Salton Sea KGRA

Site Name

Primary: Salton Sea KGRA

---

Commodity

Primary: Potassium
Primary: Salt
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Lithium
Tertiary: Iron
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Strontium
Tertiary: Zinc

---

Location

State: California
County: Imperial
District: Salton Sea

---

Land Status

Land ownership: Mixed
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.

---

Holdings

Type: Patented
Type: Private Lease

---

Workings

Type: Underground

---

Ownership

Owner Name: Magma Power Co.
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: Southern California Edison
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: San Diego Gas And Electric Co.
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: U.S. Government
Percent: 26.00
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: Union Oil Co.
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: Phillips Petroleum Co.
Info Year: 1980

Owner Name: Republic Geothermal Co.
Info Year: 1980

---

Production

Not available

---

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Plant
Plant Subtype: Crystallization
Operation Type: Brine Operation
Mining Method: Auger Mining - Solution Mining
Milling Method: Crystallization
Discovery Year: 1927
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y

---

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Salton Trough

---

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

---

Orebody

Not available

---

Structure

Not available

---

Alterations

Not available

---

Rocks

Not available

---

Analytical Data

Not available

---

Materials

Not available

---

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THE SALTON SEA KGRA COVERS ABOUT 385 SQUARE KMS. BESIDES NILAND,KGRA IS ALSO IN OBSIDIAN BUTTE, CALIPATRIA, WESTMORLAND, WISTER, AND FRINK 7.5 MIN. QUADS. THE KGRA IS LOCATED IN THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS: T9S R13E SECS 33-36 T10S R12E SECS 1,2, 10-12, 13-16, 21-28, 33-36 T10S R13E SECS ALL SECTIONS T11S R12E SECS 1-3, 10-12, 13, 14, 23-26, 35-36 T11S R13E SECS ALL SECTIONS THE STRATA IN THE SALTON SEA KGRA IS COMPOSED OF DELTAIC T12S R12E SECS 1, 2, 11-14 T12S R13E SECS 1-18 T12S R14E SECS 5-8, 17, 18. COMMODITY: COMPLEX WILL EXTRACT SALT AND POTASH FROM BRINE. ALL OF POTASH AND MOST OF SALT WILL BE SOLD. SOME OF SALT WILL GO TO CAUSTIC/CHLORINE PLANT WHERE CAUSTIC, CLORINE AND HYDROGEN WILL BE PRODUCED. CAUSTIC AND CHLORINE WILL BE SOLD HYDROGEN WILL BE USED IN PLANT PROCESSES. COMPLEX WILL ALSO PRODUCE LITHIUM AND HEAVY METALS(FR, MN, ZN, PB, MG). SINCE THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR RECOVERY IS NOT FULLY KNOWN NO COST DATA IS AVAILABLE FOR THEIR RECOVERY. THUS THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERED AS PRODUCTS. BRINE TO BE PROCESSED IS VERY SALINE, ABOUT 250,000 PPM, AND HOT, 300 DEG C. ALL RECOVERABLE PRODUCTS ARE DISSOLVED IN THE BRINE. BRINE SOURCE IS IN DOUBT. HELGESON STATES THE ORIGINAL WATER SOURCE IS COLORADO RIVER WATER TRAPPED IN THE DELTAIC SEDIMENTS. CONVECTION CELLS POWERED BY A MAGMATIC HEAT SOURCE AT DEPTH EVAPORATED MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL WATER, LEAVING THE HIGHLY SALINE BRINE

Comment (Production): 1450000 MT/YEAR OF SALT, 770000 MT OF THIS GOES TO MARKET, 680000 MT GOES TO CAUSTIC/CHLORINE PLANT WHERE IT IS TURNED INTO 480000 MT/YEAR NAOH(50%), 440000 MT CHLORINE AND 12100 MT HYDROGEN. CAUSTIC AND CHLORINE GO TO MARKET, HYDROGEN IS USED AT PLANT. 326000 MT YEAR OF KCL(206000 MT K2O) GOES TO MARKET.

Comment (Geology): WELL LOGS SHOW THE FIRST 600-900M OF SECTION TO BE SILTSTONE, SHALE, CLAY, PROBABLY A FACIES OF THE BRAWLEY- BORREGO FORMATIONS. THE GEOTHERMAL RESERVOIR IS CONTAINED IN SANDSTONE LAYERS OF THE PALM SPRINGS FORMATION. BELOW THE RESERVOIR A HARD SILICIFIED METAMORPHOSED EQUIVALENT(LITHOLOGICALLY) OF THE UPPER SHALE(BORREGO- BRAWLEY FORM) HAS BEEN ENCOUNTERED. THIS METAMORPHISM IS CAUSED BY GEOTHERMAL ACTION. THE STRATA IN THE SALTON SEA DGRA IS COMPOSED OF DELTAIC SEDIMENTS OF THE COLORADO RIVER DELTA.

