OZOKERITE IN CENTRAL UTAH.

By HEATH M. ROBINSON.

INTRODUCTION.

The American needs for ozokerite (a substance commonly known 

as mineral wax) have been largely met in the past by imports from 

the Galician mines in Austria, but recently interest in the domestic 

supply of this material has been stimulated. In order to obtain 

information regarding the supply of ozokerite in Utah, where the 

principal deposits in this country are situated, the writer spent about 

a week in September, 1914, in an examination of the best-known 

localities in the central part of the State. The work was materially 

aided by the ready assistance of those living in the neighborhood, 

but more particularly of the officials of the American Ozokerite Co., 

who kindly furnished maps and other data.

THE OZOKERITE FIELD.

The largest district in the United States in which ozokerite has been 

mined and prospected is an area in central Utah a little more than 

12 miles long and from 1 to 4 miles wide. The index map on 

Plate I (p. 16) shows the location of this field. It includes parts of 

T. 10 S., Rs. 7 and 8 E., and T. 11 S., Rs. 8 and 9 E., Salt Lake base 

and meridian, in Utah and Wasa'tch counties.

The main line of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad borders the 

ozokerite field on the southwest, and as this field is only from 1 to 4 

miles wide, all the mines and prospects are within short distances of 

railroad facilities. Wagon roads have been built from many of the 

mines and prospects to shipping points on the railroad. As the 

mines have not been continuously worked many of these roads have 

been little used and were found to be in poor condition at the time 

the field was examined.

Colton, the largest town in the ozokerite area, Soldier Summit, and 

Gilluly are on the main line of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. 

Soldier Summit is on the crest of the Wasatch Plateau. West of 

the summit the drainage goes into Soldier Fork, whose waters flow 

into the valley of Utah Lake; east of the divide the waters empty

1
2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1.915, PART II.

into Price River, the principal stream in the area, which is part of 

the Colorado River drainage system. Price River heads in the 

mountains north and east of Soldier Summit and flows in a southeasterly direction past the town of Colton and thence beyond the 

limits of the field. The altitude of Colton is 7,188 feet, of Soldier 

Summit 7,440 feet, and portions of the field attain an altitude of 

8,000 feet, the maximum relief being therefore more than 800 feet. 

The ozokerite area is bounded on the northeast by the Roan Cliffs, 

which extend eastward well into Colorado and have in many localities outside of this field a relief between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. The 

country north of these cliffs is plateau-like and slopes gently toward 

the north. The topography southwest of the ozokerite field is largely 

influenced by the geologic structure, which produces long, gradual 

dip slopes. Price River in this area flows on soft shale for the most 

part and consequently has a relatively broad valley.

HISTORY OF DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT.

The first prospecting in this field is said to have been done about 

1886 in the vicinity of the old railway station at Media, 3 miles west 

of Soldier Summit. However, as early as 1879 samples of ozokerite 

or allied substances which came from Utah were analyzed, and. at 

that time there was much discussion concerning their chemical 

properties.1 In 1885 Clayton 2 discussed the Utah ozokerite deposits 

and also mentioned the associated bituminous shale. Gosling,3 in a 

publication dated 1895, treated of the properties of ozokerite and of 

its occurrences and gave a good bibliography of the subject up to the 

date of his paper. Eldridge 4 in 1901 mentioned ozokerite as a thin 

vein crossing the stratification and in small pockets lying with the 

bedding. The most detailed report that has been published on Utah 

ozokerite is that of Taff and Smith,5 which gives a concise description 

of the field near Soldier Summit and Colton, with descriptions of 

three samples from different localities and of the development of the 

field at the time of their examination.

V

GEOLOGY.

STRATIGRAPHY.

General features. The rocks of this field have a total thickness of 

about 4,000 feet and were deposited as nonmarine sediments in early 

Tertiary (Eocene) time. The lower 1,000 feet of beds exposed, as

1 Newberry, J. S., Mineral wax: Eng. and Min. Jour.., vol. 27, p. 71, 1879. Wurtz, Henry, The Utah 

mineral wax: Idem, pp. 108,109. Newberry, S. B., Utah mineral wax: Idem, p. 199.

2 Clayton, J. E., Ozokerite or mineral wax: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 39, pp. 1C8,169,1885. 

* Gosling, E. B., A treatise on ozokerite: School of Mines Quart., vol. 16, pp. 41-68,1895. 

«Eldridge, G. H., The asphalt and bituminous rock deposits of the United States: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Twenty-second Ann. Rept., pt. 1, p. 361,1900-1901. 

» Taff, J. A., and Smith, C. D., Ozokerite deposits in Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 285, pp. 369-372,1905.
OZOKERITE TN CENTRAL UTAH. 3

outlined on Plate I, are known to contain ozokerite, and the remaining 3,000 feet, exposed to the northeast, contain bituminous or oil 

shale interbedded with other rocks. On the basis of this distinction 

two stratigraphic units may be recognized, and on lithologic resemblances to formations in other areas tentative correlations may be 

made. The lower beds, which do not contain oil shale, are of 

Wasatch age, and the upper or younger strata, which contain oil shale, 

are of Green River age.

