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Dow-Ludington

Producer in Mason county in Michigan, United States with commodities Bromine, Magnesite, Calcium
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10122363
MAS/MILS ID 0261050006
Record type Site
Current site name Dow-Ludington
Alternate or previous names Dow Chemical Co. Plant, Ludington Plant

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Plant
Geographic coordinates: -86.43308, 43.9386 (WGS84)
Elevation 183
Location accuracy 100(meters)
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Michigan Mason

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Bromine Secondary
Magnesite Primary
Calcium Secondary

Nearby scientific data

Plant (1) -86.43308, 43.9386
ListMap

Ore body information

  • Depth to top 650M
    Area 248HA
    Field Value
    Type of Orebody #1 BRINES
    Shape of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Primary mode of Origin EVAPORATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Secondary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. UNKNOWN
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 UNKNOWN
    Total Surface Area (HA) 248
    Date of Last Modification 840501

Comments on the geologic information

  • DEPOSIT IS INTERSTITIAL BRINES FOUND PRIMARILY IN THE FILER SANDSTONE. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THIS RESOURCE, DEPOSIT DIMENSIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. AVERAGE WELL DEPTH IS 650 M.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Brine Operation
Development status Producer
Commodity type Both metallic and non-metallic
Significant Yes
Mining method Auger Mining - Brine Well
Year of first production 1942
Milling method Hydrometallurgy Unspecified

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Fee Ownership

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Dow Chemical Co. 2030 Dow Center, Midland, Mi 48674
    Interest 100
    Home office Michigan
    Year 1994

Comments on the ownership information

  • TOTAL LAND HOLDING IS ESTIMATED TO BE 248 HA IN MASON COUNTY

Production statistics

  • Year 1974
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 269008 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 269,008mt
  • Year 1975
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 241377 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 241,377mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 267281 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 267,281mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 267304 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 267,304mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Mgo Content Total Product; 99% Mg(Oh)2 275814 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Magnesite Magnesium 275,814mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Mgo Content Total Product; 99% Mg(Oh)2 278164 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 278,164mt 99wt-pct
  • Year 1980
    Description Mgo Content Total Product; 99% Mg(Oh)2 278240 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 278,240mt 99wt-pct
  • Year 1981
    Description Mgo Content Total Product; 99% Mg(Oh)2 231747 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 231,747mt 99wt-pct
  • Year 1982
    Description Mgo Content Total Product; 99% Mg(Oh)2 141334 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 141,334mt 99wt-pct
  • Year 1983
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 And Mgcl2 Product 154986 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 154,986mt
  • Year 1984
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 152298 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 152,298mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 161590 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 161,590mt
  • Year 1986
    Description Mgo Content Of Mg(Oh)2 Product 88882 Mt Mgo Equiv./Year
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Mgo Content Magnesite Magnesium 88,882mt

Comments on the production information

  • MAGNESIUM FROM DOLIME SUPPLIES APPROXIMATELY 50 PCT OF TOTAL MGO CONTENT OF PRODUCT. ALTHOUGH ACTUAL MILL RECOVERY FROM BRINES IS 96 PCT, MGO FROM DOLIME GIVES AN EFFECTIVE RECOVERY OF 192 PCT.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • PUBLISHED INFORMATION CALLS RESERVES INDEFINITE; NUMEROUS GRADE ANALYSES AVAILABLE; AVERAGE REPORTED GRADES ARE: CACL2 - 14.9%; MGCL2 - 8.7%; NACL - 4.6%; KCL - 0.44%; BR2 - 0.15%.
  • Q2C1 RESERVES ADJUSTED FROM 1983 RESERVES BY SUBTRACTING 1984- 1993 PRODUCTION DATA (MULT. BY FACTOR 14 (RATIO OF PRODUCT TO ORE). THIS RESERVE IS A CRUDE ESTIMATE. .
  • RAW BRINES RECOVERED BY DOW CHEMICAL AND TREATED TO PRODUCE MG(OH)2; TRANSPORTED TO ADJACENT HARBISON-WALKER CHEMICALS PLANT TO RECOVER MGO PRODUCTS

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 650M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method BRINE WELL
    Percent Waste Rock 0
    Percent Recovery 100
    Hardness of Rock UNKNOWN
    Rock Characteristics UNKNOWN
    Rock Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Mine Support Chars. UNKNOWN
    Number of Shafts 31
    Capacity 10500
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 0
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1983

