Transcript Colorado Mining - Littleton Public Schools

Colorado Mining
A RE P O RT B Y JO HN B.
History in short.
 Gold found by
Cherokees in the South
Platte, 1850’s
 Gold rush began in
1859.
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largest gold rush in
history
Denver area initial
source. Produced very
little gold.
Major discoveries in
Clear Creek and Cripple
Creek.
History cont.
 Silver boom in 1879.
 Boom ended in 1893.
 Gold production
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peaked in 1900.
Unevenly declined.
Gold spiked in 1935.
Ended in 1941.
Carnotite boom in
1950’s.
Molybdenum fist mined
in 1918.
Mineral Deposits.
 Mineral belt contains
most of mineral deposits
in the state.
 Most uranium deposits
in the Uravan mineral
belt.
 The green river formation
which includes the
Pinceance basin holds
over 60% of all the world’s
oil shale reserves, and the
only known source of
natural sodium
bicarbonate.
Molybdenum facts.
 Molybdenum is an
element used in
stainless steel and high
temperature
applications.( light
bulbs nuclear reactors
ect.)
 Molybdenum is the most
important mineral
mined in Colorado
today.
 The Climax mine
recently reopened.
Colorado coal mining.
 Coal has been mined
since the first settlers
arrived.
 Colorado is 7th in coal
production in the U.S (6th
according to the CGS.)
 Coal from western
states is cleaner than
that of the east.
Coal Issues
 Coal produces CO2
which is a greenhouse
gas. (No real scientific
proof behind man made
global warming.)
 Produces pollutants
such as carbon
monoxide and sulfur
dioxide.
 Non renewable.
Oil Shale Energy.
 Oil shale is accentually
oil that never matured. It
holds kerogen.
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Oil shale is technically
organic marlstone.
 Originally referred to as
rubber rock, this rock
will actually burn. (some
found this out the hard
way)
 There is an estimated
1.5 trillion bbl. under
the western states.
Problems With Oil Shale.
 Oil shale has an energy
density comparable to
that of baked potatoes.
 Traditional refining
methods for oil shale
requires a lot of energy.
 In collecting significant
shale to refine and
produce oil the land
would be full of 2,000 ft
holes in the ground.
Colorado Natural Gas issues.
 Rigs scar the landscape.
 Rigs produce noise and
threaten to put some
animals such as the
greater sage grouse on
the endangered species
list.
 A process called
hydraulic fracturing
pumps water sand and
many non disclosed
chemicals into the ground
and has been blamed for
contaminated wells.
N.G. issues cont.
 Trucks that transport
these chemicals may
leak or spill.
 Waste water is stored in
open pits which may
leak chemicals.
 N.G also reduces other
industries such as
tourism.
Waterfall comprised of spilled
drilling fluids.