Three small fossil collections, from points indicated by Fl, F2, and 

F3 on Plate I, have been examined by W. H. Dall, who identified 

the following species:

Collection No. Fl, NW. J sec. 14, T. 11 S., R. 8 E.:

Physa pleuromatis White.

Goniobasis nodulifera Meek.

Planorbis sp. cf. P. parvus Say.

Unio like U. shoshonensis White.

Fragments of Anodonta sp. 

Collection No. F2, NE. £ sec. 21, T. 10 S., R. 7 E.:

Vivipara cf. V. wyomingensis White.

Goniobasis nodulifera Meek.

Unio sp., fragments. 

Collection No. F3, SE. J sec. 24, T. 10 S., R. 7 E.:

Vivipara wyomingensis? White.

Planorbis sp. near P. tuneus Carpenter.

Physa pleuromatis? White.

Goniobasis nodulifera Meek.

Fragments of Unio sp. and Anodonta sp.

From these data Mr. Dall concludes that the age of the beds is 

Eocene.

Wasatcli, formation. The principal ozokerite mines and prospects 

have been opened in the Wasatch formation and are scattered irregularly through a stratigraphic distance of 600 to 700 feet. The base 

of the formation is not exposed in the ozokerite field, but the part 

that crops out is about 1,000 feet thick. The rocks consist of shale, 

sandstone, and limestone. The shale is tinted purple, green, and 

red in different beds, and all gradations exist between sandy shale 

and sandstone. The sandstone is brown and shows lenticular bedding. The limestone beds are thin and are sparsely distributed 

through the section.

The major portion of the formation is made up of sandy shale and 

sandstone, which occur in alternate beds 1 to 10 feet in thickness. 

Inasmuch as the extent and character of the fissures in sedimentary 

rocks depend more or less on the kind of rock, the alternation of 

sandstone with shale beds has caused an irregular distribution of 

ozokerite, which fills many of the fissures.

Green River formation. The lowest beds of the Green River formation border the northeast side of the ozokerite field, and the for-
4 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PART II.

mation is extensively developed in the area north of that outlined 

on Plate I. This formation 'consists of shale and sandstone interbedded with a small amount of limestone and has a thickness of 

about 3,000 feet. Much of the shale is bituminous and yields oil on 

destructive distillation. The formation as a unit is gray on weathered 

outcrops, and it is more evenly bedded and .persistent than the underlying Wasatch formation.

STRUCTURE.

The rocks in the ozokerite field dip l°-25° N., forming a portion of 

the south limb of the great Uinta Basin syncline. The symbols on 

the map (PI. I) show the strike and dip of the beds at a number of 

places in the field. The rocks are broken by a system of joints and 

small faults, and zones of brecciated or crushed rock are common. 

Most of the joint planes are vertical or nearly so, and the most common direction for the principal system of fissures is N. 10° W. There 

is a minor system of fissures at angles of 60°-90° with the major 

system. Although small faults are common, no fault with a vertical 

displacement in excess of 10 feet was found in the examination of 

the surface and underground exposures. The fault planes dip at 

an angle of 45°, and slickensided surf aces are common. The fracture 

planes and zones are important, inasmuch as the ozokerite fills the 

cavities which have resulted from the fracturing.

OZOKERITE.

COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES.

Ozokerite is the principal mineral resource of this immediate locality. 

It is a mixture of hydrocarbons 1 in various proportions, the exact 

nature of which is a subject of dispute. Some authors consider that 

it is composed of members of the paraffin series; others place its chief 

constituents in the olefin series. In commenting on certain experiments, Redwood 2 says: "The natural inference is that in addition to 

crystalline paraffin ozokerite contains certain colloidal substances 

(amorphous paraffin), the presence of which hinders the crystallization of the paraffin." In color ozokerite varies from black or dark 

brown to light yellow, but some specimens have a greenish color. 

It may be as soft as tallow or as hard as gypsum. The light-colored 

varieties yield the largest amounts of ceresin, the refined product. 

The melting point of ozokerite ranges, in general, from 58° to about 

80° C., but a very few specimens have been reported to have a melting point of 100° C. Although paraffin with a melting point as high

1 Redwood, Boverton, and Holloway, G. T., Petroleum, vol. 1, pp. 217 and 218,1S9C.

2 Redwood, Boverton, The Galician petroleum and ozokerite industries: Soc. Chera. Industry Jour., 

vol. 11, p. 114,1892.
OZOKERITE IN CENTBAL UTAH. 5

as that of ozokerite may be extracted from petroleum, it is not a 

commercial product, and the paraffin that is put on the market has 

a melting point considerably lower. The specific gravity ranges 

from about 0.85 to 0.97.1 Ozokerite is soluble in ether, petroleum, 

benzine, turpentine, and carbon bisulphide.

TESTS.

The writer is indebted to Dr. David T. Day and others, of the 

Bureau of Mines, for the following data on tests of six samples of 

Utah ozokerite from localities Nos. 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, and 16. (See 

PI. I, p. 16.)

Specific gravity and melting point of Utah ozokerite.

Sample No.

1. .............................

3..............................

6..............................

Specific 

gravity.

1.300+

.905

.905

Melting 

point 

(°C.).

60

63

66

Sample No.

10............................

15............................

16............................

Specificgravity.

0.899

.915

.920

Melting 

point 

(°C.).

