BATTERY AND ENERGY METALS: SIGNIFICANT DEPOSITS OF COBALT, GALLIUM, GERMANIUM, GRAPHITE, INDIUM, LITHIUM, MANGANESE, PGES, REES, AND TELLURIUM IN THE WESTERN USA

Battery and energy metals include Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cs, feldspar, Ga, Ge, graphite, In, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, PGEs, Rb, REEs, Sb, Se, Si, and Te. The USGS Mineral Deposit Database (USMIN) provides data that allow us to evaluate the production and resources of many of these metals (Co, Ga, Ge, graphite, In, Li, Mn, PGE, REE, Te) in the western conterminous U.S. The Idaho cobalt belt and the Black Butte sediment-hosted massive sulfide deposit (MT) contain significant Co resources, and both areas may go into production. Lateritic Ni deposits (CA) that are not currently in production have minor Co resources. Gallium and Ge are typically recovered as byproducts, and the only deposit in the western U.S. with recorded production and resources of these metals is the Kipushi-type Apex deposit (UT). The Quartz Creek district (CO) and the Crystal Graphite deposit (MT) previously produced graphite, but neither area contains resources that are sufficiently large and (or) high grade to be attractive targets in a global economy. Indium is a byproduct metal, so production and resources are rarely reported, but porphyry deposits at Bingham (UT) and Chino (NM) and Pb-Zn skarn at West Desert (UT) have significant In resources. Lithium is currently produced from brines at Clayton Valley (NV). Other significant Li resources in the western U.S. include geothermal fluids at the Salton Sea (CA), brine deposits at the Great Salt Lake (UT) and in areas of CA and NV, and clay mineral deposits (NV). Butte (MT) produced significant quantities of Mn, and there are large low-grade resources in AZ and CO. The Stillwater Complex (MT) continues to produce PGEs, and Bingham (UT) and the porphyry Mo deposit at Climax (CO) have also produced PGEs. The only producing REE deposit in the U.S. is the Mountain Pass deposit (CA), which was the world’s preeminent source of REEs for decades. Other REE deposits in the western U.S. currently lack the grades to be economic. The only reported production or resource of Te in the U.S. is from Butte (MT), although other porphyry Cu deposits in the western U.S. undoubtedly produced and (or) contain Te resources. Greater reporting of production and resource values of byproduct metals from active mines would greatly enhance our knowledge of the endowment of these metals.