ENERGY & MINERALS

Industrial Minerals

Industrial minerals are non-metallic and non-fuel mineral resources. Some of Utah’s significant industrial mineral resources include construction aggregate (sand and gravel and crushed stone), potash, salt (sodium chloride), phosphate, high-calcium limestone, high-magnesium dolomite, uintaite (Gilsonite®), bentonite, and gypsum. See Utah Mining 2019 for statistics on industrial minerals.

Utah’s Industrial Minerals

The information below includes brief descriptions of some of Utah’s industrial mineral resources and helpful references or articles about those resources. If you would like to speak to a geologist about Utah’s industrial minerals, please contact Andrew Rupke at andrewrupke@utah.gov or 801-537-3366. Use the arrows to scroll through Utah’s industrial minerals.

POTASH

Potash is a term for potassium compounds used primarily for fertilizer. Utah produces two types of potash — potassium chloride and potassium sulfate. Utah is one of only two potash-producing states, and the only domestic producer of potassium sulfate. Potash in Utah is produced from Great Salt Lake, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the Paradox Basin.

Read More
Open-File Report 600 and Appendix
Utah’s Potash Resources and Activity
History of Potash Production

PHOSPHATE

Phosphate rock is used primarily in the production of fertilizer. Utah is one of four phosphate-producing states in the U.S.

Read More
Today’s (and Tomorrow’s?) Phosphate
Circular 66
Bulletin 59

UINTAITE (GILSONITE®)

Uintaite (commonly referred to as Gilsonite®) is a rare, solid hydrocarbon used in diverse applications such as asphalt paving mixes, coatings, ink, paint, and as a drilling fluid additive. Utah is the only state that produces uintaite.

Read More
Special Study 141
Special Study 141 Plate
Contract Report 92-4

HIGH-CALCIUM LIMESTONE

High-calcium limestone is relatively pure limestone used for numerous applications including cement and lime production. Utah has extensive potential resources of high-calcium limestone.

Read More
Special Study 116
Utah Mineral Resources Interactive Map
Utah’s Limestone
Open-File Report 715
Open-File Report 715 database

HIGH-MAGNESIUM DOLOMITE

High-magnesium dolomite is a relatively pure dolomite used for a variety of applications including dolomitic lime and refractory production. Utah has extensive potential resources of high-magnesium dolomite.

Read More
Utah Mineral Resources Interactive Map
Open-File Report 715
Open-File Report 715 database

BUILDING STONE

Building stone is rock that is used in the construction of buildings, retaining walls, bridges, and other structures. Building stone is often cut or split to size for particular applications. The most desirable building stones have a combination of strength, durability, beauty, and ease of quarrying, cutting, and carving.

Read More
Open-File Report 521
Special Study 84
Utah Stone

SALT

The salt mined in Utah is used for a variety of purposes including table salt, road de-icer, and industrial use. Utah has extensive and diverse salt resources, but most of Utah’s produced salt is from Great Salt Lake.

Read More
Great Salt Lake, An Overview of Change

SAND AND GRAVEL AND CRUSHED STONE

Sand and gravel and crushed stone are basic construction raw materials used for road base, asphalt, concrete, and other applications. Sand and gravel is sourced from relatively recent, unconsolidated deposits and crushed stone is sourced from bedrock deposits.

Read More
Glad You Asked: Wasatch Front Sand & Gravel

POTASH

Potash is a term for potassium compounds used primarily for fertilizer. Utah produces two types of potash — potassium chloride and potassium sulfate. Utah is one of only two potash-producing states, and the only domestic producer of potassium sulfate. Potash in Utah is produced from Great Salt Lake, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and the Paradox Basin.

Read More
Open-File Report 600 and Appendix
Utah’s Potash Resources and Activity
History of Potash Production

PHOSPHATE

Phosphate rock is used primarily in the production of fertilizer. Utah is one of four phosphate-producing states in the U.S.

Read More
Today’s (and Tomorrow’s?) Phosphate
Circular 66
Bulletin 59

UINTAITE (GILSONITE®)

Uintaite (commonly referred to as Gilsonite®) is a rare, solid hydrocarbon used in diverse applications such as asphalt paving mixes, coatings, ink, paint, and as a drilling fluid additive. Utah is the only state that produces uintaite.

Read More
Special Study 141
Special Study 141 Plate
Contract Report 92-4

HIGH-CALCIUM LIMESTONE

High-calcium limestone is relatively pure limestone used for numerous applications including cement and lime production. Utah has extensive potential resources of high-calcium limestone.

Read More
Special Study 116
Utah Mineral Resources Interactive Map
Utah’s Limestone
Open-File Report 715
Open-File Report 715 database

HIGH-MAGNESIUM DOLOMITE

High-magnesium dolomite is a relatively pure dolomite used for a variety of applications including dolomitic lime and refractory production. Utah has extensive potential resources of high-magnesium dolomite.

