WSP12061

• File Number: 8407.500
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications - Missouri River
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 8/1/1976
• Author: MRBC
• Title: Missouri River Basin - Present and Future Uses and Associated Problems and Issues - Technical Memorandum Number 2 - 1975 - Part Two - Chapter III through Appendices
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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UOlb3?

Mineral s

The Bureau of Mines of the U.S. Department of the Interior computed
withdrawals and consumptive water uses for the mining industry which includes
metals, nonmetals and fuels. The procedure is based on the OBERS Series E
projections for the benchmark years of 1975, 1985 and 2000. The following
generally describe the assumptions and methodologies contained in the Bureau
of Mines statement of "Methodology and Assumptions for Mineral Industry Water
Requi rements," dated February 1975, accompanying the central case estimates of
water use (these estimates were not changed in the MCC data dated February 20,
1976, furnished by WRC):

The energy fuel water estimates do not reflect the changing
requirements necessary for development of new energy sources, nor was
acceleration of nonfuel mineral developments considered, thereby adhering
to the Series E projections. There is mounting concern that other
mineral shortages parallel to that for energy will develop in our
metallic and nonmetallic supplies. Overcoming these shortages could
increase water needs of the mineral industry but not to the extent of
new energy-related requirements. The economic ramifications of the
emerging worldwide mineral supply picture and the real possibility that
the U.S. will find it necessary to find and develop its own sources of
some minerals we now import could increase mineral water-related
requirements.

In addition to the above situations, we have a general problem
with basing mineral industry water use estimates on OBERS mining
earnings. This limits assumptions regarding the effect of technology
and capital investment requirements in the mineral industry. Mijor changes
in technology could radically change the relationship between earnings
and total output which could affect water estimates based on these
earnings in important ways. For instance, as supply factors spur new
technology to find commercial extraction methods for larger and lower
grade deposits, water needs to develop those deposits will increase.
Similarly, as we learn more of how to recover deeply buried deposits by
solution mining, water needs should increase.

Development of recent and potential discoveries of petroleum in ASA 01
could require more water than is currently projected.

ASA 02 contains a great variety of minerals even though the current
value of mineral production is not large. The major water user is petroleum
produced from the Cut Bank Field in the northern end of this ASA where a
number of water flooding projects are underway. A wide variety of
metals occurs in the area in association with the Boulder Batholith, center
of Montana's most highly mineralized area. In the past, the area has produced
zinc, lead, copper and their precious metal co-products, silver and gold.
The prospect of future discovery and development of these and related metals
remains high, particularly for high volume, low-grade gold ore. The Great
Falls-Lewiston coal field contains a large resource of subbituminous coal.
generally high in sulfur. Amenable only to underground mining, little future
development is anticipated.

Coal and petroleum resources of ASA 03 are not believed sufficient to
support significant future production. Metallics and nonmetallics should not
be significant water users.

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