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Kramer Borate Deposit

Producer in Kern county in California, United States with commodities Boron-Borates, Antimony, Arsenic, Bentonite
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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. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Production statistics
  20. Reserves and resources
  21. Workings at the site
  22. Links to other databases
  23. Bibliographic references
  24. General comments
  25. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10080426
MRDS ID W031570
Record type Site
Current site name Kramer Borate Deposit
Alternate or previous names Kramer, Boron Pit, Boron Mine, U.S. Borax and Chemical Corporation Mine, Discovery Shaft, Osborne Shaft, Baker, West Baker, Jenifer
Related records 10284982

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.68811, 35.04111 (WGS84)
Elevation 716
Relative position APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF KRAMER AND 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF BORON.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Kern(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Boron(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Cuddeback Lake(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Trona(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Antelope-Fremont Valleys(hydrologic unit)

Northern Mojave(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northern Mojave-Mono Lake(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Kern

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
San Bernardino 011N 008W 23,24,19 NE California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Antimony Critical Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Bentonite Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Borax Ore
Colemanite Ore
Kernite Ore
Tincalconite Ore
Arsenic Gangue
Bentonite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Clay Gangue
Feldspar Gangue
Mica Gangue
Realgar Gangue
Stibnite Gangue
Sulfur Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Fresh Borax Is Altered To Tincalonite By Exposure To Air.

Analytical data

Result AVERAGE 25% 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
    Rock unit name Saddleback Basalt
    Rock description Saddleback Basalt
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone > Claystone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Ricardo Formation
    Rock description Ricardo Formation
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Sandstone
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Volcanic Ash

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Downwarped Ancient Lakebed, Folded And Faulted, Structural Basin
Type of structure Local
Structure description Portal Fault (Strikes West)

Ore body information

  • General form OTHER: LENTICULAR
    Dip 10 - 15 SE
    Thickness 91.44M
    Length 3218.6M
    Width 804.65M
    Depth to top 91.44M
    Depth to bottom 304.8M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Structural Closed Basin; Presence B-Bearing Thermal Springs During Deposition

Comments on the geologic information

  • DEPOSIT WAS BURIED BY 1000-2000 M OF CONTINENTAL SEDIMENTS, ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN REMOVED BY EROSION AND SUBSEQUENT UPLIFT. SHALE IS GREENISH IN COLOR.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1913
Discoverer Dr. John K. Suckow
Year of first production 1927
Production years 1927- PRESENT

Mining district

District name Kramer Borate District

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner U.S. Borax (Subsidiary Of Rtz Borax Ltd. Of Rtz Corp. Plc (London)
    Home office Los Angeles, CA
    Last year 1992

Production statistics

  • Year 1974
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^With 6,870,000 Tons Waste.
  • Year 1975
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^With 12,000,000 Tons Waste.
  • Year 1976
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^With 10,704,000 Tons Waste.

Comments on the production information

  • IN 1989, PRODUCTION AVERAGED 3000 TO 3500 ST PER DAY (O'DRISCOLL, 1990).

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1975
    Total resources 36281000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 25 wt-pct Boron Major 1975
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1992
    Total resources 127000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 27.7 wt-pct Boron Major 1992

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • AT 1990 MINING RATES, RESERVES ARE ADEQUATE FOR 30-40 YEARS (O'DRISCOLL, 1990).

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 182.88M
    Overall length 2000M
    Overall width 1600M

Comments on the workings information

  • THE DEPOSIT WAS EXPLOITED WITH UNDERGROUND MINING FROM 1927 TO 1957 WHEN OPEN PIT MINING BECAME MORE PROFITABLE. THE DIMENSIONS LISTED ABOVE ARE FOR THE BORON OPEN PIT.

