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Show REVIVAL OF CARNOTITE MINING OVERWESTERN OVER OVERWESTERN OVERWESTERN WESTERN . SLOPE FORESEEN BY KUNKLE - - - - Bernard B Kunkle , writing in the theGrand theGrand theGrand Grand Junction Sentinel , gives an anilluminative anilluminative luminative illuminative article on the posslblllties possibilities possibilitiesfor posslbllltiesfor for early operations in the great car-notitc car notitc car- car carnotite carnotite - notite belt extending over the westernslope western westernslope westernslope slope of the Rocky mountains , the theI theI theprincipal theprincipal I I principal districts distncts of which are arc around aroundI aroundParadox aroundParadox I Paradox , : at Moab and at Gateway GatewayColo , . Colo Mr Kunklc's Kunklcs Kunkle's Kunkles Kunkic's Kunkics ' article , which willbe wIll willbe : be read with Interest by southeasternUtah southeastern southeasternI southeasternUtah southeasternUtah I Utah people , follows : Never was any branch of the Ameri Ameri- American American American - can mining Industry confronted with amore a amore amore more dramatic situation , than that thatwhich thatwhich thatwhich which confronted the American rad ra.d- ra.d rad- radium ra.dium radium . - ium Industry m in 1928 , , because became In thatyear that thatyear thatyear year the production of radium virtual virtual- virtually virtually virtually - ly ceased in the United States Ameri Ameri- American American American - can operating operatin companies , which had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been supplying the bulk of the world worlds worldsradium worldsradium s sradIUm radIUm for the previous 10 years , dis dismantled dis- dis dismantled dismantled - - mantled their plants and propertiesand properties propertiesand propertiesand and threw them upon the maikcfc mmket market forany for forany ' any price pnce which they wouldi would ! bringThIs bringThis bring bringThis This was due to the disclosure of ofexceedingly ofexceedingly ofexceedingly exceedingly rich and cheaply wOlkable workable wOlkableradium workableradium wolkableradium radium ores which were found in theextensive the theextensive theextensive extensive copper properties owned by bythe bvthe b } the Union Minicrc Miniere du Haut KatangiIn Katanglin Katan Katangl 1 . in the Belgium Congro of or AfricaSince Africa AfricaSince AfricaSince Since that time this company his ab h\ h hen ' \ > en- en enjoyed enjoyed en enjoyed - joyed a virtual monopoly of or l-adlum l adlum radium ladlumproduction radiumproduction radiumproduction - production and distribution through through- throughout throughout throughout - out the world "orld orld " . . At that time the impiesslon Implesslon prevail prevail- prevailed prevailed prevailed - ed that these Congo ores were so rich richand richand richand and abundant , that it would be hope hope- - less to attempt attE'mpt ' the pioductlon ploducUon production of 1 i- i iium ii-ium ii ium " % , - ium elsewhere Ho How However " ever , . during the thetoyear the10year the10-year the10 year to-year to year 10-year 10 - interval , the subcommittee onradium onradium on onradium radium appointed by the British gov government gov- gov government government - - ernment made a report in 1929 which whichdid whichdid ' ' did not wholly confirm this conclusionConsequently conclusionConsequently conclusion conclusionConsequently Consequently the years of 1929 and and1930 1930 witnessed ! the organization of sev- sev several several sev-'eral sev 'eral eral - - ' eral European companies for the pur purpose pur- pur purpose purpose - - pose of exploiting the rather meagerdeposits meager meagerdeposits meagerdeposits deposits of radium-bearing radium bearing - minerals.I mineralsI minerals . , which occur in Cornwall , South Aus- Aus Am- Am Australia Amtralla Aus Australia - tralia tralla , Czechoslovakia and PortugalHowever Portugal PortugalHowever PortugalHowever However , due to the unfavorable turn turnof turnof turnof of business In the latter latt.er . years , . theseplans these theseplans theseplans plans have remained at a standstill.It standstillIt standstill . It Itould would \\ould ould \ now appear that the Amen-'can Amen 'can can Amen- Amen Amencan Amencan - ' can interests intcrests alone failed to join in inthis