Read More
Utah Mineral Resources Interactive Map
Open-File Report 715
Open-File Report 715 database

BUILDING STONE

Building stone is rock that is used in the construction of buildings, retaining walls, bridges, and other structures. Building stone is often cut or split to size for particular applications. The most desirable building stones have a combination of strength, durability, beauty, and ease of quarrying, cutting, and carving.

Read More
Open-File Report 521
Special Study 84
Utah Stone

SALT

The salt mined in Utah is used for a variety of purposes including table salt, road de-icer, and industrial use. Utah has extensive and diverse salt resources, but most of Utah’s produced salt is from Great Salt Lake.

Read More
Great Salt Lake, An Overview of Change

SAND AND GRAVEL AND CRUSHED STONE

Sand and gravel and crushed stone are basic construction raw materials used for road base, asphalt, concrete, and other applications. Sand and gravel is sourced from relatively recent, unconsolidated deposits and crushed stone is sourced from bedrock deposits.

Read More
Glad You Asked: Wasatch Front Sand & Gravel

Industrial Mineral Resources

Click here to go to the "Critical Minerals of Utah" publication.

Highlighted Scientific Publications

Circular 136

Utah Mining 2022—Metals, Industrial Minerals, Uranium, Coal and Unconventional Fuels





Public Interest Articles

Search
TitleTopicYear
GeoSights, Anniversary Edition UGS Anniversary 2024
Critical Minerals: Reshaping the Minerals Industry Critical Minerals 2022
What Are Those Blue Ponds Near Moab? Mining 2019
Utah Mining Districts at Your Fingertips Mining 2019
Utah Gold: History, Placers, and Recreational Regulations Mining 2017 (rev.)
Wolverine Petrified Forest, Garfield County Fossils 2017
A View of the World’s Deepest Pit – Bingham Canyon Mine Overlook, Salt Lake County Mining 2017
Do ants mine gold? Rocks and Minerals 2017
What are Moqui marbles? Rocks and Minerals 2017
Utah Gold - Where can I get additional information? Minerals 2017
Utah Gold - Recreational Gold Panning and Dredging Regulations Minerals 2017
Utah Gold - Fool's Gold Minerals 2017
Utah Gold - Utah's Gold Placers Minerals 2017
Utah Gold - Utah's Gold History Minerals 2017
Bingham Canyon’s Manefay Landslides and the Future of the Mine Mining 2016
The Salt Crust on Great Salt Lake’s North Arm Great Salt Lake 2016
More Than a Grain of Salt: The Salt Crust on Great Salt Lake’s North Arm Minerals 2016
Today’s (and tomorrow’s?) phosphate Minerals 2015
Utah still supplying gilsonite to the world after 125 years of mining Mining 2014
Utah’s potash resources and activity Mining 2012
Saline Water Disposal in the Uinta Basin, Utah: Protecting fresh water while allowing for increased hydrocarbon production Hydrocarbons 2010
Utah potash: resources, production, and exploration Mining 2010
Uranium – Fuel for the 21st Century? Mining 2010
The Mercur District: A History of Utah’s Top Gold Camp Minerals 2010
Great Salt Lake – The Titanium Connection Mining 2008
A New Uranium Boom? Mining 2008
Colorful Coal “Clinker” close to Castle Gate, Carbon County Rocks and Minerals 2007
Race to ore: the beginnings of open-pit copper mining, a century of open-pit mining at Bingham Canyon Mining 2007
Open-Pit Copper Mining Mining 2007
New Utah Minerals: Holfertite & Nukundamite Minerals 2006
When I find a mineral or fossil in the field, why doesn’t it look similar to specimens in museums or at mineral and fossil shows? Rocks and Minerals 2006
Lisbon Valley Copper Project Mining 2006
The Amazing Monoliths and “Mountain” of Gypsum at Lower Cathedral Valley, Capitol Reef National Park, Wayne County Landforms 2005
What are fulgurites and where can they be found? Rocks and Minerals 2005
Selected mining districts of Utah Mining 2005
Rules limiting mercury emissions Energy 2004
New Utah Minerals: Bobjonesite and Anorthominasragrite Minerals 2004
The Wolverine Petrified Forest Fossils 2003
New Utah Minerals: Orthominasragrite and Oswaldpeetersite Minerals 2003
How do geologists identify minerals? Minerals 2003
New Utah Minerals: Juanitaite and Dickthomssenite Minerals 2002
Red beryl = What gemstone is found in Utah that is rarer than diamond and more valuable than gold? Minerals 2002
What are minerals used for? MInerals 2002
Dugway Geode Beds, Juab County Rocks and Minerals 2000
New Utah Minerals: Utahite, Juabite, and Blatonite Minerals 2000
How can I stake a mining claim? Rocks and Minerals 2000
Large Mine Permits in Utah Mining 1999
Small Mine Permits in Utah Mining 1999
Bixbyite, Rutile, and Amethyst Crystals near Marysvale, Piute County Rocks and Minerals 1998
What are “colloidal mineral supplements” and where do they come from? Minerals 1998

Industrial Mineral Articles: 63