Comments on development

  • DR. SUCKOW DISCOVERED COLEMANITE WHEN DRILLING A WATER WELL. IN 1925, A SECOND WATER WELL DISCOVERED A HUGE DEPOSIT OF BORAX. UNDERGROUND MINING BEGAN IN 1927. OPEN PIT MINING BEGAN IN 1957 AND DESTROYED EARLIER UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS. ; ECON.COM: U.S. BORAX OPERATES AN OPEN PIT, REFINERY, AND BORIC ACID PLANT AT THE SITE. THE WASTE TO ORE RATIO IS AOBUT 7:1 WITH ALMOST 100% ORE RECOVERY. THE WASTE TO ORE RATIO IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE AS THE PIT EXPANDS TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST. ON AVERAGE, ONE TRAIN OF 30-35 100-TON CARS SERVES THE U.S. BORAX MINE. THE MINE OPERATIONS ARE ENERGY INTENSIVE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES' MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1978-1979, VOL. 1, P 120.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, W.C., 1968, BORAX SOLUTION AT KRAMER, CALIFORNIA, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, VOL. 63, NO. 2, P. 877 - 883.

  • Deposit

    NOBLE, L.F., 1926, BORATE DEPOSITS IN THE KRAMER DISTRICT KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USGS BULLETIN 785-C, P. 45 - 61.

  • Deposit

    SCHALLER, W.T., 1929, BORATE MINERALS FROM THE KRAMER DISTRICT, MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA, USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 158, P. 137 - 170.

  • Deposit

    OBERT, L., AND LONG, A.E., 1962, UNDERGROUND BORATE MINING, KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USBM REPORT OF INVESTIGATIONS 6110, P. 1 - 12.

  • Deposit

    VER PLANK, W.E., 1962, KRAMER BORATE DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY COUNTY REPORT 1, P. 39 - 40.

  • Deposit

    O'DRISCOLL, MIKE, 1990, MINERALS IN THE US SOUTH-WEST--BREAKING ROCKS IN THE HOT SUN: INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, NO. 272, P. 56, 59.

  • Deposit

    KISTLER, R.B., AND SMITH, W.C., 1975, BORON AND BORATES, IN LEFOND, S.J., ED., INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS (NONMETALLICS OTHER THAN FUELS): NEW YORK, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL, AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, INC., P. 473-496.

  • Deposit

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

  • Deposit

    SMITH, G.I., 1985, BORATE DEPOSITS IN THE UNITED STATES - DISSIMILAR IN FORM, SIMILAR IN GEOLOGIC SETTING, IN BARKER, J.M., AND LEFOND, S.J., EDS., BORATES: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND PRODUCTION: NEW YORK, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, INC., P. 37-51.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    WORLD MINING DEVELOPMENTS 1979-80, P. 419.

  • Reserve-Resource

    KISTLER AND SMITH, 1985; ROSKILL, 1993.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: 1913 (COLEMANITE), 1925 (NA BORATES)
Deposit ORE LAYER EXTENDS OVER 500 ACRES. THE DEPOSIT IS A ROUGHLY LENTICULAR CRYSTALLINE MASS OF BORAX AND KERNITE CONTAINING INTERBEDDED CLAYSTONE. THE DEPOSIT IS COMPLETELY ENVELOPED BY ULEXITE-BEARING SHALES. STUDIES HAVE INDICATED THAT THE BORATES WERE DEPOSITED IN A SMALL STRUCTURAL, NONMARINE BASIN ASSOCIATED WITH THERMAL SPRING ACTIVITY. THE DEPOSIT CONSISTENTLY GRADES 10-30% B2O3 AND VERY FEW OTHER SALTS OCCUR WITH THE BORATES. ONLY BORAX, KERNITE, AND MINOR TINCALCONITE ARE EXPLOITED. OVERBURDEN THICKNESS RANGES FROM 60 TO 150 M (1992).
Deposit APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE KERNITE IS STACKED IN THE PIT, WETTED WITH WATER, AND LEFT TO HYDRATE TO BORAX (USUALLY TAKES A FEW WEEKS). PROCESSING IS DESCRIBED BY O'DRISCOLL (1990). ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1981 Zigler, Jan L. (Huber, Donald F.) U.S. Geological Survey CHECKED HOST ROCK TYPE AND AGE, ASSOCIATED ROCK TYPE AND AGE.
Updater 01-SEP-1991 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1993 Langford, R.P. BHP Utah Industries
Updater 04-NOV-1994 Mosier, Dan U.S. Geological Survey

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.