• Data Access
  • Your Email  
  • Your Email  
Keep me signed in.
Forgot your password?
Close
  • Forgot Your Password?
  • Enter the email you signed up with and we'll email it to you.
  • Your Email  
Close
Back
MDO
Mining Data Solutions
  • Home
  • Database
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
  • Sign In
United States
Boron Mine

This page is not tailored to
devices with screen width under 750 px.
 Location:
6 km NW from Boron, California, United States

  Address:
14486 Borax Road
Boron
California, United States
93516
Phone  ...  Subscription required
WebsiteWeb
Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors
Drill results over 30 g/t Au
Stay on top of recent discoveries.
Search drill results by commodity and grade.
Largest mines in the Americas
Mining and mill throughput capaciites.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Deepest underground mines
Shaft depth and mill throughput data.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Heavy mobile equipment
HME type, model, size and quantity.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Permitting and construction projects
Projects at the permitting or construction stage. Full profiles of select projects.
Mines with remote camps
Camp size, mine location and contacts.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
Mines & projects in United States
A list of country's mines and projects.
Full profiles of select mines and projects.
  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

Thank you for browsing through mine profiles compiled by the Mining Data Online team.

Would you like to subcribe or schedule a Demo?
  • Name:
     
  • Company:
     
  • Position:
     
  • Phone:
  • Email:
  • Message:

Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Borate
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start...
Mine Life2042
The open-pit mine in Boron, California is one of two world-class borate deposits on the planet.

Boron Operation consists of the open pit mine, an ore crushing and conveying system, 2 process plants (Primary Process and Boric Acid Plant), Shipping facility, and tailings storage facilities.


Owners

Source: p. 241,322
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 100 % Indirect
U.S. Borax Inc. (operator) 100 % Direct
U.S. Borax, Inc. owns and operates a borate mine.
U.S. Borax was acquired by Rio Tinto in 1967. The new group, sometimes referred to as Rio Tinto Borax or Rio Tinto Borates, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group.

Contractors

Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Deposit Type

  • Sedimentary


Summary:

RTB Boron is an open pit borate mining operation located within the Kramer Borate deposit in Boron, California.

The Kramer ore body is a roughly lenticular sedimentary sequence of borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O) and kernite (Na2B4O7.4H2O) containing interbedded claystone. This central crystalline facies is successively enveloped by facies consisting of ulexite (NaCaB5O9.8H2O) and colemanite (Ca2B6O11.5H2O) - bearing claystone, and barren claystone. Studies indicate the Kramer borates were deposited in a small structural, non-marine basin, associated with thermal (volcanic) spring activity during Miocene time.

The Miocene Kramer beds are divided into three distinct members, the Saddleback basalt member, the Shale member, and the Arkose member, in ascending order. The Saddleback basalt comprises up to 600 feet of olivine basalt flows and is the only Kramer member forming surface outcrops – as ridges northwest, north, and northwest of Boron open pit. The basalt is overlain by the Shale member, which consist of up to 400 feet of borate-bearing and barren claystones and shale. The Shale member is overlain by the Arkose member, which comprises up to 800 feet of arkosic sandstones, which are locally silty and interbedded with tuffaceous clays.

The sodium borate facies is divided into seven stratigraphic units:

- Four high-grade units: Upper ore, Middle ore, Lower ore, and Basal ore, typically contain over 75-percent borax.
- Three generally low ........


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

Boron is a largest open pit mine in California and one of the richest borate deposits on the planet. The mine has been in operation since 1923. Firs, as an undeground mine and later as the open pit. Current mine measures 1.74 miles (2.8 km) wide, 1.99 miles (3.2 km) long, and is up to 755 feet (230 m) deep.

Boron Operation consists of the open pit mine, an ore crushing and conveying system, 2 process plants (Primary Process and Boric Acid Plant), Shipping facility, and tailings storage facilities.

The current mining method is conventional truck and shovel, mining at appropriate bench heights. Current mining practices include grade control utilizing blast hole data.

The ore mining equipment (wheel loaders occasionally assisted by dozers or backhoes for additional separation) is smaller than the waste shovel fleet to facilitate better selectivity duringmining. The SMU is at smallest a 5 foot cube, representing sand backfill in old underground workings, which is incorporated into the block model. Mining practice in the stope areas involves using the backhoe or dozer to remove backfill from the stopes ahead of ore mining, minimizing dilution and ore loss.

Sodium borate mining recovery for open pit mining in Boron is estimated at 95% for the life of the mine. Calcium borate recovery is estimated at 60% for open pit mining, and 95% for stockpile mining.

Dilution is not factored into reserve calculations because B2O3 tons are no ........


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

- subscription is required.


Production:

CommodityUnits2022202120202019201820172016
B2O3 kt  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required512517503
All production numbers are expressed as crystals.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202220212020201920182017
Annual production capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required576 kt of b2o3 crystals576 kt of b2o3 crystals576 kt of b2o3 crystals
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Ore Reserves of borates are expressed in terms of marketable product (B2O3) tonnes after all mining and processing losse.

CategoryTonnage CommodityRecoverable Metal
Proven Mt B2O3 8
Probable Mt B2O3 5 Mt
Proven & Probable Mt B2O3 14 Mt

Financials:

Units2022202120202019201820172016
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 44   28   31  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 622   630   620  
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 111   126   117  
EBITDA M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 197   244   213  
Subscription required - Subscription is required



Heavy Mobile Equipment as of February 20, 2021:
HME TypeQuantity
Loader (FEL) ....................... Subscription required
Shovel ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 8, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 8, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 8, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 8, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 8, 2023
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesYear
Subscription required 2022
Subscription required 2021
Subscription required 2020
Subscription required 2019
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017
Subscription required 2016
Subscription required 2015

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Annual Report 2022
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Other 2018
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2016
Other 2016
Annual Report 2015
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Terms of Use Privacy Policy © 2017-2023 MDO Data Online Inc.