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Mineral resource inventory of North Dakota

August 13, 2021

Aside from construction aggregate materials, the value of nonfuel mineral commodities that have been produced in North Dakota is small, although there is potential for the existence of several mineral resource deposit types which are not economically viable at this time. In this report, we present a mineral resource inventory of the State of North Dakota, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey at the request the Bureau of Land Management. To set the stage for that inventory, we briefly outline the long and complex geologic history of North Dakota that extends back more than 3 billion years. Using several existing databases, we summarize the distribution of known mineral commodities and the results of commodity exploration over time. Using all available data, we discuss the potential for economic occurrences of 13 commodities in North Dakota, including some listed as Critical Minerals.

Publication Year 2021
Title Mineral resource inventory of North Dakota
DOI 10.3133/ofr20211057
Authors Stephen E. Box, Pamela M. Cossette
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Open-File Report
Series Number 2021-1057
Index ID ofr20211057
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center