1. Mineral Resources
  2. Online Spatial Data
  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Searles Lake Deposit

Plant in San Bernardino county in California, United States with commodities Boron-Borates, Potassium, Potash, Salt, Sodium, Lithium, Tungsten
Map
XML
JSON
KML
B
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. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Mineral rights holdings
  13. Land status
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10261819
MRDS ID D000885
MAS/MILS ID 60710021
Record type Deposit
Current site name Searles Lake Deposit
Alternate or previous names Searles Borax Marsh
Related records 10008577

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -117.3308, 35.7669 (WGS84)
Elevation 500
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

San Bernardino(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Trona East(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Ridgecrest(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Trona(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Indian Wells-Searles Valleys(hydrologic unit)

Northern Mojave(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northern Mojave-Mono Lake(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management CA)

Bureau of Land Management CA BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California San Bernardino

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 025 S 043 E 10 SE California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Potassium, Potash Primary
Salt Primary
Sodium Primary
Lithium Critical Tertiary
Tungsten Critical Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • As of 1918 the only commodity mentioned here was potash. There was no mention of trona.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Borax Ore
Halite Ore
Trona Ore
Gaylussite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -117.3308, 35.7669
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 27M
    Length 15000M
    Width 11000M
    Area 10000HA
    Depth to top 7M
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Secondary mode of Origin EVAPORATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 7
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Total Surface Area (HA) 10000
    Date of Last Modification 830316

Comments on the geologic information

  • OTHER MINERALS FOUND IN SEARLES LAKE NOT LISTED IN TABLE V IN THE DATA BASE: BURKEITE, GLASERITE, HANKSITE, NAHCOLITE NORTHUPITE, PIRSSONITE, SULFOHALITE, THENARDITE, TYCHITE.
  • A NEARLY DRY PLAYA LAKE COVERING ABOUT 100SQ KM, LENGTH 15KM WIDTH 11KM. THICKNESS OF FILL FROM 0 AT PERIPHERY TO OVER 900M TOWARD CENTER. BASEMENT ROCK QUARTZ MONZONITE. EVAPORITE DEPOSIT ALTERNATING MUD BEDS AND BRINE SATURATED SALT BEDS. 6 MAJOR LAYERS (BOTTOM-TOP): MIXED LAYER, BOTTOM MUD, LOWER STRUCTURE BRINE, PARTING MUD, UPPER STRUCTURE BRINE, OVERBURDEN MUD. IN DATA BASE, DEPTH TO MINERALIZED ZONE FOR OVERBURDEN MUD TO UPPER STRUCTURE. UNCONSOLIDATED MATERIAL SAME AS DEPTH TO MINERALIZED ZONE. THICKNESS OF MINERALIZATION COMBINED FOR THE UPPER AND LOWER STRUCTURE, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MIXED LAYER, WHICH HAS A THICKNESS OF +200M. SINCE IT IS A DRY PLAYA LAKE, THERE IS NO STRIKE OR DIP. NO DEFORMATION HAS OCCURRED IN THE BRINES- ENTERED AS UNKNOWN UNDER RELATIONSHIP AND DEFORMATION, NO AGE GIVEN FOR AGE OF DEFORMATION.
  • Searles Lake deposit [also known as Trona deposit] [includes West End Chemical mine, McGee mine] - Searles Lake near Trona. aphthitalite, borax, burkeite, galeite, gaylussite, halite, hanksite, mirabilite, nahcolite, northupite, pirssonite, schairerite, searlesite, sulphohalite, teepleite, thenardite, tincalconite, trona, tychite. [http://www.mineralsocal.org/scfm/california/s.htm, accessed 12/6/10]

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Brine Operation
Development status Plant
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1862
Mining method Auger Mining - Solution Mining
Year of first production 1873
Plant subcategory Crystallization
Milling method Crystallization

Mining district

District name Searles Valley

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Federal Lease
Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Mixed

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner North American Chemical Co.
    Interest 100
    Year 1994

Comments on the ownership information

  • KERR-MCGEE IS 100PCT OWNER OF ALL 3 PLANTS AT SEARLES LAKE. KERR-MCGEE ALSO OWNS 30PCT OF THE 8823HA IT OPERATES ON THE LAKE. THE OTHER 70PCT IS LEASED FROM THE U.S. GOVERN- MENT, AND KERR-MCGEE PAYS A ROYALTY ON PRODUCTION FROM THIS LEASED LAND.

