A locatable mineral refers to mineral deposits that can be mined through the process of making a mining claim on public lands.
One of the stipulations of filing a hardrock or placer mining claim is that the mineral deposits found in the area must be considered a locatable mineral. This typically includes most metallic mineral deposits and certain non metallic and industrial minerals.
The laws of a “locatable mineral” are set by the Mining Law of 1872 and its amendments and is a set of federal law governing which mineral deposits may be open for mining claim location.
WHAT DEFINES A LOCATABLE MINERAL?
A locatable mineral includes the following:
- It is recognized as a mineral by the scientific community or standard experts.
- It has been found on Federal lands open to mineral entry.
- Make the land more valuable for mining than for farming.
WHAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE LOCATABLE MINERALS?
There are several locatable minerals available for acquisition through the General Mining Law of 1872 and its amendments. However, uncommon minerals are approved on a case-by-case basis based on project specific economics, making it difficult to put together a complete list of locatable minerals. A BLM Mineral Examiners handbook may be downloaded for more detailed information about this process.
Common locatable minerals include:
- Gold
- Copper
- Silver
- Lead
- Zinc
- Nickel
- Other metallic minerals
- Precious Gems
- Uranium
- Tantalum
- Mica
- Platinum
- Fluorspar
- Bentonite
WHAT ARE UNCOMMON LOCATABLE MINERALS?
Some mineral materials are also considered locatable minerals and subject to the same laws, if they are uncommon and possess a distinct and special value. These are determined on a case-by-case basis by the project economics and location. Some of these uncommon varieties of mineral material include:
- Block pumice having one dimension of 2 or more inches.
- Limestone of chemical or metallurgical grade or that is suitable for making cement.
- Gypsum suitable for the manufacture of wall board or plaster.
WHAT IF MINERALS ARE NOT LOCATABLE?
Minerals that are not locatable may be salable, which means the mining and use of these minerals require a sales contract with the BLM or a free-use permit. Salable minerals typically include widespread, low unit value materials such as sand, stone, and gravel. Sales contracts are typically required for commercial operations while free-use permits may be administered to government agencies or non-profit organizations. The disposal of these minerals may also be regulated.
Leasable materials are minerals that can be federally leased. These are generally awarded through a bidding process and are subject to a production royalty. Leased minerals are generally used for fuel, energy, or other chemical applications, such as oil, gas, oil shale, coal, geothermal resources, potash, sodium, native asphalt, solid and semisolid bitumen, bituminous rock, and phosphate. In some states, sulfur is also considered to be a leasable mineral.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BRIAN GOSS
President, Rangefront Mining Services
Brian Goss brings over 20 years of experience in gold and mineral exploration. He is the founder and President of Rangefront, a premier geological services and mining consulting company that caters to a large spectrum of clients in the mining and minerals exploration industries. Brian is also a director of Lithium Corp. (OTCQB: LTUM), an exploration stage company specializing in energy storage minerals and from 2014 to 2017, he fulfilled the role of President and Director of Graphite Corp. (OTCQB: GRPH), an exploration stage that specialized in the development of graphite properties. Prior to founding Rangefront, Brian worked as a staff geologist for Centerra Gold on the REN project, as well as various exploration and development projects in the Western United States and Michigan. Brian Goss holds a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Geology from Wayne State University in Michigan.
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