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Tincalayu

Producer in Salta, Argentina with commodities Boron-Borates, Halite, Gypsum-Anhydrite
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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. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Ownership information
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10023420
MRDS ID I000327
Record type Site
Current site name Tincalayu

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -67.04945, -25.26416 (WGS84)
Elevation 4100

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Salta(province)

Argentina(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Argentina Salta
Argentina Catamarca

Comments on the location information

  • THIS MINE IS IN THE NORTH-CENTRAL PART OF THE SALAR DE HOMBRE MUERTO. DEPOSIT IS ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TINCALAYU PENINSULA IN THE EXTREME NW PART OF THE SALAR.

Commodities

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

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Borax Ore
Kernite Ore
Searlesite Ore
Tincalconite Ore
Anhydrite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Halite Gangue
Orpiment Gangue
Realgar Gangue

Analytical data

Result UNPROCESSED TINCAL RUNS 16-18% 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) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pleistocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone > Claystone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Limestone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Evaporite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -67.04945, -25.26416
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Hombre Muerto Depression
Type of structure Local
Structure description Reverse Fautls And Fractures, Anticlines

Ore body information

  • Thickness 30M
    Length 100M
    Width 150M

Comments on the geologic information

  • ALONSO (1986) GIVES STRATIGRAPHIC SECTION.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1925
Discoverer Luciano Catalano?
Year of first production 1953

Mining district

District name Salar Del Hombre Muerto

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Boroquimica Samicaf , (Subsidiary Of Rtz Borax)
    First year 1993

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1985
    Total resources 2500000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 16 wt-pct Boron Major 1985

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESOURCE ESTIMATE IS DEMONSTRATED PLUS INFERRED RESOURCES. IN 1993, RESERVES CONSIDERED SUFFICIENT FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS OF OPERATION.

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT. IN 1993, OPEN PIT WAS ABOUT 1000 M DEEP.

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: MINE CAPACITY IS 145,000 MT/YR.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    NORMAN, J.C., AND SANTINI, K.N., 1985, AN OVERVIEW OF OCCURRENCES AND ORIGIN OF SOUTH AMERICAN BORATE DEPOSITS WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE DEPOSIT AT LAGUNA SALINAS, PERU, IN BARKER, J.M., AND LEFOND, S.J., EDS., BORATES: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND PRODUCTION: NEW YORK, SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, INC., P. 53-69.

  • Deposit

    HARBEN, P.W., AND BATES, R.L., 1990, BORATES, IN INDUSTRIAL MINERALS GEOLOGY AND WORLD DEPOSITS: LONDON, INDUSTRIAL MINERALS DIVISION METAL BULLETIN PLC, P. 31-37.

  • Deposit

    ALONSO, R.N., JORDAN, T.E., TABBUTT, K.T., AND VANDERBOORT, D.S., 1991, GIANT EVAPORITE BELTS OF THE NEOGENE CENTRAL ANDES: GEOLOGY, V. 19, P. 401-404.

  • Deposit

    ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES LTD., 1993, THE ECONOMICS OF BORON 1993, 7TH ED.: LONDON, ROSKILL INFORMATION SERVICES LTD., 156 P.

  • Deposit

    DUBLANC, E.A., MALCA, D.A., AND PEREZ LEALE, ALFREDO, 1993, INDUSTRIAL MINERALS OF ARGENTINA LOOKING FOR INVESTMENT: INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, NO. 312, P. 25-36.

  • Deposit

    ALONSO, R.N., 1986, OCCURRENCE, STRATIGRAPHIC POSITION, AND GENESIS OF THE BORATE DEPOSITS OF THE PUNA REGION OF ARGENTINA: SALTA, UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE SALTA, UNPUBLISHED PH.D DISSERTATION, 196 P.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Reserve-Resource

    ROSKILL, 1993.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: BETWEEN 1923 AND 1927
Deposit THIS IS THE LARGEST BORAX DEPOSIT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. THE DEPOSIT CONSISTS OF FINE CRYSTALLINE BORAX OF LATEST MIOCENE AGE OCCURRING AS A PLUG-LIKE LENS THAT IS ABOUT 100 M IN DIAMETER AND 30 M THICK. THE BORAX IS INTERCALATED WITH SANDSTONE, CLAYSTONE, TUFF, LIMESTONE, AND CONGLOMERATE. IT OVERLIES A MASSIVE HALITE ZONE AND IN TURN IS OVERLAIN BY SEDIMENTS ( UP TO 50 M THICK) THAT INCLUDE THIN LAYERS OF ULEXITE, KURNAKOVITE, INYOITE, AND MINOR KERNITE. THE DEPOSIT HAS BEEN INTERPRETED AS A MARSH ACCUMULATION OF BORATES THAT WAS BURIED, METAMORPHOSED AND DEFORMED BY FOLDING AND FAULTING. THE LENS-LIKE BODIES OF BORAX ARE STUCTURALLY CONTROLLED ALONG NORTH-SOUTH AXES OF ANTICLINES. IT IS THEORIZED THAT DURING THE TECTONIC DEFORMATION OF THE DEPOSIT, A TABULAR PORTION OF THE UNDERLYING BORAX WAS ELEVATED ALONG TWO PARALLEL FAULTS. DEPOSIT HAS BEEN SHORTENED BY COMPRESION.
Deposit IN NORTH-CENTRAL PART OF SALAR DEL HOMBRE MUERTO. SEE MRDS RECORDS FOR SALAR DE HOMBRE MUERTO.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-1990 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JAN-1994 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 02-NOV-1994 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-FEB-1995 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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