250,000 tons.

Uranium on the Good Will claims is hosted in water-laid Tertiary sediments. Between 1948 and 1970, the Yellow Chief mine produced 425,847 pounds of U₃ O₈ and 45 pounds of V₂O₅ from 425,847 tons of ore at a grade of 0.20 %U₃ 0_8. The ore was shipped to the Vitro Mill in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Several styles of beryllium occurrences are found in Western Utah. These include Honeycomb Hills, Granite Peak Mountain, Sheeprock Mountain, Gold Hill, and the Mineral Range. Beryllium in tuffaceous, lithic-crystal rich mudflows or lahars at Topaz Mountain is the only significant occurrence found to date.

Three local prospectors discovered beryllium at Topaz Mountain by chance. Armed with knowledge that the beryllium had been found, but not where, Beryllium Resources’, subsequently Brush Wellman, sent an exploration team to Topaz Mountain to prospect. Anomalous beryllium values, indicated by high beryllometer readings, were found in several pits previously dug for uranium prospecting. Based on this, Beryllium Resources began locating claims in March 1960.

Dick Moody, lessee and operator of the Yellow Chief mine located in Dugway Dell on the eastside of Spor Mountain, was shipping uranium to the Vitro Uranium Mill in Salt Lake City. It was through this connection, that Moody and Vitro Minerals, the exploration arm of Vitro Uranium, had a handshake agreement to find and share in any discoveries. Moody kept Vitro Minerals informed of Beryllium Resources’ activity. Vitro geologists and Moody determined that old discovery pits dug on the Roadside claims contained beryllium values. These were valid mining claims located east of claims recently staked by Beryllium Resources. Red Roberts and Chet Whitlock had located them earlier during the uranium boom. Vitro searched the county records and found that Chet Whitlock was the claim holder of record. Vitro immediately arranged to purchase the claims from him.

These claims and those staked by Beryllium Resources were located on the outcrop of the world’s largest beryllium deposit.

Most of the ground south, west, and north extending well out into Fish Springs Flat was claimed. In the summer of 1960, Dick Moody, then estranged from Vitro Minerals, acquired leases on most of the claims located west of Beryllium Resources and Vitro Minerals claim blocks. Moody drilled a test hole one mile west of the Roadside claims on a small rhyolite knoll and cut beryllium tuff at less than 30 feet. Some months later he then drilled a second hole two miles to the north of the first hole, near Horseshoe well, cutting beryllium tuff at a relatively shallow depth. Both of these holes were on the uplifted and eroded sides of two major faults. This discovery and the information it provided changed the model for beryllium exploration and led to more than a doubling of the beryllium reserves in the area.

In the fall of 1960, General Beryllium Corporation leased these claims from Moody. In 1962, after spending more than $500K, General Beryllium defaulted on its lease payments. The Anaconda Company leased the Moody claims in late December 1962. Ranchers Exploration of New Mexico thereupon developed a plan to overstake the Moody claims and enter into a drilling race for mineral discovery with Anaconda. This precipitated The Mining War at Topaz Mountain, an event that has a unique place in Utah mining history.

Brush Wellman bought Vitro Minerals claims and bought out Beryllium Resources in 1964. In 1969, Brush Wellman placed into operation the first primary beryllium plant in North America, processing bertrandite ore found extensively in the volcanic tuff beneath the sanidine-quartz rhyolite around the flanks of Spor Mountain. Brush Wellman bought Anaconda’s claims in 1980, and today is one of three integrated worldwide suppliers of beryllium products.