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Kramer Borate deposit, Boron, Kramer District, Kern Co., California, USA

Latitude: 35°2'28"N
Longitude: 117°41'14"W
A borate-B-As-Sb-clay deposit located in sec. 22, T11N, R8W, SBM,

Mineralization is a sedimentary deposit (Deposit model: 260: Lacustrine borates), hosted in the Tank Hill Limestone, shale, claystone, sandstone and volcanic ash.

Local structures include a downwarped ancient lakebed, folded and faulted, structural basin, and the Portal Fault (strikes West).

Related tectonic structures include the West-central Mojave Desert.

Production data are found in: World Mining Developments 1979-19: 419.

Reserve-Resource data are found in: Kistler and Smith (1985); and in Roskill (1993).

99%+ of all the specimens from this deposit have come from the open pit mine. Very few specimens exist or can be verified from any of the underground mines in the deposit that were operated before the open pit mine began. The exception to this are the many specimens of borax crystals that were almost exclusively from the underground sections of the deposit and probably the majority of those were collected from shallow flooded stopes in the West Baker mine. Almost all of these specimens have long since dehydrated to white Tincalconite pseudomorphs after borax and have fallen apart and been thrown out. Each year, for many years the company has collected fresh borax specimens from the underground for the benefit of the local gem and mineral society which are sold at their annual show. Also, most of the Ulexite "clam shells" were collected from the overhead shale underground in the West Baker mine. Almost all other specimens have been collected from the open pit mine itself or from the dumps that lie mostly to the north of the mine.
[Rock Currier 2010]

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities
Albite
Analcime
Anorthite
var: Labradorite

'Apatite'
'var: Carbonate-rich Apatite'
Aragonite
var: Strontian Aragonite

Arsenic
Arsenolite
Augite
Baryte
Barytocalcite
'Bentonite'
Berthierite
'Biotite'
Birnessite
Borax
Calcite
Chabazite-Na
'Chert'
'Chlorite Group'
'Clay'
'Clinoptilolite'
Clinoptilolite-Na
Colemanite
Copiapite
Dolomite
Epidote
Epsomite
'Erionite'
'Feldspar Group'
'Garnet'
Garrelsite
Gerstleyite (TL)
'Gmelinite'
Gmelinite-Na
Greigite
Gypsum
var: Satin Spar Gypsum
var: Selenite
Halite
'Hectorite'
Hematite
'Herschelite'
'Heulandite'
Heulandite-Na
Hisingerite
'Hornblende'
Howlite
Hydroboracite
'Hypersthene'
Illite
Ilmenite
Inderite
Inyoite
Kaolinite
Kernite (TL)
Kurnakovite
Lepidocrocite
'Limonite'
Mackinawite
Magnetite
Mazzite-Na (TL)
'Melnikovite'
Metacinnabar
Meyerhofferite
'Mica Group'
Microcline
Mirabilite
'Monazite'
Montmorillonite
Mordenite
Muscovite
Natrojarosite
Natrolite
'Olivine'
Opal
Orpiment
Pararealgar
'Phillipsite'
Phillipsite-Na
Phlogopite
Probertite (TL)
Pseudobrookite
Pyrite
Pyrrhotite
Quartz
Realgar
Rhodochrosite
Rutile
Saponite
var: Ferroan Saponite
Sassolite
Searlesite
Sideronatrite
Smythite
Stibnite
'Stilbite'
Strontianite
Sulphur
Thenardite
Tincalconite
Titanite
Todorokite
'Tourmaline'
Tridymite
Tunellite (TL)
Ulexite
Veatchite
Wardsmithite
Witherite
Zircon


150 entries listed. 81 valid minerals. 5 type localities (valid minerals).

Localities in this Region

USA

The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Yale, Charles G. & Hoyt S. Gale (1913), Borax: Mineral Resources of the United States, 1912, part 2: 839-846.

Noble, Levi Fatzinger (1926a), Borate deposits in the Kramer district, Kern County, California: USGS Bulletin 785-C: 45-61; […(abstract): Geol. Zentralbl., Band 37: 185 (1928)]: 45-61.

Schaller, Waldemar Theodore (1927), Kernite, a new sodium borate: American Mineralogist: 12: 24-25.

Eakle, Arthur Starr (1929), Probertite, a new borate: American Mineralogist: 14: 427-430.

Schaller, Waldemar Theodore (1930), Borate minerals from the Kramer district, Mohave Desert, California: USGS PP 158-I: 137-170; […Mineralogical Magazine: 22: 622 (1931)]: 137-170.

Murdoch, Joseph (1945), Probertite from Los Angeles County, California: American Mineralogist: 30: 719-721.

Gale, Hoyt Stoddard (1946), Geology of the Kramer borate district, Kern County, California: California Division Mines Report 42: 332, 362.

Frondel, Clifford & V. Morgen (1956), Inderite and gerstleyite from the Kramer borate district, Kern County, California: American Mineralogist: 41: 839-843.

Frondel, Clifford, V. Morgan & J.L.T. Waugh (1956), Lesserite, a new borate mineral American Mineralogist: 41: 927-928.