Comments on the production information

  • INVESTMENT OF $200 MILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ARGUS PLANT AND RENOVATION OF TRONA AND WESTEND PLANTS.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1980
    Measured 1488000000mt commodity
    Demonstrated 1488000000mt commodity
    Total resources 1488000000mt commodity
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Potassium K2o 7 wt-pct Potassium Trace 1980
    Sodium Na2co3 57 wt-pct Sodium Trace 1980
    Sodium Na2SO4 33 wt-pct Sodium Trace 1980
    Boron-Borates B2O3 3 wt-pct Boron Trace 1980

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • QUANTITY GIVEN IS TOTAL AMOUNT OF POTASH, BORAX, SODA ASH, AND SALT CAKE. BY COMMODITY, THE QUANTITY PRESENT IS: POTASSIUM CHLORIDE (POTASH)- 101.3MILLION TONNES SODIUM TETRABORATE (BORAX)-- 47.2MILLION TONNES SODIUM CARBONATE (SODA ASH)- 851.8MILLION TONNES SODIUM SULFATE (SALT CAKE)-- 488.1MILLION TONNES THE ASSAY IS THE PERCENTAGE OF EACH COMMODITY IN THE TOTAL RESOURCE.
  • NOT A TUNGSTEN PRODUCER; U.S. BUR. MINES CIRCULAR 8315. BRINE CONTAINS 56 PPM TUNGSTEN. TOTAL 135 MILLION POUNDS OF TUNGSTEN
  • As of 1918 Stocket (p. 5) says: "The first estimate of the contents of this deposit was 4,000,000 tons of K2O, but this is now considered much too low and probalby thhree times this amount is conservative. An anlysis of the brine gave approximately 7.5% K2O [...]."

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 8823HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method ALLUVIAL MINING
    Swell Factor 0
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 7
    Primary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 0
    Max. Pit Slope (degrees) 0
    Capacity 5901
    Capacity Units MT COMMOD/DAY
    Preprod. Stripping Vol. 0
    Unit Production Cost 54.74
    Units of Production $/MT COMMOD
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on development

  • As of 1918 there were plants erected by American Trona Corporation and Pacific Coast Borax Co. - Solvay Process Co. (Stockett, 1918, p. 6)

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ALTRINGER,P.B.,AND OTHERS, 1978, TUNGSTEN RECOVERY FROM SEARLES LAKE BRINES: US BUMINES RI 8315, 15 PP.

  • Deposit

    ALTRINGER,P.B.,AND OTHERS, 1978, TUNGSTEN RECOVERY FROM SEARLES LAKE BRINES BY ION EXCHANGE: MINING ENGINEERING, AUG 1979, PP. 1220-1225.

  • Deposit

    BAILEY,G.E., 1902, THE SALINE DEPOSITS OF CALIFORNIA: CALIF STATE MIN BUR BULL 24, 216 PP.

  • Deposit

    BERTHOLD,C.E., 1975, PROCESS TECHNOLOGY FOR RECOVERING GEOTHERMAL BRINE MATERIALS (CONTRACT 144104): US BUMINES OFR 35-75, 255 PP.

  • Deposit

    BRADLEY,W.W., 1945, FLOWSHEET OF AMERICAN POTASH AND CHEMICAL CORP. AT SEARLES LAKE, CALIF: CALIF JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V.41,NO.4,PP. 361-363.

  • Deposit

    CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY, 1972, SALT-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY: V.25, N.10, P.233.

  • Deposit

    CARPENTER,L.G.,AND GARRETT,D.E., TUNGSTEN IN SEARLES LAKE: MINING ENGINEERING, MAR 1959, PP.301-303.

  • Deposit

    DEGROOT,H., 1890, THE SEARLES BORAX MARSH: CALIF STATE MININ BUREAU, 10TH ANNUAL REPORT, PP.534-539

  • Deposit

    DOLBEAR,C.E., 1913, THE SEARLES LAKE POTASH DEPOSIT: ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, V.95, PP. 259-261.

