Iron Resources In Wyoming Wayne M. Sutherland and Elizabeth C. Cola Report of Investigations No. 67 • 2015 WYOMING STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas A. Drean, Director and State Geologist Director and State Geologist Thomas A. Drean Design & Layout by: Chamois L. Andersen Banded Iron Formation within the Goldman Meadows Formation near South Pass, Wyo. Photo by Elizabeth C. Cola, 2014. Cover photo: A view of the main pit at the Sunrise Iron Mine near Hartville, Wyo. Photo by Elizabeth C. Cola, 2014. Iron Resources in Wyoming Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) Report of Investigations No. 67, 2015 Copyright© 2015 by the WSGS. All rights reserved. Suggested citation: Sutherland, W.M., and Cola, E.C., 2015, Iron resources in Wyoming: Wyoming State Geological Survey Report of Investigations No. 67, 91 p. The WSGS encourages the fair use of its material. We request that credit be expressly given to the “Wyoming State Geological Survey” when citing information from this publication. Please contact the WSGS at 307-766-2286, ext. 224, or by email at [email protected] if you have any questions about citing materials, preparing acknowledgments, or extensive use of this material. We appreciate your cooperation. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorse- ment or approval by the State of Wyoming or the WSGS. Individuals with disabilities who require an alternative form of this publication should contact the WSGS (see contact information above). TTY relay operator 1-800-877-9975. For more information about the WSGS or to order publications and maps, please log on to www.wsgs.wyo.gov, call 307-766-2286, ext. 224, or email [email protected]. Iron Resources in Wyoming Wyoming State Geological Survey Report of Investigations No. 67 2015 Wayne M. Sutherland and Elizabeth C. Cola Wyoming State Geological Survey, Laramie, Wyoming 82071 i ii Table of Contents Abstract . 1 Introduction . 1 Scope and Results of Project . 2 Iron Occurrences and Descriptions . 2 Access for Research . .2 Terminology . 3 Samples and Analyses . 4 Iron Defined . .4 Iron Uses . 4 Politics and Supplies . 6 Iron Prices . 7 Extraction of Iron. 7 Mineralogy of Iron Deposits . .10 General Geology of Iron Deposits . .12 Iron Exploration and Production in Wyoming . 13 Geology and Occurrences of Wyoming Iron Deposits . .14 Banded Iron Formation . .15 South Pass Area . .15 Atlantic City area . .15 Upper Sweetwater River area . .18 Lewiston area . .18 Diamond Springs area . 18 Big Sandy and Little Sandy Creeks . 18 Downs Mountain-Bear Basin area . 19 Hartville Uplift and Sunrise Area . .19 Sunrise area . .20 Chicago Mine . 22 Good Fortune Mine . .22 Muskrat Canyon . .23 Muskrat Creek . .. .23 Haystack Range-Wildcat Hills . .23 Goshen-Niobrara County Sites . .24 Rawhide Canyon . .. .24 Laramie Mountains . .25 Moonshine Peak-Elmers Rock area . 25 Fletcher Park area. .25 Rabbit Creek area . .25 Fish Creek . .. .25 Garrett area Banded Iron Formation . .25 Sierra Madre . .26 Sierra Madre BIF . 26 Seminoe Mountains-Bradley Peak Area . .26 Bradley Peak area . .28 East of Deweese Creek . .28 iii Junk Hill-Chimney Rock area . .28 Pattison (Patterson) Basin area . .28 Granite Mountains Area . .29 Rattlesnake Hills. 29 Barlow Gap area . .29 Black Rock Mountain-Eastern Granite Mountains Iron Exploration. .31 Copper Mountain (Owl Creek Mountains). .31 Birdseye Creek area . .35 East of Birdseye Ranch . 36 Hoodoo Creek-West Fork Dry Creek area . .36 McGraw Copper Mine area . 37 West Bridger area . .37 Buffalo Fork area . .37 Magmatic Segregation Deposits. .37 Iron Mountain Area . .38 Iron Mountain Deposit . 41 Halleck Canyon area . .42 Cobar No. 1 . .43 Shanton area. .43 Taylor Deposit . .43 Spring Creek (#14). .44 Goat Mountain area . .44 Section 3 Deposits . .. .44 Middle Sybille Creek (#2). .44 Grant Creek area . 44 Deposit No. 5. .45 Plumbago Canyon (#6) . 45 Plumbago Canyon (#7). .45 North Iron Mountain. .45 Deposit No. 9. .45 Grid Area 5 . .45 Deposit No. 12. .45 Deposit No.13 . .45 Deposit No. 15 . .46 Unnamed Deposits . 46 Albany County sites . .46 Medicine Bow Mountains . .46 Lake Owen Layered Mafic Complex. .47 Mullen Creek Layered Mafic Complex . .47 Pelton Creek . .49 Quartz Veins and Specular Hematite . 49 Shirley Hematite. .49 Battle Hematite . 49 Snowy Range area. .49 South French Creek area . 49 iv Cooper Hill area . .. .50 Copper King Claim . .50 Crazy Horse Creek area. .50 Northwest of Warbonnet Peak . .. .50 Magnetite Boulders. .50 Saul’s Camp. .50 Trail Creek . 50 Copper Mountain Specular Hematite. .50 Western Tin Cup Jasper . 50 Wind River Indian Reservation hematitic granite . .50 Wildcat Creek, Union Pass area. ..