62

60

79

The melting point of each sample was determined by placing a 

minute fragment of ozokerite in a capillary tube strapped to a 

thermometer and heating the apparatus in a water bath until the 

fragment melted, then noting the temperature. This is a tedious 

method but the only one that gives accurate results.

Solubility of Utah ozokerite..

Sample No.

1. ................................

3.................................

6.................................

10.................................

15.................................

16.................................

In ether 

(per 

cent).

17.1 

46.7

38.8 

27.9 

2.1

In benzol.

Complete o....

.....do........

In oil of turpentine.

Complete ..... 

.....do........

.....do........

.....do........

.....do........

.....do........

In petroleum.

Complete ..... 

.....do........

.....do........

.....do........

.....do........

.....do........

In ethyl 

alcohol.

" 

l

> 

) 

>>' 

>

o A little residue of limestone after benzol extraction.

6 Ceresin soluble in hot alcohol; asphalt insoluble.

c A little residue of organic matter after benzol extraction.

The solubility tests given in the above table were made by shaking 

fine shavings of each sample with each solvent, then heating the 

mixture. Generally, much time was necessary for the solution of 

any considerable quantity of ceresin by any of the solvents when 

cold, but heating greatly increased the capacity of the solvent. 

As will be seen by the table, ozokerite is completely soluble in three 

of the five solvents used.

Ceresin is easily soluble in boiling ether, and the associated asphaltic material is only slightly soluble, a fact which renders possible

Gosling, E. B., A treatise on ozokerite: School of Mines Quart., vol. 16, p. 41,1895.
6 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PART II.

the partial separation of ceresin from asphalt. A weighed portion 

of each sample of ozokerite was placed in a Soxhlets extraction apparatus, and ceresin was extracted with boiling ether so long as the 

ether ran through without any appreciable discoloration. The solution was then evaporated and the residue weighed as ceresin. The 

ceresin was considerably discolored, it being impossible with ether 

to prevent the solution of slight amounts of asphalt.

The solubility tests suggested a possible method for the separation 

of ceresin from asphalt by a boiling solution of alcohol, based on the 

fact that ceresin is soluble and asphalt is insoluble in alcohol. A 

20-gram sample of ozokerite (sample No. 6) was boiled with 300 

cubic centimeters of strong ethyl alcohol (between 98 and 100 per 

cent pure), which dissolved a large percentage of the ceresin in the 

sample. After the solution was poured from the undissolved asphaltic residue and the liquid allowed to cool, most of the ceresin which 

it contained crystallized out white and clean, with no trace of asphalt. 

The alcohol solution was then cooled down to 15° C., when a further amount of ceresin crystallized out, leaving a small amount of 

the oil originally present in the asphalt. By rebelling the asphaltic 

residue with the same alcohol and repeating this process several times 

it was possible to dissolve all the ceresin, making a complete separation of ceresin from asphalt. The treatment yielded 3.6 grams of 

oil, 8.5 grams of asphalt, and 7.9 grams (39.5 per cent) of ceresin. 

It is believed that by the use of a cheap though strong denatured 

alcohol this method of separation can be made commercially practicable. There need be very little distillation of the alcohol, it being 

necessary simply to boil the rock containing the ozokerite with 

alcohol, which may then be drawn off and allowed to cool, the ceresin 

will crystallize out, leaving the same alcohol suitable for repeated 

extractions. Finally a leaching form of this process would give 

ceresin in a pure and satisfactory condition.

It was thought that the last ceresin to go into solution would have 

a higher melting point than the portion going into solution earlier. 

In order to determine this matter 15 successive extractions were 

made from the ozokerite, and the melting points were determined 

for most of these extracts, as shown below:

Melting point of ceresin extracted from Utah ozokerite.

Extracts 1, 2, and 3............... 50-56

Extracts 4 and 5.................. 66

Extracts 6, 7, and 8............... 65

Extract 9....................... 68

Extract 10. .......

Extracts 11 and 12. 

Extract 14. .......

66

68

70

These figures show in a general way what was expected, namely, 

that the melting point of ceresin increases as the relative solubility 

becomes less. The increase 'is not constant, but the melting point
OZOKEBITE IN OENTBAt UTAH.

ranges from 50° C. in the most soluble to 70° C. in the least soluble 

portion of the ceresin. The first extracts, melting at 50° to 56°, 

were probably contaminated by oil, but there was not sufficient 

difference in the extracts of any other group to justify assuming the 

presence of other hydrocarbons. These results indicate that it is 

possible, by treatment with alcohol, to separate distinctly different 

grades of ceresin from a single lot of ozokerite.

The separation of asphalt from ceresin by sulphuric acid is a very 

tedious operation, on account of the persistent emulsions formed by 

the sulphuric acid and the ozokerite. A sample of crude ozokerite 

(sample No. 10) in the form of shavings was boiled with especially 

refined gasoline, varying in boiling point from 65° to 95° C. Gasoline 

was used in large excess, 300 cubic centimeters to 5 grams of ozokerite. The solution of gasoline containing ozokerite after cooling was 

treated with strong sulphuric acid (specific gravity 1.84), and after 

repeated agitations with the acid the gasoline solution was treated 

with a water wash. After washing several days at a time to break 

up the emulsion and remove the excess of acid, a final treatment 

with sulphuric acid reduced the ceresin content of the gasoline solution to 21 per cent, or in other words 21 per cent of the gasoline 

solution of ozokerite was ceresin.

