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Rio Grande Deposit

Past Producer in Potosi, Bolivia with commodities Boron-Borates, Gypsum-Anhydrite, Halite, Bromine
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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. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Ownership information
  17. Reserves and resources
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10006065
MRDS ID BL10359
Record type Site
Current site name Rio Grande Deposit
Alternate or previous names Boratera Pampa

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -67.24976, -20.72425 (WGS84)
Elevation 3653
Relative position 10 KM N20E OF RIO GRANDE

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Potosi(province)

Bolivia(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Federal lands

Federal(land status)

Geographic areas

Country State
Bolivia Potosi

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Gypsum-Anhydrite Tertiary
Halite Tertiary
Bromine Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ulexite Ore
Clay Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Halite Gangue
Pyroxene Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue

Analytical data

Result THE ITALIANS FOUND THE CONTENT OF SO3 INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO B2O3 AND DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO CAO IN THE ULEXITE SAMPLES FROM THEIR DRILL HOLES. ALL THE ULEXITE ORE SAMPLES CONTAINED FROM 29-34% B2O3.

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)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pleistocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Clay, Mud

Nearby scientific data

(1) -67.24976, -20.72425
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Internal Drainage Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Fluvial-Deltaic Complex

Ore body information

  • General form LENSOID, STRATABOUND
    Depth to top 0M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ulexite Precipitation Is Controlled By Na, Ca And B Concentrations Of Interstitial Brines

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No

Mining district

District name Salar De Uyuni

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Complejo Industrial De Los Recursos Evaporiticos Del Salar De Uyuni

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1969
    Total resources 3721353000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates Borax 58.7 wt-pct Boron Major 1969
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Total resources 4500000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 30 wt-pct Boron Major 1993
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Total resources 2200000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 30 wt-pct Boron Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • FOR LLIPI LLIPI AND RIO GRANDE DEPOSITS; ASSUMES 50 SQ KM AREA, 20 CM AVERAGE THICKNESS, AND 60% ULEXITE GRADE
  • THE FIGURES FROM SUAREZ AND OTHERS (1993) ARE HYPOTHETICAL RESERVES.

Comments on development

  • EXPLORATION BY AQUATER (ITALY) IN 1990-1991 INCLUDED 539 SHALLOW DRILL HOLES (1.5-5 M DEEP) AND 636 SAMPLES. ULEXITE PREVIOUSLY WORKED BY HAND IN SURFACE MINES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BALLIVIAN, O., AND RISACHER, F., 1981, LOS SALARES DEL ALTIPLANO BOLIVIANO: PARIS, ORSTOM, 246P.

  • Deposit

    CADIMA, J., AND LAFUENTE, F., 1969, PROSPECCION GENERAL DE ALGUNAS BORATERAS PARTICULARES RIO GRANDE Y LLIPI LLIPI: SERVICIO GEOLOGICO DE BOLIVIA INFORME GB-M-647, 36P.

  • Deposit

    SUAREZ, MILTON, CLARI, RENZO, FRANCESCHINI, GIOVANNI, PRINCIVALLI, M.M., AND ARIAS, FREDDY, 1993, RESULTADOS DE LA PRIMERA FASE DE EXPLORACION DE ULEXITA EN EL DELTA DE RIO GRANDE, SALAR DE UYUNI, BOLIVIA: BOLETIN DEL SERVICIO GEOLOGICO DE BOLIVIA 1, ANO 1993, P. 109-116.

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF BORATE CONCESSION (CADIMA AND LAFUENTE, 1969

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Reserve-Resource

    CADIMA AND LAFUENTE (1969); THE SECOND AND THIRD FIGURES ARE FROM SUAREZ AND OTHERS, 1993.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPOSITS OCCUR AS DIAGENETIC LENSES AT VARIABLE DEPTHS WITHIN A FLUVIAL-DELTAIC SEDIMENTARY COMPLEX. LENSES ARE 50 TO 300 M IN DIAMETER AND 5 TO 60 CM THICK. THE ULEXITE FREQUENTLY APPEARS TO BE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH FETID (H2S, ORGANICS) BLACK LACUSTRINE MUD AND MANY OF THE LENSES ARE PARTLY TO WHOLLY ENVELOPED BY GYPSUM. LAYER OF ULEXITE DEEPENS TO THE NORTHEAST.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1991 Long, K.R. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-APR-1993 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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