  • Deposit

    DOLBEAR,S.H., 1914, THE SALINE DEPOSITS OF SEARLES LAKE, CAL MINING AND ENGINEERING WORLD, V.41, PP.797-800

  • Deposit

    DROSTE,J.B., 1961, CLAY MINERALS IN SEDIMENTS OF OWENS,CHINA SEARLES, PANAMINT, BRISTOL, CADIZ, AND DANBY LAKE BASINS, CALIF: GSA BULLETIN, V.72, PP.1713-1722.

  • Deposit

    DYER,B.W., SEARLES LAKE DEVELOPMENT: QUARTERLY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES, OCT 1950, V.45, N4B, PP.39-44.

  • Deposit

    GALE,H.S., 1913, PAPERS ON POTASH AND OTHER SALINES: USGS BUL 540-N, PP.N1-37.

  • Deposit

    GALE,H.S., 1915, SALINES IN THE OWENS, SEARLES, AND PANAMINT BASINS, SE CALIF: USGS BULL 580, PP.251-323.

  • Deposit

    GALE,H.S., 1919, SEARLES LAKE, IN SALT RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES: USGS BUL 669, PP.164-174.

  • Deposit

    GARRETT,D.E., 1960, BORAX PROCESSING AT SEARLES LAKE, IN INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS: NEW YORK, AIME, PP.119-122.

  • Deposit

    HAINES,D.V., 1959, CORE LOGS FROM SEARLES LAKE, SAN BERNARDINO CO, CALIF: USGS BUL 1045-E, PP.139-317.

  • Deposit

    HAMMAN,W.D., 1912, THE SEARLES LAKE POTASH DEPOSIT: ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, V.93, PP.975-976.

  • Deposit

    HICKS,W.B., 1915, EVAPORATION OF POTASH BRINES: USGS PROF PAPER 95, PP.65-72.

  • Deposit

    HICKS,W.B., 1917, EVAPORATION OF BRINE FROM SEARLES LAKE, CALIF: USGS PROF PAPER 98, PP.1-8.

  • Deposit

    JENNINGS,C.W., AND OTHERS, 1962, GEOLOGIC MAP OF CALIF, OLAF P. JENKINS ED., TRONA SHEET: CALIF DIV MINES AND GEOLOGY MAP SHEET

  • Deposit

    KERR-MCGEE CORP, 1978, THE SEARLES LAKE FACILITIES: COMPANY PAMPHLET.

  • Deposit

    KERR-MCGEE CORP, 1980, AGREEMENT BETWEEN TRONA OPERATIONS, KERR-MCGEE CHEMICAL CORP AND THE ILWU LOCAL N.35, NOV 21, 1980.

  • Deposit

    KERR-MCGEE CORP, 1980, ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    KERR-MCGEE CORP, 1980, FORM 10-K REPORT TO THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, PP. 14-15.

  • Deposit

    KERR-MCGEE CORP, 1980, TRONA, SODA ASH, AND THE ARGUS FACILITY: COMPANY BULLETIN 1400, 24 PP.

  • Deposit

    LEBARON,I.M., KNOPF,W.C., APPLICATION OF ELECTROSTATICS TO POTASH BENEFICIATION: MINING ENGINEERING, OCT 1958, PP. 1081-1083.

  • Deposit

    LEONARDI,M.L., 1954, AMERICAN POTASH AND CHEMICAL CORP, MAIN PLANT CYCLE: TRANS OF AIME, V.199, PP.203-208.

  • Deposit

    MANNION,L.E., 1975, SODIUM CARBONATE DEPOSITS, IN INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS: NEW YORK, AIME, PP.1061-1079.

  • Deposit

    MOULTON,G.F.,JR., 1980, COMPENDIUM OF SEARLES LAKE OPERATION KERR-MCGEE CHEMICAL CORP COMPANY PAMPHLET.

  • Deposit

    MOULTON,G.F.,JR., PERSONAL COMMUNICATION, JUNE 23, 1981; JULY 28, 1981.

  • Deposit

    PARKINSON,G. KERR-MCGEE EXPANDS SODA ASH OUTPUT NINE-FOLD FROM SEARLES LAKE BRINES: E/MJ, OCT 1977, PP.71-75.

  • Deposit

    RYAN,J.E., INDUSTRIAL SALTS: PRODUCTION AT SEARLES LAKE: MINING ENGINEERING, MAY 1951, PP.447-452.

