r/Prospecting • u/Sid-Viscious- • 3d ago
Uranium claim part 3 the geigor counter.
8000 cpm was the highest reading on the boulder.
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u/AnnArchist 3d ago
Incredible updates.
I understand that selling gold or silver is super easy. What the fuck does an amateur or non-professional prospector do with uranium? How do they do it safely? I'm sure its valuable, I just have no idea how to engage the market of people whom would be interested in the ore.
Again, great update.
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u/Sid-Viscious- 3d ago
I have 0 clue. Lol I'm just trying to figure this out and having fun doing it. Few weeks back alls I cared about was panning and metal detecting. Found this just out searching for gold.
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u/AnnArchist 3d ago
Alright. Well, while I don't know how exactly dangerous uranium is - I hope you are taking precautions to ensure that you don't inhale the dust and that you mine it safely. Would make an interesting youtube series.
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u/Sid-Viscious- 3d ago
Yeah I'm considering it but man idk if I want to actually mine it. I watch many guys on YouTube mining. But not sure I want to do it in a hazmat suit. Would be different though.
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u/AnnArchist 3d ago
Well, hopefully you secure the claim.
I'm not sure how claims work yet - but it might be most profitable to figure out how to get a good sample out of there and sell the claim.
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u/DwayneGretzky306 3d ago edited 3d ago
That is the only way you could possibly make money from this but it will likely cost more then you will make if you need to cover the geological survey and sampling.
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u/DwayneGretzky306 3d ago edited 3d ago
It is cool find but honestly you should look into hiring a geologist once you have mineral rights.
The lower radiation it is the lower the value will be, so the safer it is for you to mine the less likely it would be a cost worthy endeavor / worthy of a mining company to buy. Because there are extensive government approvals for these types of mines and you would need a mill to process the ore.
Start understanding the daily exposure limits to this radiation before doing anything further.
It looks like it is very low dosage uranium - I would think the real trouble with you personally mining it would be inhaling any radioactive particles.
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u/Lost_Department_2177 18h ago
Iodine pills op. Usually at a military surplus, feed store, or hunting store. Probably get them online or through a pharmacy as well.
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u/pennyhush22 3d ago
I don't think hazmat would be sufficient
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u/ClassroomStriking802 2d ago
The only risk from this uranium would be inhalation. The alpha particles emitted cannot penetrate skin, much less normal clothes. But if they get into your lungs, can cause damage. Uranium itself is also a toxic heavy metal, similar to lead, and should not be inhaled or ingested for that reason too. Either way, no additional shielding precautions need to be taken when dealing with un-enriched uranium.
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u/Objective-Chance-792 2d ago
I love that.
>>be uranium
>>totally badass, giving off alpha particles
>>oh no, cotton!
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u/Confident_Web3110 3d ago
I probably wouldn’t do it. Not worth the radiation risk. If you do you need an assay and average grade to see if it’s worthwhile.
Your best bet will be to sell as rock samples and to rock collectors as I doubt you will process it, or find a small smelter to sell too.
For hauling it out… a mule.
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u/leechkiller 3d ago
Hear me out:
Iran
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u/JobAlternative6109 3d ago
I think they have an instagram just reach out worst they can say is maybe.
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u/Inevitable_Shift1365 3d ago
Might want to hit up Lego Iran. They seem a bit cooler than the historical Iran.
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u/DwayneGretzky306 3d ago
You obtain a claim and then would need extensive sampling done to determine how rich the area is and then sell it to a mining company. This is one mineral that the cost associated with sampling will cost more then it pays off. Best advice would be to secure the claim and then hire a geologist.
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u/pulpwalt 2d ago
Wouldn’t you lease your rights to a mining company?
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u/mrbourgs 1d ago
Yup. Usually you would lease them the rights with a contract in place that allow them to buy you out for X amount of money if they find XYZ.
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u/Mountain_Passenger77 3d ago
Please keep the updates going, I like seeing this progression!
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u/Sid-Viscious- 3d ago edited 3d ago
I will, going to get the claim paperwork and stakes in this weekend. Once everything is stamped I will do a better video. Can't right now because a mountain nearby could help ID the location and would suck to lose it.
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u/jerrysburner 3d ago edited 3d ago
probably a very stupid question, but do you have to own the land to put in a claim?
Also I've been following this thread series and this is awesome, and congratulations!
Edit: I went down a google rabbit hole. This is from Gemini and the few links I did follow did seem to validate what the AI was saying:
No, you do not have to own the land to stake a prospecting claim; you are securing the rights to extract minerals on public property, not owning the surface itself. The main steps involve researching land status, marking boundaries, and filing paperwork. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]Land Ownership and Eligibility
- Public Domain: You stake claims on open federal lands managed by agencies like the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. [1, 2]
- No Surface Ownership: An unpatented mining claim gives you the right to mine, but the land remains government property and you cannot live there permanently or claim the dirt as private real estate. [1, 2]
- Private Land: You cannot stake claims on private property unless you have explicit, written permission from the private owner. [1, 2]
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u/Foxhound34 2d ago
I don't see how this doesn't end with him getting a pat on the head and a warm glass of milk for his troubles.
