Mine detail: Westvaco Mine and Plant (FMC)

Previously called 'Westvaco Mine and Facility (FMC), Intermountain Chemical Co. Mine, FMC Westvaco No 6 Mine, FMC Westvaco Mine #1, #2, Green River FMC MineWestvaco Mine, Westvaco Mine (FMC), FMC Green River Trona Mine, FMC Westvaco Mill'

<< Back to the map

Location

Lat / long: 41.62031, -109.80954

Resource(N)

Primary: Sodium Carbonate
Tertiary: Oil Shale
Ore: Trona
Gangue: Calcite, Dolomite, Gaylussite, Shortite, Northupite, Pirssonite, Nahcolite, Wegscheiderite
Orebody form: TABULAR: BLANKET
Discovery year: 1938

Production

Operation type: Underground
Deposit type: Evaporite
Production size: Large
Development status: Producer
First production started: 1952

Geology

Host rock:Green River, Wilkins Peak Member: Trona And Evaporite Bearing Strata
Host type:Evaporite
Structure:Basin And Range Province; Green River Basin; East Of Overthrust Belt, South Of Wind River Mountains., Rock Springs Uplift, East Of Trona Area, Stratigraphic High During Much Of Green River Fm. Depositional Period. It Created A Barrier Restricting Water Circulation And Aiding Evaporite Precipitation.
Alteration processes:Trona May Be In Part A Diagenetic Product Of Reaction Between Evaporite Minerals And Na-Rich Water From The Weathering Of Andesitic Tuffs Of Green River Formation. Geochemical Studies (Parker, Et Al, 1971) Have Shown That The Green River Was Probably A Source Of Na-Rich Water. Solution Activity And Reorganization Of Material Is Evident Including Enlarged Grainsize And Secondary Redeposition Of Trona (Parker, Et Al, 1971).

References

MRDSW031825
MAS560370282
DEP10080547
Reference{Deposit:: PARKER, R.B, ed., 1971, Contribuitions to Geology--Trona Issue: Larmie, Wyoming, Univ. of Wyoming, v. 10, no. 1, p. 1-72.}{Deposit:: Wigg, Grundy, and Dynni, 1995, Trona resources in the Green river basin, southwest Wyoming: USGS OFR 95-476, 88 p.}{Deposit:: WYO GEOL SURV OPEN FILES [newMRDS 10133390, MAS 0560370519]}{Deposit:: FAHEY, J.J., 1962, Saline minerals of the Green River Formation: USGS Professional Paper 405, 50 p.}{Deposit:: Bradley, W.H., and Eugster, H.P., 1969, USGS Professional Paper 496B, p. 9, 17, 35.}{Deposit:: Dyni, J.R., and Jones, R.W., eds., 1998, Proceedings of the First International Soda Ash Conference, Vol. II: Wyoming State Geological Survey Public Information Circular No. 40, 215 p.}{Deposit:: CAMERON ENGINEERS WYO MINE FORECAST 1969}{Production:: Mining Magazine, Jan. 1989, p. 45.}
ReporterIntermountain Field Operations Center, Intermountain Field Operations Center (IFOC), South Dakota School of Mines, Beougher, Delilah J. (Spanski, Gregory T.), Sutphin, David M., Wilson, Anna B.