  • Deposit

    SEARLES,J.P., 1980, POTASH- A CHAPTER FROM MINERAL FACTS AND PROBLEMS: US BUMINES, PREPRINT FROM BUL 671, 14 PP.

  • Deposit

    SINGLETON,R.H., 1978, POTASH: US BUMINES MINERAL COMMODITY PROFILE 11, 27 PP.

  • Deposit

    SMITH,G.I., 1962, SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY OF LATE QUATERNARY DEPOSITS, SEARLES LAKE, CALIF: A SUMMARY: USGS PROF PAPER 450-C, PP.C65-69.

  • Deposit

    SMITH,G.I., 1979, SUBSURFACE STRATIGRAPHY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF LATE QUATERNARY EVAPORITES, SEARLES LAKE, CALIF: USGS PROF PAPER 1043, 130 PP.

  • Deposit

    SMITH,G.I., AND HAINES,D.V., 1964, CHARACTER AND DISTRIBUTION OF NONCLASTIC MINERALS IN THE SEARLES LAKE EVAPORITE DEPOSIT, CALIF: USGS BUL 1181-P, 58 PP.

  • Deposit

    SMITH,G.I., AND PRATT,W.P., 1957, CORE LOGS FROM OWENS, CHINA, SEARLES, AND PANAMINT BASINS, CALIF: USGS BUL 1045-A, PP. 1-4,25-51.

  • Deposit

    Stockett, A.W., 1918, The Potash Situation: U.S. bureau of Mines War Minerals Investigations Seriew No. 2, 13 p.

  • Deposit

    US BUMINES, 1970, THE US POSITION AND OUTLOOK IN POTASH: US BU MINES IC 8487, 47 P.

  • Deposit

    VER PLANCK,W.E., 1957, SALINES: CALIF DIV MINES BUL 176, PP. 475-482.

  • Deposit

    WEISMAN,W.I., AND TANDY,C.W., 1975, SODIUM SULFATE DEPOSITS, IN INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS: NEW YORK, AIME, PP.1081-1093.

  • Deposit

    WILSON,W.P., A TO Z IN POTASH ORE PROCESSING: E/MJ, AUG 1966 PP. 86-91.

  • Deposit

    E/MJ,1980, INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING, P.169

  • Deposit

    GIULIANELLI,J.L., AND OTHERS, FEASIBILITY OF "ENHANCED" SOLUTION MINING AT SEARLES LAKE, CALIFORNIA: MINING ENGINEERING, AUG 1981, PP.1227-1230.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit BRINE PUMPED FROM LAKE TO 1 OF 3 PLANTS. TRONA PLANT: EVAPORATION, FRACTIONAL CRYSTALLIZATION, SOL- VENT EXTRACTION, CALCINATION-- PRODUCES POTASH, BORAX, SALT CAKE. ARGUS PLANT: CARBONATION, CRYSTALLIZATION, CALCINATION-- PRODUCES SODA ASH. WESTEND PLANT: CALCINATION, EVAPORATION, FRACTIONAL CRYSTALLIZATION-- PRODUCES SODA ASH, SALT CAKE, BORAX. COMBINED PRODUCTION FROM 3 PLANTS: POTASH- 496MT/D, BORAX- 559MT/D, SODA ASH- 3230MT/D, SALT CAKE- 1616MT/D, TOTAL- 5901MT/D. BECAUSE THIS OPERATION DOES NOT FIT MANY OF THE CATEGORIES IN THE DATA BASE, ENTRIES HAVE BEEN SIMPLIFIED. PRODUCTION IS LISTED AS A COMBINED TOTAL FROM THE 3 PLANTS, AND COSTS ARE ALSO COMBINED TOTALS FOR THE 3 PLANTS. LI038 PUT ON MILS FOR ISMI ID NUMBER. WO116 IS SECOND ID NO. UGSG-MRDS/GSC LISTS A LAT/LONG OF N354500/W1172000 FOR THE ID AS LISTED IN MILS. LIST IS AS OF JUNE 94, CHECK IN AUG 95.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 1996-05-01 Buckingham, David A. U.S. Bureau of Mines
Editor 2010-12-06 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey changed from site to deposit record. cleaned up multiple line references.

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative California resources

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