Abstract

The Steele family of prospectors, known as the “Steele Brothers”, has worked out of central Utah for over seven decades. This longevity over three generations and 200 man-years has given them a wealth of geochemical, geological, and geophysical mineral exploration data and experience, comparable to that of a junior mining company. The majority of their work has been in the Basin and Range Province of western Utah, but it has also spilled over into the Colorado Plateau to the east and elsewhere in the western U.S. Since this period of activity has overlapped several commodity price cycles, the family has examined prospects of most common metal and industrial mineral products.

I have worked with Robert (Bob) and Terry Steele, the current crop of “Steele Brothers”, sporadically for the last couple of decades during my career with Kennecott Exploration Company and the Utah Geological Survey. They are the finest prospectors I know and embody the best attributes of the American prospector: hard working, resourceful, knowledgeable, keen-eyed, enthusiastic, and honest. This paper is an autobiographical piece by Robert Steele and covers some of the highlights of his career as a professional prospector.

Ken Krahulec