A second and similar test with sulphuric acid .was made of the 

residuum remaining after the distillation of the crude ozokerite 

(sample No. 10). The test was carried out in precisely the same 

manner as the one described above, and the ceresin content of the 

gasoline solution was reduced to 19 per cent.

It is the practice in Galicia and elsewhere to treat either molten 

ozokerite or ozokerite in a hot solution of gasoline or benzol with 

strong sulphuric acid or with fuming sulphuric acid for the purpose 

of extracting asphaltum, which is attacked by the acid. The ceresin 

is left in solution and is afterward separated by evaporation of the 

solvent. It appears from the experiments reported- above that the 

separation of asphalt from ceresin by alcohol gives more satisfactory

results.

Fractional distillation of Utah ozokerite.

Sample No.o

3.............................

10.............................

15.............................

Began to 

boil (° C.).

80 

75 

83

Ceresin distilled over (cubic centimeters).

75M500 C.

2

1 

.5

150°-300°C.

10 

9

7

300°-350°C.

33 

30 

22

Total.

45 

40 

29.5

Residuum 

(grams).

14.9 

9.5 

24.7

<J Each sample weighed 50 grams.

The same methods were used in the distillation of ozokerite as 

those in vogue for the distillation of crude petroleum. The results 

pf these tests indicate that the greater part of the ceresin distills over
8 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PART II.

without any appreciable decomposition at moderate temperatures, 

but decomposition of the portion distilled at temperatures above 

350° is evident. The ceresin crystallizes out, taking the form common to the paraffin of commerce, but has a higher melting point.

FORM AND CONTENT OF DEPOSITS.

The ozokerite of central Utah is found in fissures and brecciated 

zones caused by the fracturing of the rocks. This fracturing has 

produced joints and small faults, most of which are nearly vertical. 

The principal fissures trend about N. 10° W. and contain the largest 

deposits of ozokerite in the field. Brecciated zones are also common, 

and in these the ozokerite incloses angular fragments of country rock. 

The included rock fragments show little or no impregnation by the 

ozokerite and apparently have suffered very little movement. The 

ozokerite and the walls of the fissures commonly show slickensided 

surfaces. In the writer's examination of the deposits he observed 

veins of ozokerite from mere films to 6 or 8 inches hi thickness, and 

according to Taff and Smith 1 veins nearly 3 feet thick have been 

found in the mines. The deposits are irregular in size, as stated by 

Taff and Smith: 2 "The extent, either in thickness or length, of the 

occurrence of ozokerite * * * can not be relied on far beyond 

the limit of prospected ground. Both the width of the fissure or 

fractured zone and the occurrence of ozokerite are found to be 

variable."

The fissures were undoubtedly produced by movement in the rocks 

prior to the deposition of the ozokerite, but the slickensided condition of some of the ozokerite indicates that movement has taken 

place since the fissures were filled.

The lenticular nature of the bedding and the alternation of beds of 

sandstone and shale have influenced the amount of open space resulting from the fracture of the rocks and have caused an irregular distribution of the ozokerite. The fissuring of the sandstone has produced more available open spaces than the fissuring of the clay and 

shale, and consequently the largest deposits of ozokerite are found 

in fissures in sandstone.

In addition to filling fissures, ozokerite occurs in the vicinity of 

zones of fracture as thin films along joint planes. These films imply 

that at the time of impregnation the ozokerite was fluid enough to 

penetrate very minute cracks, but the lack of impregnation of the 

country rock implies a viscosity too great to permit the penetration 

into rocks even as porous as sandstone.

The material removed from the mines and prospects is reported to 

contain from 1 to 7 per cent of ozokerite, but the quantity in a single 

prospect varies greatly within short distances.

1 Tafl, J. A., and Smith, C. D., Ozokerite deposits in Utah: U. S, Geol r Survey Bull. 285, p. 371,1905,

2 Idem, p. 369. ,
OZOKERITE IF CENTBAL UTAH. 9 

ORIGIN.

In this report, which is primarily economic, an exhaustive discussion of the probable origin of the ozokerite is hardly appropriate, 

but some of the considerations in regard to origin have an economic 

application.

There appears to be a close relationship between ozokerite and 

certain kinds of petroleum. In a paper by Gosling 1 an analysis of 

ozokerite is compared with one of American petroleum, and the comparison shows that the two substances contain the same compounds 

or fraction's, though in different proportions. As would naturally be 

expected, the paraffin content of the ozokerite is higher than that of 

the petroleum. In the Galician mines all gradations between oil 

high in paraffin and ozokerite containing some petroleum have been 

observed.2 Some of the veins of ozokerite in the Utah field have a 

width about equal to that of thick paper, a condition which implies 

a somewhat fluid state of the material at the time of impregnation 

and suggests that the substance which first filled the fissures was a 

petroleum rich in paraffin. Thus from laboratory and field observations all mixtures of petroleum arid ozokerite are known to exist, 

and it may be concluded that the ozokerite of the Utah field is derived 

from a petroleum high in paraffin.

