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The Vernon Hills Project is an ambitious cobalt exploration endeavor located in Tooele County, central Utah, USA. Situated approximately 6 kilometers east of the town of Vernon and 84 kilometers south-southeast of Salt Lake City, the project spans an area of hydrothermal, strata-bound deposits in the southern end of Rush Valley.
The property encompasses ten lode claims, , nestled within a landscape of juniper trees, scattered sage, and grass. Elevations on the property range from 5,640 feet to 5,972 feet above sea level, offering an intriguing geological canvas for exploration. Access to the site is facilitated via Utah State Route 36, which connects to Interstate 80 to the north in Tooele County and U.S. Highway 6 to the south in Juab County. Within the property area, gravel roads maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management provide convenient access.
The property claims were previously held by Mendenhall Geological Exploration and Consulting, Inc. In October 2021, these claims were transferred to Western Cobalt, LLC via a quit claim deed. Although there is no significant evidence of prior development of the property’s mineralized zone, a few prospect pits exist within the claim boundaries. These include Prospect Pit #1 and Prospect Pit #2, along with a recreational quarry of decorative “wonder stone”.
The Vernon Hills Project is an ambitious cobalt exploration endeavor located in Tooele County, central Utah, USA. Situated approximately 6 kilometers east of the town of Vernon and 84 kilometers south-southeast of Salt Lake City, the project spans an area of hydrothermal, strata-bound deposits in the southern end of Rush Valley.
The geological story of the property area stretches back approximately 300 million years to the Pennsylvanian era when the Oquirrh Group sedimentary units were deposited within the Oquirrh Basin. These units endured structural deformation, including thrust faulting and compression, during the Jurassic Period. The late Eocene witnessed the collapse of the Sevier fold-belt, leading to further extension and significant regional volcanism. Subsequently, the Basin and Range tectonic regime prevailed, resulting in additional extension and normal faulting.
The local geology of the property area lies on the eastern side of the Vernon Hills fault, part of the down-dropped hanging wall. The mineralized zone features a brecciated unit at the base of a massive limestone bed, which holds significant promise for cobalt mineralization. While exposures along the strike are partially obscured by modern colluvium, careful sample collection can unveil valuable insights into this geological trove.