Regional Geology

The West Desert Zinc property is located on the west side of the Fish Springs Range in the northeastern part of the Basin and Range province of the southwestern United States. The principal mineral deposits thus far identified in the Fish Springs mining district formed as part of a large, magmatic-hydrothermal, skarn/carbonate replacement system of late Eocene age. A number of Utah’s most significant historic mining camps, from which large scale mineral production was derived, were based on carbonate replacement and skarn base metal deposits of similar age, including the Main Tintic, Bingham and Park City districts in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. Subsequent to this historic activity, the Bingham district has been mined continuously for copper, molybdenum, gold and rhenium from the world class Bingham porphyry copper deposit since the early 20th century.

Generally speaking, the Fish Springs Range is a north-south trending horst comprised of Lower Cambrian to Upper Devonian platformal sedimentary rocks that have been homoclinally tilted to the west at generally moderate dips. Scattered quartz monzonite intrusive complexes and rhyolite dikes and occasional andesitic plugs of probable Late Eocene age intrude the sedimentary rocks locally.