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Tubutama

Occurrence in Sonora, Mexico with commodities Boron-Borates, Zeolites
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10095823
MRDS ID MX00580
Record type Site
Current site name Tubutama
Related records 10158041

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -111.49597, 30.99793 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 2000(meters)
Relative position CENTER OF COORDINATES LISTED IN ARTICLE, (GEOMIMET, V.141). DEPOSIT IS 50 KM N OF HERMOSILLO AND 15 KM NE OF TUBUTAMA., Estimated To Within 1 Minute.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Pima(county)

Arizona(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Mexico Sonora

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Zeolites Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Colemanite Ore
Ulexite Ore
Clay Gangue
Gypsum Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 260
USGS model code 35b.3
Deposit model name Lacustrine borates

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Tubutama Formation
    Rock description Tubutama Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -111.49597, 30.99793
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form LENTICULAR, STRATIFORM

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE TUBUTAMA FM IS A MIOCENE LACUSTRINE SEQUENCE, ABOUT 600 M THICK, CONSISTS OF BASAL SANDSTONE, LATITE FLOWS, LIMESTONE, VOLCANICLASTIC SEDIMENTS, AND BORATE BEDS OVERLAIN BY ABOUT 250 M OF ARGILLACEOUS SEDIMENTS WITH MINOR EVAPORITES. BORATE BEDS RESULTED FROM CHEMICAL SEDIMENTATION OF B-RICH HOT SPRING WATERS ASSOCIATED WITH MID-TERT. SUB-AQUEOUS VOLCANISM IN SHALLOW LAKES UNDER ARID CONDITIONS. ABUNDANT ZEOLITES FORMED DUE TO DIAGENESIS OF TUFFACEOUS SEDIMENTS. HOST UNIT DIPS 30 DEG EAST.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No

Mining district

District name Tubutama

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Total resources 6300000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 15 wt-pct Boron Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1982
    Total resources 82000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 7 wt-pct Boron Major 1982
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1979
    Total resources 29555380000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 8.33 wt-pct Boron Major 1979
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1979
    Total resources 34000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 8.47 wt-pct Boron Major 1979
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 63000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 15 wt-pct Boron Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 82000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 9 wt-pct Boron Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • FIGURES 1 AND 2 ARE FOR SUBAREA TUBUTAMA II: ITEM 1> DRILL-INDICATED RESERVES AT LOWEST CUT-OFF GRADE. ITEM 2> ORE INCLUDED IN ABOVE CALCULATION THAT HAS AVE. DEPTH OF 29 M (I.E. COULD BE EXPLOITED USING LOW-COST OPEN-PIT METHODS.) FIGURE 4 IS AN AVERAGE OF THE REPORTED 73-91 MILLION MT OF 7-11% B2O3 REPORTED BY SALAS.
  • SUBAREA TUBUTAMA I.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 2400HA

Comments on development

  • RESERVES CALCULATED BY CONSEJO DE RECURSOS MINERALES IN 1979, USING DATA FROM 29 DD-HOLES (70-300 M DEEP) AND THREE TRENCHES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ARRIAGA MELENDEZ, H., PENA ROCHA, L., Y GOMEZ CABALLERO, A., 1986, RESULTADOS DE LA EVALUACION DEL DEPOSITO DE BORATOS DEL AREA TUBUTAMA, SONORA: GEOMIMET, NO. 141, XIII EPOCA, P. 41-60.

  • Deposit

    GOMEZ CABALLERO, A., NIETO OBREGON, J., SHAFIQULLAH, M., ARRIAGA M., H., CARILLO, P.A., CERECERO-LUNA, M., 1981, MIOCENE BORAX DEPOSIT IN THE TUBUTAMA AREA, NORTHWEST SONORA, MEXICO (ABS): GSA ABSTRACTS WITH PROGRAMS, V. 13, NO. 2, P. 58.

  • Deposit

    GONZALEZ S., J.R., 1985, RECURSOS MINERALES NO METALICOS Y ROCAS INDUSTRIALES DEL ESTADO DE SONORA: HERMOSILLO, SONORA, DIRECCION DE MINERIA, GEOLOGIA Y ENERGETICOS, 44 P.

  • Deposit

    SALAS, G.P., 1982, RECENT MINERAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PACIFIC METALLOGENETIC PROVINCES OF MEXICO, IN WATSON, S.T., ED., TRANSACTIONS OF THE THIRD CIRCUM-PACIFIC ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES CONFERENCE, AUGUST 22-28, 1982, HONOLULU, HAWAII: HONOLULU, HAWAII, THE CIRCUM-PACIFIC COUNCIL FOR ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES, P. 325-338.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Reserve-Resource

    ARRIAGA M., AND OTHERS, 1986; SALAS, 1982.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THE BORATE-BEARING MEMBER OF A MIOCENE LACUSTRINE SEQUENCE IS 1-20 M THICK WITH BORATE BEDS A FEW MM TO 30 CM THICK. BEDS CONSIST OF CA- AND NA- BORATES WITH SUBORDINATE SHALE, SANDSTONE, GYPSUM AND MARL. ORE MAINLY COLEMANITE, IN THIN LAYERS, LENSES, VEINLETS, GRANULAR MASSES, AND DISSEMINATIONS. SUBORDINATE HOWLITE OCCURS IN VEINS AND PORCELANEOUS NODULES. MINOR ULEXITE, MCALLISTERITE AND WARDSMITHITE. TWO MAIN CONTINUOUS HORIZONS. TUBUTAMA I: 1500 M BY 8.9 M, AVE. 8.58% B2O3. TUBUTAMA II: 1000 M BY 4.07 M, AVE. 8.65% B2O3. AVERAGE DEPTH: 29 M.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-88 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Page, Norman J.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-91 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-93 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-DEC-95 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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