The Pink Lady Mine was the first property operated in the Thomas Range district. It is on the eastern slope of the Spors Mountain. Due to this it was called “(the original) Spor Mine”, the name was changed to “the Floride” as other mine started up in the area. The mine was later named “The Pink Lady” due to the vibrant pinks and purples of the fluorite/fluorspar.
Fluorspar was first discovered in Spor Mountain in 1936 by the Spor brothers of Delta Ut.. Later in in 1941 the Floride property was staked January 1st, by George Spor and his 2 sons Chad Spor and Ray Spor, who operated the mine intermittently between 1941 and 1950. There are approximately 1300’ of workings with 2 haulage audits , a vertical shaft , incline shafts and crosscuts at the lower levels . In the early days of the mine getting equipment and resources to the mine was a hard due to the primitive roads in the area at that time. Today the mine is not much different except some of the roads are maintained. Currently it is still a very primitive area where a 4×4 is necessary to reach the mine. The mine is located in Utah’s west desert approx. 40 miles north west of the city of Delta. It is located in the Thomas Range on the east slope of Spor Mountain. It is a extremely isolated area with no services closer than Delta.
Fluorspar pipe at Floride mine(the original Spor Mine) 1945.
The mine was a significant producer of fluorspar in the area. The fluorspar is extremely variable in color and composition, ranging from dark-purple, highly siliceous material to soft white powdery material that is 95 percent CaF2. Some of the dark-purple highly siliceous material contains finely crystalline carnotite as radiated aggregates as thin veinlets filling fractures. Industrially, fluorite is used as a flux for smelting, and in the production of certain glasses and enamels. The purest grades of fluorite are a source of fluoride for hydrofluoric acid manufacture. The total production of fluorspar from the mine through 1950 is 10,285 short tons that average 80 to 85 percent CaF2. which was used in the production of steel at Geneva Steel a steel plant located on banks of Utah lake approx 100 mile from the mine. The Steel plant was started in 1944 to help with the steel needed for WWII. The mine continued to produce during the early days of Geneva Steel. Currently the mine is a unique and special location for rockhounding. (currently closed to the public). Other Rockhounding location in the area are “Dugway Geod beds” and within view of the Pink Lady Mine is “Topaz Mountain”.
If you are interested in more of the geological study or chemical properties of the minerals of the Spor Mountain / Thomas Range we have supplied links to the reference document where we obtained most of this information.
Select Mining Districts of Utah,
by Carl L. Ege
Fluorspar Deposits of Utah, US geological survey 1005
Slides of the Fluorspar, Beryllium, and Uranium Deposits at Spor Mountain, Utah, , by David A. Lindsey
Beryllium-Bearing Tuff in the Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah by Mortimer H. Staatz and Wallace R.Griffits
The Geology of the Thomas Range Fluorspar district, Juab Co Utah.
by M.H. State and F.W. Osterwald