inthis inthis this revivalThe revivalThe revival revivali i The camotitc carnotite ore fields f1elds lying to thesouthwest the thesouthwest thesouthwest southwest of Grand Junction JlmctlOn containminerals contain containD containminerals D minerals nerals which wluc.h wluch . range exceedingly richIn rich richIn richin In uranium and relatively poor invanadium in inanadium intaadium anadium taadium , and others which are nre lcla- lcla ncla- ncla lclath nclaticly icla-tivoly icla tivoly - th ticly % ely r ch in 1 ii > * vanadium and poor in inmmIum inuranium inmanlum mmIum uranium : As uranium Is the p1.rent p1rent parent p1.rentcl.ment parentci parentcement . cl.ment clment ci . , . inent of radium , all of these uran uran- uraniumbearing uraniumbearing uraniumbearing - ium-bearing ium bearing - ores contain conta.in . a more orless or orless orless less constant fixed ratio raUo of radium tothe to tothe tothe the uranium The vanadium anadium vaadium ' \ In these theseores theseores theseores ores is a foielgner fOleigner foreigner and bears no radio- radio radiochemical radiochemical radio-chemical radio chemical - chemical elation relation i 1 to the uranium other otherthan otherthan otherthan than the accidental ratio mUo found in themineial the theminelal themineral minelal mineral comotlte cornotite corotite . In view of the fact that the AmeriContinued AmerContinued Ameri- Ameri Amer- Amer AmeriContinued ! - . ( ( Continued on last page ) REVIVAL REVI OFCANOTITE OF } CARNOTITE RMINING RMININGContinued O Epa MINING MININGContinued ! ING ( Continued nt from first page ) can carnotltc carnotite is much richer and more moreabundant moreabundant moreabundant abundant than any of or the radlum- radlum radium- radium radlumbe'lring radiumbe radium-bearing radium bearing - be'lring belring be ' iring minerals mincral3 contemplated in any anyof anyof anyof of these new foreign operations , and in infurther infurther infurther further , view iew of or the fact that the theGreat theGreat theGreat Great Bear lake deposits of northern northernCanada northernCanada northernCanada Canada arc are so inaccpssable inaccpssablc inaccessable , , it would wouldappear wouldappear wouldappear appear tliat that there exists a distinct and andnEV andnew andnew nE\V nE V new : \ opportunity for the revival of the theradium theradium theradium radium Industry contiguous contlguoLls to Orand Grand OrandJ GrandJunction GrandJunction GrandJunctionSince J Junction nct1on JunctionSince Since 1923 the Belgian Congo production pro- pro production pro production - duction of radium has incicase-i incicase i incl13ase1 i - r"om rom from f-oma f oma fromL " ' - 1 L ' . , fe\l fe l fc\ fc fcto \ < , to 45 41) 41 ) grams in 1929 The worldproduction ' worldproduction 'world world 'worldproduction ' production , duiing dming during that - period p-erlod p erlod , in all allnrobab1l1ty allurobability allorobablllty nrobab1l1ty urobability did not exceed 50 grams gramsFrom gramsFrom gramsFrom From 192G 1926 to 1929 the United Umted States Statesimported Statesimported Slatesimported imported approximately 40 grams of ofradium ofradium ofradium radium salts , having an appro approximate approximatevalue approximatevalue , < imate imatevalue value of $52 52 $ 000 OOtJ OOii per gram , and 559 550 394 394pounas 394pounds 394pounos pounas pounds of uranium oxide oirie , : , or compounds com com- compounds compounds - pounds derived therefrom ' These 'These importations im- im importations Im Importations - portations had a total approVlmate appro"imate approimate approVlmatevalue appro"imatevalue approximatevalue " ' value of $2 2 $2685000 2685000 $2685000In $ 685 000 000In In the past , operators had always alwaysexperIenced alwaysexperienced alwaysexperienced experIenced great difficulty dlfflcultv in disposing dispos dispos- disposing disposing - - ing of the uranium uramum which was pro- pro produc'd produced pro produced - duced duc'd ducd ( ' as a by-product by product by-prodnct prodnct - - of the radium radiumHowever radiumHowever radiumHowever However , the consumption consumpllOn of uraniumcalts uraniumsalts uranium calts salts : ; alts , measured by b bv importations , in- in inI increased increased in increased - creased fiom flom from 53 53000 000 pounds in 1926 to to272 I 272 913 pounds In 1929 This mcreased