Smith, George Irving, Hy Almond, & D.L. Sawyer, Jr. (1958), Sassolite from the Kramer borate district, California: American Mineralogist: 43: 1068-1078.

Christ, C.L. & R.M. Garrels (1959), Relations among sodium borate hydrates at the Kramer deposit, Boron, California: American Journal of Science: 257: 516-528.

Pemberton, H. Earl, Wm. Moller, Jack Schwartz & George Masimer (1960), The minerals of Boron, California, 40 pp. (Published by the Mineral Research Society of California, Montebello, CA): 25, 31.

Schaller, Waldemar Theodore & Mary Emma Mrose (1960), The naming of the hydrous magnesium borate minerals from Boron, California – a preliminary note: American Mineralogist: 45: 732-734.

Barnard, R.M. & R.B. Kistler (1961), Stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Kramer sodium borate ore body, Boron, California, in: Second Symposium on Salt, J.L. Rau (editor): Northern Ohio Geol. Sc.: 133-150.

Bowser, C.J. & F.W. Dickson (1961), Chemical zonation of the borates of Kramer, California, In: J.L. Rau (ed.), Second Symposium on Salt: 1: 122-132, Northern Ohio Geological Society.

Obert, L. and Long, A.E. (1962) Underground borate mining, Kern County, California. US Bureau of Mines Report of Investigation 6110, 67 pp.: 1-12.

Ver Planck, Wm. E., Jr. (1962), Kramer Borate District, California Division of Mines and Geology; County Report 1: 39-40.

Hay, Richard Le Roy (1964), Phillipsite of saline lakes and soils American Mineralogist: 49: 1367.

Rumanova, I.M. and Ashirov, A. (1964) The determination of the crystal structure of inderite. Soviet Physics-Crystallography: 8: 414-428.

Bowser, C.J. (1965a), Geochemistry and petrology of the sodium borates in the non-marine evaporative environment: Unpublished Ph.. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 307 pp.: 49-50, 147-148.

Dickson, F.W. and W.J. Raab (1965) Origin of stibnite associated with borax at Kramer, California. Geological Society of America Program: 44-45.

Pecora, W.T. and Staff (1965) Mineral Resources. Geological Survey Research, 1965. USGS Professional Paper 525-A, 376 pp.: 9.

Hay, Richard Le Roy (1966) Zeolites and zeolitic reactions in sedimentary rocks: Geological Society of America Special Paper 85, 130 p.: 44.

Murdoch, Joseph & Robert W. Webb (1966), Minerals of California, Centennial Volume (1866-1966): California Division Mines & Geology Bulletin 189: 154, 229, 235, 236-237, 295, 319.

Dibblee, T.W., Jr. (1967a) Areal geology of western Mojave Desert, California. USGS Professional Paper 522: 126-127.

Smith, W.C. (1968) Borax solution at Kramer, California. Economic Geology: 63(2): 877-883.

Morgan, V. and Erd, R.C. (1969) Minerals of the Kramer borate district, California California Division of Mines and Geology Mineral Information Service: 22(9): 143-153, 165-172.

Carnahan, V. (1970), Notes on some minerals from Boron: Bulletin of the Mineralogical Society of Southern California, November: 10.

Razmanova, .P., Rumanova, I.M., and Belov, N.V. (1970) Crystal structure of kurnakovite Mg2B6O11•15H2O = 2Mg[B3O3(OH)5]•5H2O. Soviet Physics, Doklady: 14: 1139-1142.

Kistler, R.B., and Smith, W.C. (1975), Boron and Borates, in: Lefond, S.J., editor, Industrial Minerals and Rocks (non-metallics other than fuels): New York, A.I.M.E.: 473-496.

Puffer, J.H. (1975) The Kramer borate mineral assemblage. Mineralogical Record: 6: 84-91.

U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbook, 1978-1979: volume 1: 120.

Pemberton, H. Earl (1983), Minerals of California; Van Nostrand Reinholt Press: 51, 52, 66, 69, 71, 72, 115, 127, 132, 137, 161, 162, 168 (photo 4-5), 171, 174, 186, 191, 210, 213, 215, 219, 222, 216, 240, 243, 249, 256, 259, 266, 278-279, 280, 286, 292, 315, 355, 360, 368, 375, 382, 385, 401, 427, 428, 438, 439, 510, 512.

Smith, George Irving (1985) Borate deposits in the United States: Dissimilar in form, similar in geologic setting, in Barker, J.M., and LeFond, S.J., 1985, Borates: Economic Geology and Production; Proceedings of a symposium held on October 24, 1984, at the fall meeting of SME-AIME in Denver, Colorado: New York, Society of Mining Engineers of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc: 38-51.

O'Driscoll, Mike (1990), “Minerals in the US Southwest - breaking rocks in the hot sun” Industrial Minerals, no. 272: 56, 59.

Tschernich, R. (1992): Zeolites of the World: 64.

Roskill Information Services Ltd. (1993), “The Economics of Boron 1993, 7th ed.” London, Roskill Information Services Ltd., 156 p.

American Mineralogist (2005): 90: 1186-1191.

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