MGS previously updated a legacy database containing approximately 5,000 previously unpublished core logs which contain geologic information not recorded elsewhere, and has entered more than 3,000 additional logs as part of its 2019, 2020 and 2021 NGGDPP grants. Numerous logs are in areas of permissive geology for critical minerals. MGS is currently entering an additional 1,000 logs, to be entered into the NDC upon completion of the 2022 NGGDPP grant. The database contains standard header information, all written log information, and associated geochemical and assay data.
Missouri has produced or has permissive geology for multiple critical elements, including rare earth elements (REEs), cobalt, barite, zinc, nickel, gallium, germanium, indium, manganese, titanium, rhenium, bismuth, tin and tungsten. The former Pea Ridge mine is a principal U.S. REE deposit (Long et al., 2010), while southeast Missouri formerly produced cobalt. The state is also home to the world-class Washington County Barite District, and had barite production from the Central Missouri Barite-Lead District. Minor production of tungsten occurred in small deposits in southeast Missouri, and gallium and germanium had minor production in the Tri-State Zinc-Lead District. The Southeast Missouri Lead District produced zinc, cobalt and nickel from the Mine La Motte-Fredericktown subdistrict, and has zinc and cobalt in currently operating and closed mines in the Viburnum Trend. IOA and IOCG closed mines and deposits also have critical mineral potential. Closed mines with past production or future potential include Pea Ridge IOA (known REEs, Ti, trace Co, Sn, Re) and Iron Mountain IOA (potential REEs), while the Boss IOCG deposit contains known cobalt. Phosphorites that may contain REEs are found in Upper Ordovician-, Upper Devonian-, Upper Mississippian-, and Pennsylvanian-age strata.