The passage from petroleum to ozokerite is thought by some geologists to have been accomplished by the oxidation and decomposition 

of the hydrocarbons of petroleum. However, the probability of the 

lack of oxidizing agents at considerable depths below the groundwater level would argue against this as a general process. On the 

other hand, it is now generally accepted that solid hydrocarbons, 

which of course embrace paraffin, exist in many crude oils at low 

temperatures. Kast and Seidner 3 have found that the mud which 

separates out on the bottom of storage tanks containing crude petroleum is made up largely of paraffin, and they suggest that "this 

amorphous paraffin closely resembles and is evidently identical with 

ozokerite." Petroleum may be regarded as a solvent holding paraffin 

in solution, and on evaporation of the solvent the ozokerite is left as 

a residue. Slight changes in temperature, such as are found with 

increasing depth below the surface, would be a factor in solution and 

deposition, but this factor probably is not so important as evaporation of the lighter and more volatile oils of the petroleum.

The petroleum from which the ozokerite has been derived may 

have had two sources. It may have been derived from the overlying 

oil shale or it may have been forced up from lower beds. The

1 Gosling, E. B., A treatise on ozokerite: School of Mines Quart., vol. 16, p. 41,1895.

2 Redwood, Boverton, The Galician petroleum and ozokerite industries: Soc. Chem. Industry Jour., 

vol. 11, p. 103,1892.

s Kast, H., and Seidner, S., The formation of solid paraffin: Soc. Chem. Industry Jour., vol. 11, p. 598, 

1892.

43768° Bull. 641 17 2
10 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PAET II.

bituminous material in the oil shale is largely made up of vegetal 

remains, and it is thought by Peckham 1 that oil containing a large 

percentage of paraffin is indicative of a vegetable origin. On the 

other hand, Eldridge 2 believes that the veins of solid hydrocarbons 

in the Uinta Basin, to the northeast, were formed by the forcing into 

the crevices and later rapid solidification of semifluid hydrocarbons. 

It would be interesting to know if the ozokerite contains more 

volatile oils in the lower levels of the mines than in the higher, or 

if the reverse is true, as such facts may have a bearing on the source 

of the petroleum from which the ozokerite has been derived. Analyses of the ozokerite compared with analyses of oil from the oil shale 

might possibly show some significant resemblances.

Results of distillation tests on samples of oil shale collected by the 

writer in this region will be found in a paper in this volume entitled 

"Oil shale in northwestern Colorado and adjacent areas," by Dean E. 

Winchester.

COMPARISON WITH THE BORYSLAW FIELD IN GALICIA.

The ozokerite field of central Utah resembles in a number of 

places the Boryslaw field of Galicia, Austria, which is the most 

productive field of ozokerite. The Galician field, as described by 

Redwood,3 is less than 1 square mile in area. The ozokerite is found 

in fissures, usually measuring from 2 to 12 inches in width, which 

cut shale and sandstone of Miocene age that overlie beds of petroliferous shale. All gradations between solid ozokerite and petroleum 

rich in paraffin are found in the mines. A sample described by 

Redwood has a melting point of 60.5° C. and a specific gravity of 

0.9236. The mine shafts in this field are very closely spaced and 

range in depth from 20 to 200 meters (66 to 656 feet). Much of 

the semifluid material is under high pressure, and it is reported that 

certain of the mine openings have at tunes been filled by the 

squeezing of semifluid ozokerite. The Boryslaw deposits become 

narrower with increasing depth, and-Redwood is inclined to believe 

that the ozokerite has been forced up from below.

IMPORTS.

The figures given below, showing imports of ozokerite, are taken 

from the reports on the mineral resources of the United States, published by the Geological Survey. It is believed that the greater 

part of these imports came from the Galician mines, but the total 

production of the Galician field is probably considerably more than 

the amount given as imports to the United States.

1 Redwood, Boverton, and Holloway, G. T., Petroleum, vol. 1, p. 233,1896.

'Eldridge, G. H., The uintaite deposits of Utah: U. S. Geol. Survey Seventeenth Ann. Kept., pt. 1, 

p. 938,1896.

3 Redwood, Boverton, The Galician petroleum and ozokerite industries: Soc. Chem. Industry Jour., 

vol. 11, pp. 112-118, 1892.
OZOKERITE IN CENTRAL UTAH. 11 

Mineral ivax (chiefly ozok&ite) imported into the United States.

Pounds. Pounds.

1888.......................... 1,164,940

1908.......................... 3,595,393

1911........................... 4,472,708

1912.......................... 6,352,003

1913.......................... 7,141,514

1914.......................... 8,191,529

The price at the point of exportation was 8.7 cents a pound in 1911, 

7.7 cents a pound in 1912 and 1913, and 6.1 cents a pound in 1914.

PRODUCTION.

\

The first prospecting of this region was done in 1886. Since that 

time mining and prospecting have been carried on at irregular periods, 

for litigation has prevented continuous development. Exact figures 

for the production of the field are not available, and at the time of 

the writer's examination all the mines were inactive. According to 

statistics published by the United States Geological Survey in the 

yearly reports on mineral resources, the Utah field produced over 

640,000 pounds of ozokerite previous to 1900, and it is reported by 

officials of the American Ozokerite Co. that the field has yielded 

about 120,000 pounds since that date. The total output of the 

Utah field is only a small fraction of the quantity imported into the 

United States in a single year, but the production of the past is not 

a measure of the production that is possible under favorable market 

and mining conditions.

