Continued inventory and preliminary characterization of mine waste piles in montana for critical minerals project period: 8 18 2025 through 8 17 2027AWARD purpose: to add 120 documented mine waste…

Montana Technological University received a $404,953.47 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (CFDA 15.073) for the period August 18, 2025 through August 17, 2027. The award supports continued inventory and preliminary characterization of mine waste piles in Montana for critical minerals assessment. The University will expand an ongoing digital database by documenting 120 new mine waste features and will conduct field-based surveying, sampling, and characterization activities at six Montana mine sites: Algonquin Mill, Granite-Bimetallic Mine, Elkhorn Mill, Montana Tunnels, Mountainview Mine, and Emma Mine.

The deliverables include an expanded mine waste feature database with 120 documented entries, geospatial digitization of mine waste features using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, three-dimensional Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and hyperspectral measurements, mineralogical characterization, and resource endowment estimates for each site. Montana Technological University will produce a USGS Bureau Report of Investigations documenting mineral prospectivity assessments and geometallurgical implications for reprocessing the identified mine waste for critical minerals extraction and remediation potential. The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, a department within Montana Technological University, serves as the intended beneficiary of this research.

Activities

Research documented mine sites with mine waste features. GIS-based digitization of mine waste features as polygons. Field-based surveying and 3-d (lidar) and hyperspectral measurement of mine waste features at six mine mill sites. Mine waste sample collection for assay and mineralogy. Review of assays. Characterization of mineralogies of waste features. Calculations of total contained critical mineral grades in features.o deliverables and expected outcomes: expansion of mine waste feature database by 120 entries. Estimates of mineral resource endowment for six mine sites. Bureau report of investigations on the mineral prospectivity for the six sites and any issues with their reprocessing for critical minerals (i.e., geometallurgical implications).o intended beneficiary: the montana bureau of mines and geology, a department of montana technological university in butte, montana, USA.o subrecipient activities: not applicable