Comments on other economic factors

  • THIS OPERATION IS NOT A TYPICAL UNDERGROUND OPERATION. 26 WELLS ARE ASSUMED TO BE PUMPING. TOTAL WELL FIELD HAS OVER 49 WELL SITES.
  • THIS SEQUENCE NUMBER DESCRIBES THOSE OPERATIONS REQUIRED TO RECOVER MG(OH)2 FROM BRINES. THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPLEX; THAT TOTAL PROC. PLANT IS FOUND UNDER SEQ. NO. 026-105-9002 (MILS ONLY). DOW CHEMICAL MI. BRINE WELL OPERATIONS CONSIST OF A BROMINE PLANT, MAGNESIA PLANT & CALCIUM CHLORIDE PLANT. BECAUSE EACH PLANT IS CAPABLE OF OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY (WITH MINOR MODIFICATIONS), ONLY THE MAGNESIA PLANT IS DESCRIBED HERE. DOW RECOVERS THE COMMODITIES BROMINE, MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE, MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE. ONLY MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE RECOVERY IS DESCRIBED. THE MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE IS RECOVERED FROM THE MG(OH)2 AT A LATER STAGE, SO IT IS NOT DISCUSSED HERE. PRODUCTION IS ESTIMATED BASED ON THE RATED CAPACITY OF THE MAGNESIA PLANT ONLY, NOT FOR THE TOTAL OPERATION. THUS, THE ACTUAL PRODUCTION RATE MAY VARY FROM THE RATE REPORTED HERE. THE OPERATION IS CURRENTLY RUNNING AT APPROX. 52% OF MGO CAPACITY.
  • CAPITAL COSTS HAVE BEEN DEPRECIATED. OPERATING COST FOR BRINE EXTRACTION AND TRANSPORT INCLUDED IN MILL OPERATING COST. WORKING CAPITAL EQUALS 90 DAYS OPERATING COST. MILL OPERATING COST WOULD INCREASE BY 30% AFTER 15 YEARS TO ACCOMMODATE HIGHER MAINTENANCE COSTS.
  • PROCESSING PLANT ASSUMED TO BE OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY. ACTUAL OPERATION IS LESS. PERSONNEL IS 131 FOR MG(OH)2 RECOVERY AND PROCESSING OPERATIONS ONLY. TOTAL PERSONNEL EMPLOYED AT SITE IS 377.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
U.S. Bureau of Mines Minerals Availability System MAS 0261050006

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    SMITH, G.J., C.L. JONES, W.C. CULBERTSON, G.E. ERICKSEN,

  • Reserve-Resource

    AND J.R. DYNI. EVAPORITES AND BRINES. CH. IN

  • Reserve-Resource

    UNITED STATES MINERAL RESOURCES, ED. BY D.A. BROBST AND

  • Reserve-Resource

    W.P. PRATT. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROF. PAPER 820, 1973,

  • Reserve-Resource

    PP. 197-216.

  • Deposit

    COMSTOCK, H.B. MAGNESIUM AND MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS, A

  • Deposit

    MATERIALS SURVEY. BUMINES IC 8201, 1963, 128 PP.

  • Deposit

    COPP, A.N., AND R. WARDLE. MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS. CH. IN

  • Deposit

    ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY, ED. BY R.N. KIRK

  • Deposit

    AND J.A. OTHMER. JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., V. 14,

  • Deposit

    3RD ED., 1981, PP. 615-646.

  • Deposit

    DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY. MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE HANDBOOK.

  • Deposit

    COMPANY PUBLICATION, FORM 101-94-81, 1981, 17 PP.

  • Deposit

    DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY. DOW CHEMICAL IN LUDINGTON.

  • Deposit

    COMPANY PUBLICATION, 1980.

  • Deposit

    EGLESON, G.C., AND C.W. QUERIO. VARIATION IN THE

  • Deposit

    COMPOSITION OF BRINE FROM THE SYLVANIA FORMATION NEAR

  • Deposit

    MIDLAND, MICHIGAN. ENVIRON. SCI. AND TECHNOL.,

  • Deposit

    V. 3, NO. 4, 1969, PP. 369-371.

  • Deposit

    LILIENTHAL, R.T. STRATIGRAPHIC CROSS-SECTIONS OF THE

  • Deposit

    MICHIGAN BASIN. MICH. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY RI 19, 1978, 30 PP.

  • Deposit

    MICHIGAN GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. NATURAL BRINES OF MICHIGAN.

  • Deposit

    1976, 6 PP.; AVAILABLE FROM MINING AND ECONOMIC UNIT,

  • Deposit

    MICH. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, LANSING, MI.

  • Deposit

    MIKAMI, H.M. REFRACTORY MAGNESIA. PRES. AT CONF. FOR

  • Deposit

    RAW MATERIALS FOR REFRACTORIES, TUSCALOOSA, AL,

  • Deposit

    FEBRUARY 8-9, 1982, 40 PP.; AVAILABLE FROM

  • Deposit

    REFRACTORIES INSTITUTE, PITTSBURGH, PA.

  • Deposit

    SORENSEN, H.O., AND R.T. SEGALL. NATURAL BRINES OF THE

  • Deposit

    DETROIT RIVER GROUP, MICHIGAN BASIN. SEC. IN FOURTH

  • Deposit

    SYMPOSIUM OF SALT, ED. BY A.H. COOGAN. NORTHERN OHIO

  • Deposit

    GEOL. SOC., INC., CLEVELAND OH, 1973, PP. 91-99.

  • Deposit

    WALDEN, W.A. PRODUCTION OF SALT IN MICHIGAN. 1979, 10 PP.;

  • Deposit

    AVAILABLE FROM MINING AND ECONOMIC GEOLOGY UNIT,

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit DEPOSIT EVALUATED BY EFOC PERSONNEL AT MAFO. DEPOSIT IS BRINE FIELD PUMPED BY NUMEROUS WELLS. THE UPDATE WAS DONE NOVEMBER 1987 PRODUCTION FIGURES BY COMMODITY SPECIALIST

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-OCT-1996 Wilburn, David R. U.S. Bureau of Mines