CONCENTRATION.

The following concise description of the methods of concentration 

used in the Utah field is given by Taff and Smith: 1

The manner of separating ozokerite from the associated rocks is a simple process. 

The plant * * * consists of a steam boiler and engine, a crusher, and steauiheated vats. The soft rock and ozokerite mixture is crushed and run into long vats 

with narrow bottoms containing water kept at a boiling temperature. The ozokerite 

melts at a temperature of 54° to 70° C. (129° to 158° F.) and floats off as a liquid into 

cooling vats, while the rock is driven out along the narrow bottom o'f the vats by revolving screws. On cooling the ozokerite is remelted into dry pans to remove the

moisture.

USES OF OZOKERITE.

Ozokerite is a nonconductor of electricity and is extensively used 

for insulating. Candles made from ozokerite have qualities superior 

to those found in other candles. Much of the ozokerite mined is converted into ceresin, a highly purified product which is used to replace 

or adulterate beeswax and has a variety of other uses. Ozokerite is 

also used as a foundation for various waxes and polishes; as a covering to protect metal surfaces from the action of moisture, acids, or 

alkalies; and for' wax figures and dolls.

1 Taff, J. A., and Smith, C. D., op. cit., p. 371.
12 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PART II. 

MINES AND PROSPECTS.

In the following description of the mines and prospects, reference 

will be made to the map (PL I), on which the places where ozokerite 

deposits have been exploited are indicated and numbered. In the 

report by Taff and Smith 1 many of these localities are described in 

detail, and in the following description the data collected by them 

have been used to supplement the data collected by the writer. At 

the time of the field examination none of the mines or prospects 

described below were being worked commercially.

The westernmost development in the ozokerite field (No. I, PI. I) 

is in the E. | sec. 20, T. 10 S., R. 7 E., and is locally known as the 

Culmer Bros. mine. A slope about 160 feet long has been opened, 

trending N. 10° W. at an inclination of 23° to 40° from the horizontal. 

About 100 feet below the mouth of the slope a main entry has been 

driven about 215 feet N. 11° 13' W. A few short side entries have 

been turned off from the slope as well as from the main entry. Two 

houses stand near the mine, and some hoisting machinery has been 

installed at the mouth of the slope. The most prominent fissures 

containing ozokerite trend N. 10°-30° W. At the time of the examination the mouth of the slope was filled with loose material that had 

caved from the roof, rendering entrance impracticable. According 

to Taff and Smith,2 the fracture zone is 2 feet 6 inches wide. It is 

reported that some large pieces of ozokerite have been taken from the 

slope and also that some yellow wax has been found here, but in the 

examination of the mine only thin films of soft ozokerite associated 

with gypsum were observed in the entry. A sample from this mine 

was tested as reported on pages 5-8.

Development No. 2, in the NE, £ sec. 21, T. 10 S., R. 7 E., consists 

of a shaft and a few open-cut prospects and is locally known as the 

U. S. property. This mine is equipped with electric hoisting machinery and a plant for the separation of the ozokerite from the associated rock fragments. At the time of the field examination the 

shaft was filled with water, so that entrance was impracticable. Mr. 

Vorhees, of Soldier Summit, reports that the shaft is 100 feet deep 

and that entries as long as 40 feet have been driven from the bottom of 

the shaft. Taff and Smith 2 state that the fractured rocks are 45 

feet wide and the fissures have a trend of N. 60° W. In a prospect 

near the mouth of the shaft the ozokerite, which is well exposed, is 

irregularly distributed as a filling of the fissures, with a maximum 

width of 1 inch of solid wax. Along these fissures movement has taken 

place. The faults, which are normal, dip 45° and strike N. 45° W. 

The displacement is at least 18 inches, and the fracture zone is between 4 and 5 feet wide. The ozokerite from this prospect has a

1 Taff, J. A., and Smith, C. D., op. cit., pp. 369-372. 2 Idem, p. 371.
OZOKEETTE IN CENTRAL UTAH. 13

more or less fibrous structure, is dark brown to black, and has a hardness about equal to that of talc.

Development No. 3, in the NW. J sec. 22, T. 10 S., R. 7 W. ; consists of a drift about 500 feet long, bearing about N. 10° W. No 

ozokerite was observed on the mine dump, and only a few films 

were found filling joints that trend N. 10 W. It is reported that very 

little ozokerite has been found here. A sample from this place was 

tested at the Bureau of Mines. (See pp. 5-8.)

Development No. 4, in the E. £ sec. 24, T. 10 S., R. 7 E., consists 

of a drift about 30 feet long, opened along the principal joints, which 

here trend N. 8° W. This prospect is about 700 feet higher than the 

railroad station at Soldier Summit, as determined by barometric 

readings. A vein of ozokerite half an inch thick was observed in 

the face of the drift, but so far as could be observed this was the only 

vein in the prospect.

Development No. 5, in the SW. J sec. 19, T. 10 S., R. 8 E., consists 

of a drift about 30 feet long, trending S. 85° E. The exposed system 

of joints trends N. 43° W. The drift is partly timbered and is 

equipped with a small car and track. No ozokerite was observed 

either in the mine or on. the dump.

