The average income of workers in the Arizona mining industry was $108,000 in 2011, more than double the state income average of $47,000.    Most of those jobs are in the copper industry.  Jobs generated as a result of the mining industry averaged $65,000 per year.  [Right, graph from report fact sheet]

The copper industry dominates economic impacts of the mining industry in Arizona, according to a new study from Arizona State University. "The Economic Impact of The Mining Industry on The State of Arizona – 2011" was prepared for the Arizona Mining Association by the L. William Seidman Research Institute W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU:

Arizona mining companies living in the state. Of this total, 10,600 were employed by copper mining companies. The remaining workers were employed by companies engaged in coal mining, gold and silver mining, and uranium mining. Employees of Arizona mining companies are distributed widely across state counties. Each of five counties is home to at least 10 percent of the state’s mining employees: Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Pima and Pinal.Three other counties - Maricopa, Mohave and Yavapai — have more than 500 mining employees in residence. The total income paid to employees of Arizona mining companies in 2011 was $1.22 billion. This includes wages, salaries, and fringe benefits such as employer contributions to health insurance and retirement plans.

Overall, income per worker in the mining industry is $108,000. This compares with an average income of $47,000 per worker across all industries in Arizona.

The University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research invites you to attend TREE-RING DAY as part of Earth Week, on Tuesday, April 9, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, for tours of the new Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building, a Taco Bar Lunch, and talks by LTRR Graduate students and faculty members. The event is free and open to the public. Tours of the new facility will run from 10:00 am through 12:00 pm.  [Photo credit, UA]
Directions: http://ltrr.arizona.edu/map Detailed Schedule: http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~chguitermanTreeRingDay2013Schedule.html

Passport Potash has received permits  (Arizona permits #1139-1145) for 7 more exploration core holes on their land holdings in the Holbrook basin potash play.  The Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission permits these holes because they drill through potentially oil and gas bearing strata.   [Right, land status map.  Passport's lands are light blue on west side.  Credit, Passport Potash report]

There was a magnitude 2.8 earthquake at 8:17 a.m. this morning local time, about 7 miles southeast of Fredonia, Arizona near the Utah border.

[Right, gold star marks the epicenter. Credit, USGS]

Groups opposed to uranium mining in northern Arizona have filed suit over plans by Energy Fuels to develop the Canyon mine which they say is fully permitted [right, location map from Energy Fuels]. The Arizona [Phoenix] Republic ran a front page story today on a suit filed a couple of weeks ago, presenting the mine opponents arguments that  information in reports from the USGS and others subsequent to the Forest Service approval in 1986 invalidates the company's rights to proceed.

However, that information appears to be included in the draft EIS that Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar  had when he publicly supported continuation of currently approved projects last year when he withdrew 1 million acres of federal lands from mining and geologic exploration. The Interior Dept. press release noted at the time the Secretary's commitment to allowing approved projects to continue:
"Secretary Salazar’s decision will provide adequate time for monitoring to inform future land use decisions in this treasured area, while allowing currently approved mining operations to continue as well as new operations on valid existing mining claims.

The withdrawal does not prohibit previously approved uranium mining, new projects that could be approved on claims and sites with valid existing rights. The withdrawal would allow other natural resource development in the area, including mineral leasing, geothermal leasing and mineral materials sales, to the extent consistent with the applicable land use plans

During the withdrawal period, the BLM projects that up to 11 uranium mines, including four that are currently approved, could still be developed based on valid pre-existing rights – meaning the jobs supported by mining in the area would increase or remain flat as compared to the current level, according to the BLM’s analysis.Energy Fuels describes the Canyon mine as "a fully-permitted uranium mine located in northern Arizona approximately 6 miles southeast of Tusayan, Arizona. The mine site for this high-grade “breccia pipe” deposit has less than 20 acres of total surface disturbance and is situated on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The mine was approved by the Forest Service and partially developed in the late 1980’s. There is significant existing infrastructure at the site, including a head-frame, hoist and a partially sunk shaft. There are approximately 1,629,000 lbs. of U3O8 at Canyon, contained in 82,800 tons of inferred resource at an average grade of 0.98% U3O8.
 