Comment (Economic Factors): THE FEED SHOWN IN THIS RECORD IS FEED TO MINERAL RECOVERY COMPLEX. THIS IS FLASHED BRINE (LIQUID PORTION), 11390000 MT PER YEAR.

Comment (Workings): IMPERIAL VALLEY IS INTENSLY FARMED, 190000 HA UNDER CULTIVATION. IN 1978 VALUE OF CROPS IN IMPERIAL COUNTY WAS $478.8 MILLION. THE MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPLEX IS SUBSIDENCE, BUT TOTAL FLUID REINJECTION SHOULD PREVENT SUBSIDENCE. SUBSIDENCE WOULD HARM THE COMPLEX SYSTEM OF WATER CANELS AND DITCHES THAT FEED THE FARM LAND.

Comment (Geology): THE GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE IS A FLAT LYING STRUCTURE ABOUT 180M THICK. ITS AREA IS DEFINED BY DRILLING AND SURFACE TEMPERATURE DATA. SEE Q COMMENTS FOR KGRA AREAS AT DIFFERENT PROBABILITY LEVELS.

Comment (Reserve-Resource): RESOURCE ESTIMATION IN A KGRA IS ESTIMATING THE BRINE RECOVERABLE IN THE PORE SPACE OF THE ROCK. TOWSE ESTIMATES THE RESERVOIR TO BE 180M THICK, SPECIFIC YIELD 16%. VOLUME OF BRINE PER SQUARE KM OF SURFACE AREA IS: 180 MX 10TO6MSQ X .16= 29X10TO6MCU MASS OF BRINE PER SQUARE KM= 2.9X10TO10 KG=2.9X10TO7 MT. MATRIX1 (TOWSE 1974 DATA) IS BASED ON 13 WELLS. P75 IS BASED ON 14.3 KM SQ P50 IS BASED ON 27.3 KM SQ P10 IS BASED ON 385 KM SQ. ASSAY DATA FROM DSS ENGINEERS MATRIX2 (CASSEL 1979 DATA) IS BASED ON MUCH MORE DATA THAN TOWSE 1974. P90 IS BASED ON 124 KM SQ. P75 IS BASED ON 217 KM SQ. P50 IS BASED ON 376 KM SQ. P25 IS BASED ON 568 KM SQ. ASSAY DATA FROM DSS ENGINEERS THE TONNAGE FIGURES IN THE MATRIXS ARE TONS OF BRINE IN THE GROUND. ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THIS BRINE IS RECOVERABLE (BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE) THE ASSAYS DATA IS FOR BRINE IN THE GROUND. WHEN THE BRINE IS BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE IT IS FLASHED (80% STAYS LIQUID, 20% GOES TO VAPOR). MINERALS ARE RECOVER ONLY FROM THE LIQUID PORTION. ASSAYS OF THIS LIQUID PORTION ARE: K20 2%, NACL 14.14%

---

References

Reference (Deposit): SEARLS, J.P., 1980, USBM, WASH D.C., TELEPHONE CALL.

Reference (Deposit): MARINER, R.H., 1978, SELECTED DATA FOR HYDROTHERMAL

Reference (Deposit): CONVECTION SYSTEMS IN THE U.S. WITH ESTIMATED TEMPERATURES

Reference (Deposit): GREATER THAN 90 DEG. C. USGS OPEN-FILE REPORT 78-858

Reference (Deposit): BECHTEL CORP., SAN FRAN. CA, 1977, ADVANCED DESIGN AND

Reference (Deposit): ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL GEOTHERMAL POWER

Reference (Deposit): PLANTS AT HEBER AND NILAND CA, REPORT DONE UNDER CONTRACT

Reference (Deposit): TO DOE(SAN 1124-2), NTIS PC AO9/MF AO1.

Reference (Deposit): BERTHOLD, C.E., 1975, PROCESS TECHNOLOGY FOR RECOVERING

Reference (Deposit): GEOTHERMAL BRINE MATERIALS(CONTRACT NO. 144104) USBM OPEN

Reference (Deposit): FILE REPT 35-75, 255 PP.

Reference (Deposit): CALIFORNIA GEOTHERMAL FIELDS TO BE DEVELOPED BY 3 COMPANIES,

Reference (Deposit): ENG. MIN. JOURN., DEC., P. 34, 1972.

Reference (Deposit): CARTER, J.P., 1979, CORROSION STUDIES IN BRINES OF THE

Reference (Deposit): SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD, USBM RI 8350.

