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Da Chaidan Lake

Producer in Qinghai [Tsinghai], China with commodities Boron-Borates, Magnesite, Potassium, Gypsum-Anhydrite, Halite, Lithium, Iodine, 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. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Geologic structures
  10. Ore body information
  11. Controls for ore emplacement
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10055346
MRDS ID RL10010
Record type Site
Current site name Da Chaidan Lake
Alternate or previous names Greater Quidam Lake Hu Q and Ch Are Interchangable In, Chinese-English

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 94.99994, 37.83162 (WGS84)
Elevation 2700

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Qinghai [Tsinghai](province)

China(country)

Asia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
China Qinghai [Tsinghai]

Comments on the location information

  • PUGA VALLEY CONTINUES INTO WESTERN TIBET.
  • LOCATION IN VICINITY OF LAKE QUIDAM

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Magnesite Primary
Potassium Primary
Gypsum-Anhydrite Primary
Halite Secondary
Lithium Critical Secondary
Iodine Secondary
Bromine Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • THE BORAX IS IN THE SULFUR-BEARING GYPSUM.
  • BORATES PRODUCED AS A BY-PRODUCT OF POTASH PRODUCTION FROM CRYSTALLIZATION PANS IN DEPOSITS IN QAIDAM BASIN

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Borax Ore
Gypsum Ore
Halite Ore
Ulexite Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Clay, Mud
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pleistocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Evaporite

Nearby scientific data

(1) 94.99994, 37.83162
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Rift

Ore body information

  • General form STRATIFORM

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Lake Associated With Major Crustal Fault

Comments on the geologic information

  • SULPHATE TYPE LAKE: LITTLE DATA AVAILABLE ON GEOLOGY OF MANY OF THE INDIVIDUAL B DEPOSITS IN QINGHUA OR TIBET. THE BORATES ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE HOT SPRING SIDE OF THE LAKE BASINS. APPROX 20 LARGE LAKES IN QUIDAM BASIN
  • SALINE LAKES IN VOLCANIC TERRANE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant No

Mining district

District name Qinghai

Comments on the production information

  • UP TO 5000 TPA OF BORATES ARE PRODUCED HERE. TECHNICAL GRADE OF BORAX ALONG WITH SULFUR IS EXTRACTED IN A 1 (?) TPD PLANT USING GEOTHERMAL POWER. BORAX IS PROCESSED IN A PLANT IN JAMMU. BORAX MOARJI LTD ALSO PRODUCES BORIC ACID (3000 TPA) AND GRANULAR BORAX AMBARNATH NEAR BOMBAY. SOUTHERN BORAX LTD PRODUCES 18000 TPA AT MADRAS. BOTH PLANTS SUPPORTED BY IMPORTED FEEDSTOCK (IMPORTS 11000 TPA FROM U.S. AND TURKEY (50% EACH).
  • 2-3,000 TPY IN RECENT YEARS MINED FROM QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU; RECENTLY OVER 3,000 TPY HAS BEEN MINED FROM TIBET - PRODUCTION RATE INCREASING AT 13.5% EVERY YEAR. 27,000 TONNES OF BORATES EST. TO BE PRODUCED IN CHINA IN 1991, (LYDAY, 1992); ?MOST PRODUCTION FROM LIAONING PROVINCE: B DEPOSITS IN QIADAM BASIN EXPLOITED SINCE ABOUT 1958 AS A SIDE PRODUCT OF POTASH-BEARING SALT LAKE: PRODUCTION RATE INCREASING FROM THE REGION

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • CHINESE BORATE DEPOSITS ARE ESTIMATED TO CONTAIN 10% OF WORLD TOTAL. BORATES USED MAINLY IN DOMESTIC MARKET. VERY MINOR EXPORT TO JAPAN, CIS AND US. 50,OOO STPY (20% B2O3 BASIS IN 1984)

Comments on the workings information

  • LARGEST MINING OPERATION IN QINGHAI-TIBET REGION

Comments on development

  • ECON.COM: APPROX. 30,OOO TONS/YEAR APPROX. PRODUCTION - FIGURE VERY UNCERTAIN
  • ECON.COM: THE ORE IS PROCESSED AT PLANTS IN JAMMU.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    LYDAY, P.A., 1992, HISTORY OF BORON PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING: INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, DECEMBER 1992, P. 19-35.

  • Deposit

    BARKER, J.M. AND LEFOND, S.J., 1985, BORON AND BORATES: INTRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION TECHNIQUES; IN BARKER, J.M. & LEFOND, S.J. (EDS) BORATES: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND PRODUCTION. AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, INC. NEW YORK, P. 13-34., Z02804

  • Deposit

    HARBEN, P.W. AND BATES, R.L., 1990, INDUSTRIAL MINERALS GEOLOGY AND WORLD DEPOSITS: METAL BULLETIN PLC, LONDON.

  • Deposit

    SUN, D. & LI, B., 1993, ORIGIN OF BORATES IN SALINE LAKES OF CHINA. IN KAKIHANA, H. AND OTHERS (EDS) - SEVENTH SYMPOSIUM ON SALT. ELSEVIER, AMSTERDAM, VOL 1, 177-194,, O00008

  • Deposit

    LYDAY, P.A., 1992, BORON: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES ANNUAL REPORT, P. 1-11.

  • Production

    LUI, 1993

  • Reserve-Resource

    BARKER & LEFOND, 1984 (REFER REFERENCE PAGE 10 OF THIS RECORD)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit BORAX OCCURS IN B-SOIL ON EDGE OF LAKE, THERMAL SPRINGS ON EDGE OF LAKE OVER 10 KM LONG
Deposit BORAX FORMS IRREGULAR ZONES 6-8 CM THICK UNDER A CRUST OF SODIUM SALTS (SODIUM SULPHATE, SODIUM CARBONATE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE CRUST). BORAX IS PRESENT IN AN EXTENSIVE HALITE SHEET THAT EXTENDS FOR MORE THAN 6 KM AROUND CONE-SHAPED HILLS, ALMOST 0.5 KM WIDE BY ABOUT 1 M THICK. SULFUR, GYPSUM AND SODIUM SALTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPOSIT.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-1993 R.P. Langford BHP Utah Industries

Beyond USGS

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

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