Refurbishment of surface facilities development has begun at the Canyon Mine, and the Company expects to sink the remainder of the shaft and complete all surface and underground facilities by 2014.  Production is expected in 2015."

Groups opposed to uranium mining in northern Arizona have filed suit over plans by Energy Fuels to develop the Canyon mine which they say is fully permitted [right, location map from Energy Fuels]. The Arizona [Phoenix] Republic ran a front page story today on a suit filed a couple of weeks ago, presenting the mine opponents arguments that  information in reports from the USGS and others subsequent to the Forest Service approval in 1986 invalidates the company's rights to proceed.

However, that information appears to be included in the draft EIS that Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar  had when he publicly supported continuation of currently approved projects last year when he withdrew 1 million acres of federal lands from mining and geologic exploration. The Interior Dept. press release noted at the time the Secretary's committment to allowing approved projects to continue:
"Secretary Salazar’s decision will provide adequate time for monitoring to inform future land use decisions in this treasured area, while allowing currently approved mining operations to continue as well as new operations on valid existing mining claims.

The withdrawal does not prohibit previously approved uranium mining, new projects that could be approved on claims and sites with valid existing rights. The withdrawal would allow other natural resource development in the area, including mineral leasing, geothermal leasing and mineral materials sales, to the extent consistent with the applicable land use plans

During the withdrawal period, the BLM projects that up to 11 uranium mines, including four that are currently approved, could still be developed based on valid pre-existing rights – meaning the jobs supported by mining in the area would increase or remain flat as compared to the current level, according to the BLM’s analysis.Energy Fuels describes the Canyon mine as "a fully-permitted uranium mine located in northern Arizona approximately 6 miles southeast of Tusayan, Arizona. The mine site for this high-grade “breccia pipe” deposit has less than 20 acres of total surface disturbance and is situated on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The mine was approved by the Forest Service and partially developed in the late 1980’s. There is significant existing infrastructure at the site, including a head-frame, hoist and a partially sunk shaft. There are approximately 1,629,000 lbs. of U3O8 at Canyon, contained in 82,800 tons of inferred resource at an average grade of 0.98% U3O8.
 
Refurbishment of surface facilities development has begun at the Canyon Mine, and the Company expects to sink the remainder of the shaft and complete all surface and underground facilities by 2014.  Production is expected in 2015."

Geologists can now identify most geologic formations in the U.S. with a data base of unique odors now linked to the Google Nose app.

The geo-smells are included in the  Google Aromabase of over 15M scentibytes  and were collected by field geologists using portable odorometers to crush and analyze samples from formations, members, and facies of every major geologic unit.     Collection of aromas from igneous and volcanic rocks is currently underway and is expected to revolutionize prediction of volcanic eruptions.   Fresh lava has a much different smell than old, cold, flows.



Geologists are only starting to understand how we can use Google Nose for mineral and petroleum exploration and detection of fossils.


Posted April 1, 2013

Growing recognition of shale oil and gas potential in northwest New Mexico might draw similar interest in Arizona's Mancos Shale.

The Mancos  Shale in New Mexico's San Juan basin is exciting the petroleum industry as the country's next hot shale play.   More than 500 attendees showed up at the San Juan Basin Energy Conference in Farmington recently to hear that the basin could produce 6 billion barrels of oil (10% of the 60 billion in place), using hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") and horizontal drilling technology.

Reports are that the 22 wells drilled there so far have demonstrated commercial potential.

 No one was talking about the Mancos Shale in Arizona at the conference, but it underlies the Black Mesa in
northeastern Arizona.    A USGS professional paper on the coals of the Colorado Plateau includes a chapter on the Cretaceous-aged Mancos Shale.  The chapter lead author is Dale Nations, formerly geology professor at NAU, and currently chair of the Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission.

Dale and co-authors map the extent, depth, and thickness (above) of the Mancos along with stratigraphic cross sections (left).  We are not aware of any geochemical data that would indicate the petroleum potential of the unit in Arizona.    But given the enthusiasm demonstrated for the Mancos just over the border in New Mexico, one has to expect that Arizona will soon be attracting exploration interest as well.

