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Show i Cilsonite Takes Place As Important Utah Product i '"'at ' ' 1'art of surface plant of American Cilsonite Company south of Vernal, where operations are being expanded. Virtually a new industry has been born out of an old resource in the desert plateau region of eastern Utah, with the application of scientific scien-tific research and mechanisation of of mining operations. The resource is Gilsonite, first discovered in Utah in about 1885, bv a man by the name of Samuel Gilson, a prospector. At first not even the Greeks had a name for the product; it was new to the mineral world. Finallv someone suggested that thev call the black glittering stuff Cilsonite after Mr. Gilson. Gilsonite is a raritv. It is found in only one area in thp world and that is 'in area roughly 90 miles Ion? and SO miles wide in Utah is Unitah basin, a small part extend- plying research and sales development develop-ment to the black bitumen. As a result production is increasing and the American Companv is still engaged en-gaged in a program of mine mechanization mech-anization and expansion. The product is very versatile, being water proof and acid proof and makes a perfect insulator. The largest single use at present is in battery cases, electrical parts, and other moulded articles. It is an ingredient of varnishes, enamels, i asnphalt plastics, acid and weather resisting ulaints, goes into Moor tile, building paper and roofing, It is also used in several kinds of wax, in printing inks, sound prof-ing prof-ing and insulating compounds, in Mastic floor and pipe coverings. Recently it has been used as a rub- tern Colorado. It looks like a cross between coal and tar. but is harder and more brittle than the latter and has a much higher melting point. It is mined lik" coal and coke can be made from the black product. Deposits De-posits are found in vertical fissures and to date lias not been found in beddings replacing limestone or pools. Development of gilsonite was slow, due t'i the lack of adequate research, thp hand methods em-oloyed em-oloyed in mining; arid the remote location of thp productive region, The real exatl 'ion in the C'lsonite market took n's.i in 1942 whei the Standard Oil Comnanv of California Cali-fornia entered 'he field joining the Barber As"ha't Company in the formation of the American Gilsonite Gilson-ite Cofnanv. The Standard Oil of Calif., with Its extensive facilities began ap- ber extender and mixed with certain cer-tain road oils. Bonanza, where the product is mined, is situated about 50 miles southeast of Vernal, and has grown to a community of about 250 persons. per-sons. Last year nearly 50,000 tons were mined from the district and it is estimated that American Gil-sonite's Gil-sonite's Bonanza area holdings alone contain more than 20,000, 000 tons. Entrance of thp Standard Oil Company of Calif, into the development develop-ment of gilsonite and the degree of success that has been achieved, has fused the entire gilsonite area into increased activity. The Companv has established offices in Salt Lake City with C. F. Hansen, president, representing Standard Oil Company of California, Califor-nia, and C. E. Morris, secretary-treasurer, secretary-treasurer, representing the Barber interests. |