Reference (Deposit): ELLIOTT, D.G., 1975, COMPARISON OF BRINE PRODUCTION METHODS

Reference (Deposit): AT EAST MESA, IMPERIAL VALLEY, CALIF., REPORT DONE UNDER

Reference (Deposit): CONTRACT FOR D.O.E. LAW. LIVE. LAB, LBL-7094 UC-66A.

Reference (Deposit): DUTCHER, L.C., 1972, PRELIMINARY APPRAISAL OF GROUND WATER

Reference (Deposit): IN STORAGE WITH REFERENCE TO GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES IN THE

Reference (Deposit): IMPERIAL VALLEY AREA, USGS CIR. 649

Reference (Deposit): LAYTON, DAVID, 1980, AN ASSESSMENT OF GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT

Reference (Deposit): AND CONVERSION PROCESSES FOR GEOTHERMAL ELECTRIC POWER

Reference (Deposit): GENERATION. GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH STUDY IN THE SALTON SEA

Reference (Deposit): REGION OF CA. REPORT DONE UNDER CONTRACT(AT(04-3) -1086)

Reference (Deposit): TO D.O.E.

Reference (Deposit): GEOLOGIC MAP OF CA., CA. DIV. OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, SALTON

Reference (Deposit): SEA SHEET.

Reference (Deposit): GRISCOM, ANDREW, 1971, AEROMAGNETIC MAP AND INTERPRETATION

Reference (Deposit): OF THE SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL AREA, CA. USGS MAP GP-754.

Reference (Deposit): HELGESON, H.C., GEOLOGIC AND THERMODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS

Reference (Deposit): OF THE SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM, AMER. JOURN. OF SCI.,

Reference (Deposit): VOL. 266, PP 127, 1968

Reference (Deposit): HORNBURG, C.D.,(DSS ENGINEERS, INC.), 1977, POSSIBLITIES

Reference (Deposit): FOR A GEOTHERMAL ENERGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IN

Reference (Deposit): THE SALTON SEA AREA, REPORT DONE UNDER CONTRACT TO D.O.E.,

Reference (Deposit): CONF-771153- P2

Reference (Deposit): INVESTIGATIONS OF U.S. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION LEASEHOLDS

Reference (Deposit): IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY OF CA, VOLS. 1 AND 2. REPORT DONE

Reference (Deposit): UNDER CONTRACT TO DOE, PREPARED BY LL NAT LAB. UNIV OF CA

Reference (Reserve-Resource): AREAS. REPORT ON CONTRACT TO DOE, DOE/RA/4713-1,

Reference (Reserve-Resource): DISTRIBUTION CATEGORY UC-66.

Reference (Deposit): HAZEN RESEARCH, INC. THE RECOVERY OF MINERAL VALUES FROM

Reference (Deposit): MAGMAMAX NO. 1, POST FLASH GEOTHERMAL BRINE, FOR BUREAU

Reference (Deposit): OF MINES, UNDER HRI REPORT 40496, JAN 17, 1977.

Reference (Deposit): KAMP VAN DE, P.C., HOLOCENE CONTINENTAL SEDIMENTATION IN THE

Reference (Deposit): SALTON BASIN, CA: A RECON., GEOL. SOC. OF AMER. BULL. VOL.

Reference (Deposit): DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE/ENERGY PLANNING BY THE STATE

Reference (Deposit): OF CA AND ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. REPORT UNDER CONTRACT

Reference (Deposit): TO DOE(SAN-2121-5)

Reference (Deposit): PHELPS, P.L., 1977, IMPERIAL VALLEY ENVIR. PROJECT: PROGRESS

Reference (Deposit): REPORT, DONE UNDER CONTRACT TO DOE(UCRL-50044-76-1)

Reference (Deposit): PALMER, J.D., 1975, CHARACTERISTICS OF GEOTHERMAL WELLS

Reference (Deposit): LOCATED IN THE SALTON SEA FIELD. REPORT DONE UNDER CONTRACT

Reference (Deposit): TO DOE(UCRL-51976)

Reference (Deposit): DEPT. OF ENERGY, LAW. BERKELEY LAB, UNIV. OF CA., NATIONAL

Reference (Deposit): GEOTHERMAL INFORMATION RESOURCE INFORMATION AND DATA

Reference (Deposit): ANALYSIS DEPT., 1980, GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE AREAS DATABASE

Reference (Deposit): (GRAD).

Reference (Deposit): KOVACH, R.L., 1962, GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN THE

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DELTA REGION: JOUR. GEOPHYS. RESEARCH, V. 67,

Reference (Deposit): P. 2845-2871.

