Russell Mine

Past Producer in Ventura county in California, United States with commodities Boron-Borates, Gypsum-Anhydrite
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10023816
MRDS ID I003009
Record type Site
Current site name Russell Mine
Related records 10287400

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -119.07121, 34.78193 (WGS84)
Elevation 1722

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Ventura(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Cuddy Valley(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cuyama(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Los Angeles(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Santa Clara(hydrologic unit)

Ventura-San Gabriel Coastal(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southern California Coastal(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Los Padres National Forest(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Ventura

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
San Bernardino 008N 021W 14 California

Comments on the location information

  • NEAR MIDDLE OF SECTION.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Gypsum-Anhydrite Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • COLEMANITE IS GLASSY, CRYSTALLINE, AND WHITE TO DARK IN COLOR.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Colemanite Ore
Gypsum Gangue
Selenite Gangue

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -119.07121, 34.78193

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Extensive Folding And Faulting

Ore body information

  • Strike N75E
    Dip ABOUT 60S

Comments on the geologic information

  • BASALTIC VESICULAR LAVA IS FILLED WITH ZEOLITES.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1898
Production years 1899 TO AT LEAST 1912

Mining district

District name Ventura County Borate District - Stauffer District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Russell Borate Mining Co.
    First year 1912

Comments on the production information

  • ORE WAS OSRTED BY HAND FOR SHIPMENT, YIELDING A LARGE PROPORTION OF VERY HIGH-GRADE MATERIAL SAID TO AVERAGE 42.5% B2O3 IN THE FIRST GRADE AND ABOUT 29% B2O3 IN THE SECOND GRADE.

Comments on the workings information

  • MAIN SHAFT - 200 FT.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: THE ORE IS HAND SORTED FOR SHIPMENT TO SAN FRANCISCO, WHERE IT IS MADE INTO BORIC ACID AND BORAX.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    GALE, H.S., 1912, BORATE DEPOSITS IN VENTURA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: USGS BULL 540, P. 434-456.

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 1959, MINERAL RECORD CARD.

  • Deposit

    VER PLANCK, W.E., 1956, HISTORY OF BORAX PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 52, NO. 3, P. 273-191.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    USBLM, 1959.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SPATIAL ASSOCIATION OF BASALT WITH DEPOSITS. ORE BODIES ARE IRREGULARLY DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE ORE ZONE. COLEMANITE IS MIXED WITH LIMESTONE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1993 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 04-NOV-1994 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Authoritative California resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.