Ione Pit and Mill

Producer in Amador county in California, United States with commodities Kaolin, Titanium, Zirconium
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. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Workings at the site
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10186923
MAS/MILS ID 0060059225
Record type Site
Current site name Ione Pit and Mill

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: -120.94272, 38.3221 (WGS84)
Elevation 113
Location accuracy 500(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Amador(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Ione(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

San Andreas(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Sacramento(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

San Joaquin(hydrologic accounting unit)

San Joaquin(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Amador

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 006 N 009 E 36 California

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Kaolin Tertiary
Titanium Critical Primary
Zirconium Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ilmenite Unknown
Zircon Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) -120.94272, 38.3221

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Date of Last Modification 830421
  • Area 10HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 10
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • GEOMETRY DATA SET DESCRIBES THE IONE FORMATION. THIS FORMATION HOSTS THE OREBODY FOR THE CLAY OPERATION WHICH IS THE SOURCE FOR THE TAILINGS IN THIS EVALUATION. IONE FORMATION ALSO CONTAINS CLAYSTONE AND LENSES OF BROWN CARBONACEOUS CLAYSTONE AND LIGNITE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Significant Yes
Mining method Dredging
Year of first production 1954
Milling method Magnetic

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Private Lease

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner North American Refractories Co., Div. Of Eltra Corp.
    ID 401878
    Interest 100
    Home office California
    Year 1983

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • PRESENTLY PRODUCES SAND; PROPOSED TO ADD A HEAVY MINERAL CIRCUT

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 907
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 2
    Year of Information 1982

Comments on other economic factors

  • THESE COSTS ARE ONLY FOR EXTRACTION OF ZIRCON AND TITANIUM FROM THE MILL TAILINGS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CARLSON, D. W., AND W. B. CLARK, 1954, MINES AND MINERAL

  • Deposit

    RESOURCES OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: IN CALIFORNIA

  • Deposit

    JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 50, NO. 1, PP. 150-151,

  • Deposit

    215-225.

  • Deposit

    CHAPMAN, R. H. AND C. C. BISHOP, 1975, GEOPHYSICAL INVESTI-

  • Deposit

    GATIONS IN THE IONE AREA, AMADOR, SACRAMENTO, AND

  • Deposit

    CALAVERAS COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA. CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF

  • Deposit

    MINES AND GEOLOGY, SPECIAL REPORT 117, 27 PP.

  • Deposit

    CLEVELAND, G. B., 1957, MINERAL COMMODITIES OF CALIFORNIA:

  • Deposit

    CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES BULL. 176, PP. 131-136.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF

  • Deposit

    MINING, 1976, P. 141; 1977, P. 168.

  • Deposit

    -----, MARKETS, DECEMBER 1982, P. 17.

  • Deposit

    GOMEZ, J. M., G. M. MARTINEZ, AND M. M. WONG, 1979,

  • Deposit

    RECOVERING BYPRODUCT HEAVY MINERALS FROM SAND AND GRAVEL,

  • Deposit

    PLACER GOLD, AND INDUSTRIAL MINERAL OPERATIONS. U. S.

  • Deposit

    BUREAU OF MINES, RI 8366, 15 PP.

  • Deposit

    INTERPACE CORPORATION, IONE CALCINE: UNDATED COMPANY

  • Deposit

    PAMPHLET, 8 PP.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON, F. T., AND S. RICKER, 1948, IONE-CARBONDALE CLAYS,

  • Deposit

    AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: U. S. BUREAU OF MINES RI 4213,

  • Deposit

    6 PP.

  • Deposit

    NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, 1978,

  • Deposit

    CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA ANNUAL SUMMARY, CALIFORNIA, V. 82, NO.

  • Deposit

    13.

  • Deposit

    NORTHWEST MINING ASSOCIATION, 1981, MINERAL INDUSTRY COSTS:

  • Deposit

    SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, 248 PP.

  • Deposit

    PASK, J. A. AND M. D. TURNER, 1952, GEOLOGY AND CERAMIC

  • Deposit

    PROPERTIES OF THE IONE FORMATION, BUENA VISTA AREA, AMADOR

  • Deposit

    COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES SPECIAL

  • Deposit

    REPORT 19, 39 PP.

  • Deposit

    RIKY, R. AND H. HEYSTEK, IONE AREA CLAYS: PAPER PRESENTED

  • Deposit

    AT AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY 17TH PACIFIC COAST REGIONAL

  • Deposit

    MEETING, OCTOBER 29, 1964, 9 PP.

  • Deposit

    STRAAM ENGINEERS, INC. 1979, CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST

  • Deposit

    ESTIMATING SYSTEM HANDBOOK: U. S. BUREAU OF MINES,

  • Deposit

    CONTRACT NO. JO255026.

  • Deposit

    U. S. BUREAU OF MINES, 1983, MINERAL COMMODITY SUMMARIES:

  • Deposit

    ILMENITE, P. 70-71; ZIRCON, P. 176-177.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS EVALUATION, A COST STUDY WAS DONE ONLY FOR EXTRACTING ZIRCON AND TITANIUM FROM THE MILL TAILINGS OF THE EXISTING CLAY OPERATION.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 02-OCT-96 Camm, Thomas W. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Current status (per MSHA)

StatusActive since 11/06/2016
MSHA mine ID0401878
Mine name (MSHA)USMC Ione Plant
Current operatorUS Mine Corp
Current controller (parent)John Bremer; Brady Barto
Mine typeSurface (Metal / non-metal)

MSHA cross-reference per the original MRDS record. Mine status and operator reflect MSHA's last published Mines export (February 2025); MSHA's public bulk feed has been unavailable since, so this may be out of date. See the Mine Data Retrieval System for current status.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

Authoritative California resources

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