Growing recognition of shale oil and gas potential in northwest New Mexico might draw similar interest in Arizona's Mancos Shale.

The Mancos  Shale in New Mexico's San Juan basin is exciting the petroleum industry as the country's next hot shale play.   More than 500 attendees showed up at the San Juan Basin Energy Conference in Farmington recently to hear that the basin could produce 6 billion barrels of oil (10% of the 60 billion in place), using hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") and horizontal drilling technology.

Reports are that the 22 wells drilled there so far have demonstrated commercial potential.

 No one was talking about the Mancos Shale in Arizona at the conference, but it underlies the Black Mesa in
northeastern Arizona.    A USGS professional paper on the coals of the Colorado Plateau includes a chapter on the Cretaceous-aged Mancos Shale.  The chapter lead author is Dale Nations, formerly geology professor at NAU, and currently chair of the Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission.

Dale and co-authors map the extent, depth, and thickness (above) of the Mancos along with stratigraphic cross sections (left).  We are not aware of any geochemical data that would indicate the petroleum potential of the unit in Arizona.    But given the enthusiasm demonstrated for the Mancos just over the border in New Mexico, one has to expect that Arizona will soon be attracting exploration interest as well.

ADOT issued the following news release:
ADOT plans shorter detour for highway closed by landslide south of PageOnce paved, Navajo tribal road may serve as temporary US 89 PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation moved one step closer toward establishing a shorter detour route for drivers who travel daily to Page and the Lake Powell area that have been impacted by the landslide closure on US 89.    [Photo credit, ADOT]

At a special meeting of the State Transportation Board today, the board approved $1 million to design improvements to Navajo Route 20, a Navajo Nation tribal road that runs parallel to the damaged highway. Approximately 27 miles of the roadway are unpaved.

“ADOT has been working with the Navajo Division of Transportation, the Navajo Nation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to pave N20 as an interim measure to shorten the detour route between Flagstaff and Page,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT deputy state engineer of development. “With assistance from the Federal Highway Administration, we are looking to use federal emergency relief funds to restore essential traffic in the region, while we work on the ultimate repair on US 89.

“This is not the long-term solution, but it will help the thousands of people who are inconvenienced daily by this unscheduled detour caused by last month’s landslide,” Hammit said.

As part of ADOT’s plans to improve the existing 44-mile-long tribal route, which is mostly a dirt road stretching from Bodaway-Gap to LeChee, ADOT would designate the road as Temporary US Route 89 (US 89T).

ADOT would pave the road and ensure that it could carry commercial truck traffic, while repairs are made to US 89. The agency is already working with potential contractors and construction could begin as soon as late spring. The US 89T project is expected to take three to four months to complete.

The ability to pave Navajo Route 20 is contingent upon agreements being reached with several stakeholders, including the Navajo Division of Transportation, the Navajo Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Highway Administration.

After the reconstruction of US 89 is complete, the road will be relinquished to the Navajo Nation. There is no timetable for reopening the highway, but ADOT is committed to restoring this important travel route as soon as safely possible.

While US 89 remains closed indefinitely, the current primary detour route is to take US 160 through Tuba City to SR 98 toward Page, which is approximately 45 miles longer than the direct route. Drivers also have the option to take US 89A north to Marble Canyon toward Fredonia to reconnect to US 89 in Kanab, Utah.

US 89 has been closed north of Bitter Springs and south of Page since Feb. 20 due to a landslide that buckled pavement on the mountain slope.

ADOT is currently conducting a geotechnical investigation, which is the first phase of the solution. Crews are monitoring the stability of the slope and the ultimate repair of US 89 will be based on the results of the geotechnical investigation.

For more information, including the latest blog posting on ADOT’s geotechnical work, please visit the ADOT Blog.

ADOT launched a range of communication tools, including a new webpage (www.azdot.gov/us89), dedicated to keeping the public informed about the status of the closure and alternate travel routes, complemented by videos, photos of the roadway damage on US 89, and updates on the progress of geotechnical crews.