Development No. 6, locally known as the Soldier Summit mine, in 

the NW. 1 sec. 30, T. 10 S., R. 8 E., less than half a mile northeast of 

Soldier Summit, is reported to be one of the largest mines in the field. 

Tests of a sample from this mine are reported on pages 5-8. The 

shaft was in so poor a condition at the time of examination that entrance was not feasible. The following description is taken from the 

report by TafT and Smith: J

A mine has been equipped with hoisting power and in connection with it a con-. 

centration plant erected nearly one-third of a mile east of Soldier Summit. The mine 

was closed at the time visited, on account of reported litigation. Mr. Kroupa, who 

directed the development here, reports that the shaft is 225 feet in depth and was 

driven on a band of vertical fissures that contain the mineral wax, and that drifts 

had been opened 50 feet to the north and south on the strike of the fractures. A 

north-south shear zone has been prospected one-fourth mile south of the mine. In all 

cases here the ozokerite is reported to occur in veinlets filling narrow fissures in the 

strike of the crushed strata and surrounding the brecciated shale and shaly sandstone . Locally the veins swell to a thickness of nearly 3 feet, according to Mr. Kroupa's 

verbal report.

The mouth of the shaft has an altitude of about 400 feet above the 

railroad station at Soldier Summit.

Development No. 7, in the SW. £ sec. 10, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., consists 

of a shaft which at the time of visit was filled with water within about 

20 feet of the surface. The ozokerite occurs in a'brecciated zone that 

trends about N. 8° W. Evidences of ozokerite were found in the 

mine dump and in outcrops near the mouth of the shaft.

i Op. cit., p. 371.
14 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PART II.

Development No. 8, in the SE. £ sec. 10, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., consists 

of a small drift opened along the joints that have a trend of N. 9° W. 

Thin films of ozokerite associated with gypsum were seen. According to Mr. James Miller, of Colton, a number of small prospects similar to No. 8 have been opened northwest of this drift.

Development No. 9, in the SE. i sec. 15, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., consists of a small drift and shaft opened along a normal fault in sandstone and clay. The rocks show a vertical displacement of about 8 

feet and are brecciated along the fault zone. The ozokerite is confined for the most part to fissures in the brecciated portions of the 

sandstone and occurs in pockets or irregular masses. The clay carries little ozokerite, for even where it is faulted very little open space 

remains. A wagon road, which was in poor condition at the time of 

the examination, has been constructed from the Pleasant Valley mines 

to this prospect; According to barometric readings the mouth of the 

drift is about 650 feet higher than the town of Colton.

Development No. 10, in the SW. £ sec. 14, T. US., R. 8 E., consists of a drift about 100 feet long driven along the principal joints, 

which here trend N. 10° W. This drift is about 475 feet above the 

town of Colton. The associated rocks are sandstone and shale, 

and masses of ozokerite were observed which measured as much as 

6 inches across. The fracture zone in this drift is from 4 to 5 feet 

wide. The impregnated material exposed in the face of the drift 

is from 4 to 5 feet wide. The impregnated material exposed in the 

face of the drift was estimated by Mr. L. V. Shearer, of the American 

Ozokerite Co., to contain about 7 per cent of ozokerite. Tests of a 

sample of ozokerite from this mine were 'made as reported on pages 

5-8. Angular fragments of country rock completely surrounded by 

ozokerite are abundant, and the smaller cross fractures are also filled 

with ozokerite in many places. The ozokerite from this drift is soft 

enough to be molded in the fingers. It has a more or less fibrous 

fracture and on freshly broken surfaces smells like kerosene.

Development No. 11, in the SW. | sec. 14, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., consists of a drift about 200 feet long and some small crosscuts. The 

drift is opened along the principal system of joints and trends N. 

10° W. The general level of this' drift is about 400 feet above the 

town of Colton. Ozokerite is found in films and thin veins along the 

principal joints, and also in the smaller joints that cut the major 

system. It is probably a part of the same impregnated body that is 

found in development No. 10. Nos. 9, 10, and 11 are locally known 

as the Brown Bear group or James Peak group.

Development No. 12, in the SE. | sec. 22, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., in the 

town of Colton, is locally known as the Town mine. At the time of
OZOKERITE IN CENTRAL UTAH. 15

the examination the mine was partly filled with water. The following 

description of this development is given by TafF and Smith: ]

A shaft is sunk on a vertical shear zone 5 to 6 feet in width to a depth of 110 feet and 

is equipped with a 10-horsepower hoisting engine. Drifts have been run on the strike 

of the fractures at a depth of 45 feet and at the base. The mine is now closed, it is 

claimed, on account of litigation. At the time of inspection it was filled with water 

below the 45-foot drift. At this level the brecciated zone consists of broken green and 

purple shale with sandstone fragments. Ozokerite occurs in scales or thin veins or as 

pockets arid veins of variable extent and width, not exceeding a few inches at most.

Development No. 13 is in theNE. J sec. 23, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., on whatis 

locally known as the Midnight claim. A drift has been opened here, 

principally in sandstone, along the brecciated fault zone, which is 

between 2 and 3 feet wide, and has a north-south trend. Ozokerite was 

observed at the surface in solid masses as thick as 1 £ inches -and filling 

smaller fissures and spaces between the faulted and brecciated rocks.