Reference (Deposit): ENG. MIN. JOUR., VOL. 165, NO. 11 P. 116, 1964, SALTON SEA

Reference (Deposit): GEOTHERMAL WELLS YIELD STEAM POWER AND MINERAL RICH BRINE.

Reference (Deposit): MUFFLER,L.J.P., 1969 ACTIVE METAMORPHISM OF UPPER CENOZOIC

Reference (Deposit): SEDIMENTS IN THE SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD: GEOL. SOC.

Reference (Deposit): AMERICA BULL., VOL. 80, NO. 2, P. 157-181.

Reference (Deposit): SALTON SEA, CALIF.: JOUR. GEOLOGY, V 44, P. 496-509.

Reference (Deposit): DOE/EV-0092 UC-66E

Reference (Deposit): FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT, GEOTHERMAL ENERGY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT

Reference (Deposit): AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM, INTERAGENCY GEOTHERMAL

Reference (Deposit): COORDINATING COUNCIL, DOE, DOE/RA-0050, UC-66, 1980

Reference (Deposit): REEBER, ROBERT, 1980, COATINGS IN GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Reference (Deposit): PRODUCTION, THIN SOLID FILMS, 72(1980)33-47, ELSEVIER

Reference (Deposit): SEQUOIA, S.A., LAUSANNE.

Reference (Deposit): REEBER, ROBERT, 1980, D.O.E., WASH D.C., TELEPHONE CALL.

Reference (Deposit): BAUER, DON, 1980, USBM, RENO, NEV. TELEPHONE CALL.

Reference (Deposit): KIMMEL, RALPH, 1980, USGS MENLO PARK CA, TELEPHONE CALL.

Reference (Deposit): HOWARD, J.H., 1978, GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE AND RESERVOIR

Reference (Deposit): URBANEK, M.W.,(DSS ENGINEERS, INC.), 1978, RESEARCH ON A

Reference (Deposit): GEOTHERMAL MINERAL EXTRACTION COMPLEX:PHASE I, REPORT

Reference (Deposit): DONE UNDER CONTRACT TO USBM, #J0275019.

Reference (Deposit): WILSON, W. P., 'A TO Z IN POTASH PROCESSING', ENG. AND MIN.

Reference (Deposit): JOUR., P. 86, AUGUST 1966.

Reference (Deposit): 84 NO. 3 P827-848M MARCH 1973

Reference (Deposit): KOENIG, J.B., 1967, THE SALTON-MEXICALI GEOTHERMAL PROVINCE,

Reference (Deposit): MINERAL INFORMATION SERVICE, CALIF DIV MINES AND GEOL.,

Reference (Deposit): JULY 1967.

Reference (Deposit): MUFFLER, L.J.P., 1979, ASSESSMENT OF GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES

Reference (Deposit): OF THE U.S., 1978, USGS CIR. 790.

Reference (Deposit): WHITE, D.E., 1975, ASSESSMENT OF GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES OF THE

Reference (Deposit): U.S.-1975, USGS CIR 726.

Reference (Deposit): SINGLETON, RICHARD, 1978, POTASH, MINERAL COMMODITY PROFILES

Reference (Deposit): MCP-11, USBM FEB 1978.

Reference (Deposit): STAFF, USBM, 1970, THE US POSITION AND OUTLOOK IN POTASH,

Reference (Deposit): USBM IC 8487.

Reference (Deposit): LOELTZ, O.J., 1975 GEOHYDROLOGIC RECON. OF THE IMPERIAL

Reference (Deposit): VALLEY, CA, USGS P.P. 486-K.

Reference (Deposit): KELLEY, U.C., 1936 ORIGIN OF THE SALTON VOLCANIC DOMES,

Reference (Deposit): LITTLEFIELD, W.M., 1966, HYDROLOGY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE

Reference (Deposit): SALTON SEA CA, USGS HA-222

Reference (Deposit): J.M. ENERGY CONSULTANTS, INC., L.A., CA., 1978, GEOTHERMAL

Reference (Reserve-Resource): TOWSE, DONALD, 1976, AN ESTIMATE OF THE GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Reference (Reserve-Resource): RESOURCE IN THE SLATON THROUGH, CA, LAW. LIVE. LAB REPORT

Reference (Reserve-Resource): UCRL-51851, BERKELEY, CA(FEB 1976)

Reference (Reserve-Resource): CASSEL, THOMAS, 1979, GEOTHERMAL INVESTMENT AND POLICY

Reference (Reserve-Resource): ANALYSIS WITH EVALUATION OF CALIFORNIA AND UTAH RESOURCE

---

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.