increased mcreasedconsumption increasedconsumption increasedconsumption 1272 consumption of uranium salts has has'been hasbeen hasbeen 'been been ' due to theli theh their more extensive use usein usein usein in the coloring colormg of glassware andcei and andcel andcei cel cei amics amiss The amicsThe amissThe marketing of radium radlUm , howev however howeverl3 r , is highly specialized speciaUzed business busmess , and re- re reqmres requires re requires - - quires qmres the collaboration of skilled skilledradiologISts skilledradiologists skilledradiologists radiologISts who distribute it mostlyin mostly mostlyin mostlyin in the form of plaques and needles for fortherapeutical fortherapeutical fortherapeutical therapeutical use An increasmg increasing increasmgamount increasingamount increasingamount amount is being used in the manufac manufac- manufacture manufacture manufacture - - ture of self-luminous self luminous - dials cbals and indi- indi indicators indicators Indi Indicators - cators used uscd in places where an arti- arti artifIcial artificial arti artificial - - ficial light l1ght is undesirable undeslrable Research is isdeveloping isdeveloping isdeveloping developing new uses , such as dis- dis discharging discharging dis discharging - - chargingrtatlC charging - static -rtatlC rtatlC from moving machin machin- machinery machinery machinery - ery in m industries industnes where sparks fromsuch from fromsuch fromsuch such charges are liable to create createdangerous createdangerous createdangerous dangerous explosions explosionsAs As the United States is the largest largestsingle largestsingle largestsingle single consumer of both bpth b { > th radium and anduranium anduranium anduranium uranium , it would appear that the im- im importation im importation - - portation of these fine and rare chem chem- chemicals chemicals - icals lcals could easily become a part of the thevanadIum thevanadium thevanadium vanadIum operations in the carnotlte carnotite carnotltefields carnotitefields carnotitefields fields The development of both rad- rad radium radtum rad radium - ium tum and uranium uramum compounds as a by- by byproduct byproduct by byproduct - product of the vanadium busmess business businesswould , \ Would \ ould also afford an outlet for the thecarnotite thecarnotite thecarnotifce carnotite row produced as a by-pro by pro by-pro- byproduct byproduct byproduct - - duct in the mining mmmg of vanadiferousore vanadiferousoreq vanadiferousores vanadiferous oreq ores " This would not only stimulate stimulatethe stimulatethe stimulatethe the production productlOn of a greater quantity quanbty of ofvanadIUm ofvanadium ofvanadium vanadIUm ore , but it would ! enable enablemany enablemany many small operators to carry on op- op operations operations op operations - erations which otherwise would be impossible im- im impossIble im impossible - possible The average small operator operatorin in the carnotite fields will wlll produce produceabout produceshout produceabout about shout one ton of uranium ore for every every2 everyi 2 i A % to 3 tons of vanadium vanadlUm ore Conse Conse- Come- Come Comeluently Consequently Consequently - quently luently a market foi fOl his uranium uramum ore orewould orevould orewould would vould often provide the margin margm neces neces- necessar necesary necessary - sar sary > ary ' for him to continue the profItable profItablemmmg profitableinning profitablemining mmmg inning and shipping Shlppmg of vanadium vanadlUm 01 oresThe oies ores oiesThe es esThe The large producers now entering enteringthe entering.he enteringthe the .he he . vanadium field will wlll undoubtedly undoubtedlysee undoubtedlyee see ; ee the advantage adva.ntage . in providing provldmg such a adIversified alrversified adiversified dIversified lrversified market , and should tlus this tlusopening thisipening thisopening opening ipening not be fully taken advantage advantageof advantageif of if by the present prc.sent prcsent . operators , competi competi- competiave competitive - - tive tlve ave capital will soon see this oppor oppor- opportunity opporunity opportunity - - tunity unity Consequently the western slope slopenay slopemay may nay \ w \ ell look forward to a :1 1 n : Testoratlon restoration restorationof Testoratlonof restorationd of d its uranium and radium industry |