Development No. 14, locally known as the Miller property, is in the 

SE. | sec. 14, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., and consists of two drifts, one 75 feet 

long and the other 17 feet long. The shorter drift is about 12 feet 

above the long one. It is reported that about 5 tons of material has 

been mined from these drifts and that some of it contained as much as 

7 per cent of ozokerite.

Development No. 15, locally known as the Pleasant Valley or P. V. 

mine, is probably the largest and best-equipped mine in the ozokerite 

field. Two main drifts have been opened, one in the NW. £ sec. 24 

and the other in the SW. J sec. 13, T. 11 S., R. 8 E., and are connected 

by a shaft. The lower drift is about 300 feet above the town of Colton, and the other is about 85 feet higher. Both drifts have been 

driven on a fracture zone which has a general bearing of N. 10° W., 

but the trend of the drifts ranges between N. 0° 58' W. and N. 15° W. 

The lower drift is about 650 feet long, and the upper about 350 feet, 

and some lateral entries have been turned off which are over 100 feet 

long. The two levels are connected in several places, and it is 

reported that the lateral entries show that the fracture zone containing ozokerite is locally 38 feet wide. Single continuous veins of ozokerite have been traced in these mines for 140 feet, and yellow wax 

has been found in the upper drift. The main part of the lower drift 

is opened along a normal fault, which is nearly vertical and has a 

displacement of over 6 feet. The associated rocks are sandstone, 

shale, and clay, and these commonly show slickensided surfaces. A 

plant for the separation of the ozokerite from the associated rock 

fragments, several houses, and a shop have been erected. It is 

reported by Mr. L. V. Shearer that shipments of wax were made from 

this mine to New York City in 1901, 1907, and 1912, which aggregated 

between 35 and 50 tons. Tests of a sample from the mine were made 

at the Bureau of Mines, as reported on pages 5-8.

i Op. cit., pp. 370-371.
16 CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 1915, PART II.

Development No. 16, locally known as the Higgins shaft, is in the 

NW. i sec. 24, T. 11 S., R. 8 E. The shaft is reported to be about 

180 feet deep but at the time of examination was in so poor a condition that entrance was not practicable. It is probable that this 

shaft is on the same general zone of fractures as the P. V. mine. 

A sample from the mine was tested, as reported on pages 5-S. 

About 600 feet south-southeast of the shaft is an old prospect, which 

shows traces of ozokerite on the dump. °

Development No. 17, locally known as the Kyune Canyon property, 

is in the SE. £ sec. 18, T. 11 S., R. 9 E. It consists of a drift over 100 

feet long. The general direction of the fractures which carry the 

ozokerite is N. 5° E., and exposures in the drift show ozokerite in 

small fissures as much as half an inch thick, scattered through a zone 

several feet thick.

In the descriptions given above only those developments have been 

considered which show some indication of ozokerite or which have 

apparently been opened with the intention of commercial development. A number of small prospects were visited, and other occurrences were reported in various parts of the ozokerite field.

FUTURE OF THE FIELD.

The quantity of ozokerite available for future mining in the Utah 

field can hardly be estimated. The length and thickness of the fissured and fractured zones containing ozokerite are variable, even 

.within short distances, and for areas beyond the limits of prospected 

ground no quantitative estimate can be made with safety. Many of 

the prospects and mines, however, showed ozokerite in place, and 

the fact that it is irregularly distributed should encourage more 

thorough prospecting.

The melting point of crude Utah ozokerite ranges between 60° and 

79° C., which compares favorably with that of the Austrian product. 

Inasmuch as the melting point is a factor in determining the price, 

the quality of the Utah product, so far as this point is concerned 

should encourage future development.

Previous to the outbreak of the war in Europe the Austrian ozokerite sold in New York at so low a price that American producers found 

difficulty in competing with it. For the year 1914 the imported 

ozokerite was valued at 6.1 cents a pound at the point of exportation, 

and in the summer of that year the New York price for crude ozokerite 

was 27 to 30 cents a pound. About the middle of June, 1915, the 

price, of ozokerite in New York, as shown by the various trade journals, was between 30 and 40 cents a pound. As the imports from the 

Galician mines have been seriously affected by the war and as the 

development of these mines in the near future will probably be greatly 

handicapped, there is an excellent opportunity to market the Utah 

product.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 641 PLATE I

Mine tunnel, showing direction

(Number refers to description in text)

GENERALIZED SECTION 

Thicknesses estimated

.WASATCH 

FORMATION 

Green, red, and purple 

shale, and clay w/th 

a few thin beds of 

sandstone and limestone. Contains no 

bituminous shale 

but is cut by veins 

or ozokerite

Note. The Green River formation outcrops on/y to a minor extent in. the area 

mapped but is extensively developed to the north. The M&satch formation 

is exposed over the -greater part of the area and to the south

^

OH sh&le sample 

GREEN RIVER 

FORMATION 

Shale and thin 

beds of sandstone.

Beds of

bituminous or oil 

shale represented 

by heavy lines.

^ 

jQil shale sample 

^

I 

I 

I 

 F3/

MAP OF OZOKERITE FIELD IN CENTRAL UTAH.