Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RICHARD JENKINS
LANSING — UPX Minerals, a subsidiary of Highland Copper, has requested direct metallic mineral leases from the state of Michigan for almost 4,000 acres of land in Iron and Marquette counties.
The Department of Natural Resources announced the request to lease the mineral rights for approximately 3,965 acres Friday.
Roughly 3,845 acres of the land UPX is seeking to lease the mineral rights for is in Marquette County’s Champion, Michigamme, Negaunee, Ishpeming and Marquette townships. The other approximately 119 acres would be leased in Iron County’s Crystal Falls Township.
While the state owns the mineral rights properties, the surface land is primarily owned by a mixture of large timber companies and small landholders.
“In the state of Michigan, you have what you call ‘severed mineral rights,’” said Tim Lynott, the finance manager for Highland’s Michigan operation. “So somebody else can own the surface, but the state controls the minerals.”
If the lease agreements are approved, Lynott said the goal of the acquisition would be for additional exploration opportunities beyond the company’s current UPX holdings in the central U.P.
Highland acquired the original 447,842 acres in Houghton, Baraga, Ontonagon, Dickinson, Marquette and Iron counties known as its UPX properties in May 2017. It has since been conducting test drilling on the property, announcing in November it was encouraged by preliminary drilling results.
In addition to its holdings in the central U.P., Highland is developing projects in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties and the Keweenaw region.