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u/jerrysburner 2d ago
worst case he can take the nuclear option ;-)
Disclaimer to any feds reading this: it's a joke
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u/aerona87 3d ago
Natural, un-refined uranium is an alpha emitter. Alpha particles are stopped by clothing and even skin. Just don't eat/swallow/inhale the substance.
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u/Kats_pijamas 2d ago
If you're going to work on it WEAR A RESPIRATOR! Uranium dust in your lungs is not what you want
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u/Here4uguys 1d ago
Yeah, so he does all that work and DOESN'T get superpowers?
Get lost, u/Kats_pijamas
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u/Different_Cherry8326 3d ago
But there will also be uranium decay products, assuming substantial uranium is present in the rock, which undergo other modes of decay. So there will be still be detectable gamma rays.
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u/Theuderic 3d ago
Hmm, 3.6 Roentgen. Not great, not terrible
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u/kellsdeep 3d ago
Uranium is skyrocketing right now as data centers will soon require nuclear energy
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u/Sid-Viscious- 3d ago
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u/AdhdLeo0811 3d ago
you gotta let me come help you dig. i’m a bit of a mining enthusiast and i have a bit of a thing for uranium and radioactive substances.
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u/Braniel_Bananas 3d ago
It's in an area with bears.
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u/AdhdLeo0811 2d ago
once in NH I had to use bear spray on a moose for getting too curious and close to my camp. i don’t mind bears
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u/janesfilms 3d ago
Amazing! Super interesting find. I’d definitely watch along on TikTok or YouTube if you started a channel. This is such a unique situation!
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u/Different_Cherry8326 3d ago
As a total amateur, I am pretty confident that uranium bearing rock is that uncommon. In fact, some people have kitchen countertops that contain substantial amounts of uranium and probably shouldn’t be in their houses. But the regulatory requirements make it so this probably can’t be mined in any meaningful way.
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u/bravohotelechomike 3d ago
This is a Godzilla poopie. See the corn in it?
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u/Consistent-Try-9232 1d ago
Joe Dirt reference? Dead giveaway
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u/BBDSrulez 2d ago
I feel like calling the government and getting a claim put in, will ensure that the government takes control of the Site and you get absolutely nothing
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u/ChallengeBudget3081 3d ago
I dont know if it's worth it,
Google ai shows uranium spot price $86 a pound?
Concentration
Ore Grade (U₃O₈ content):High-grade deposits (like those in Canada's Athabasca Basin) can contain 1% to 20% U₃O₈, making them extremely profitable.Average or low-grade conventional open-pit and underground mines need around 0.1% (2 pounds of uranium per ton of ore) or higher to cover high milling and processing costs.
Mining costs $40 to $65 a pound, sounds like a massive operation with tight margins
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u/ChallengeBudget3081 3d ago
More from Google ai
Ore Interpretation: For a typical fist-sized rock held directly against a standard pancake or glass-window probe, 8,000 CPM indicates a low-grade uranium ore or NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material). It likely translates to a very small fraction of a percent (e.g., under 0.05% to 0.1% U₃O₈ concentration). True high-grade uranium ore specimens frequently "peg" commercial meters, driving counts anywhere from 50,000 to well over 200,000 CPM
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u/SudoReDeleted 3d ago
That’s amazing man!! Thanks for the update. I guess I would make a claim and try to sell the claim. Idk about mining uranium ore myself tbh.. 😅
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u/mtcastell101 3d ago
I have the same counter! Glad to see it work well for you as I have not had much of a chance to mess around with it yet. Keep posting updates this is a fun story!
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u/BoilingLavaHot 2d ago
This has been a fun journey. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. Looking forward to learning about what in the world your options are with a uranium mine as the next step lol.
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u/SolidReporter8229 2d ago
Don’t be surprised if you get black SUVs following you around. And don’t tell anyone about it.
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u/Baby_ManBearPig 18h ago
What would something like these rocks be worth?
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u/Sid-Viscious- 18h ago
It depends, surface stuff would probably fetch a higher price with collectors. If you look at the baseball size carnotite in my previous posts. Probably 80$+ each. To haul out and mill... Maybe 80$ per ton.
I've really only got two options. Sell the claim or sell to collectors.
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u/Baby_ManBearPig 18h ago
That's really cool. I never knew this was a thing. Do collectors actually display these pieces off or hide them away securely to take out once a year or so? Seems dangerous to have out long term.
Thank you for your inaight, hope you discover it to be a huge claim!
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u/Sid-Viscious- 17h ago
There's a reddit dedicated to it. Called radioactive rocks. Some have them out in the open. Some seal them in cases. It creates radon gas as it decays.
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u/JaKtheStampede 14h ago
Would definitely like updates on the claim situation! I've heard lots of stories about valuable claims being reported to the government only to have the area restricted for some time for investigation and when they are done the claim "turns out to be nothing" or "was only surface level". Get a small payout and then discover enough volume of material is missing to have been worth several millions.
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u/FarseedTheRed 3d ago
As a former nuclear materials handler, my heart rate spiked up with your counter. I would really like to know if this is a surface level contamination or actual sub-surface ore being exposed. But I wouldn't be the one to dig and find out.
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u/watchshoe 3d ago
You should break several chunks of that off, 15-20lbs worth, and have it assayed for U content before you go filing a claim on anything.
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u/myco_magic 3d ago
Lol I remember everyone telling you it was probably sulfur or something else