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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
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El Volcan no longer exists as we once knew it
You can imagine my disappointment and astonishment to see how the Olvidada mine roadwork has decimated the very special El Volcan area. Anticipating
a quiet evening in the pristine desert environment, I came upon this:
There is a huge tank of some sort, and a new hole in the ground at the junction filled with mineralized water from the onyx spring. And now a gravel
“road” alongside the bedrock to the large pool where the water truck now sucks up water to spray the widened, graded road:
The grading disturbance turned this:
into this:
The nice white sand arroyo that used to look like this? :
Now looks like this:
Complete with truck traffic:
The picturesque “Baja” road that we knew and loved:
Now looks like this:
No longer can you pull off the road to find a nice campsite because the sand berm and disturbed rocks and gravel from the grading create a barrier –
the entire distance from the schoolhouse at El Marmol to El Volcan. You used to be ble to go straight OR make the right turn to El Volcan. That
turnoff area has been widened about 20 feet and the rocks and debris now prevent access to the road continuing straight ahead. This was where you
could pull off and find 3 or 4 perfect campsites:
I had a special purpose planned this trip. Remember elbeau’s lost mission discovery and the Nomad hike to find it? I wanted to commemorate the spot
– “Site B” – with this sign:
I thought I could still camp at the junction on the other side of the arroyo on the mesa, and do the hike the next day, but mesa access is also
prohibited by sand berm, gravel and rocks. I turned around and camped at El Marmol. An adventure foiled.
I doubt that I will ever go to El Volcan again – there is little left to enjoy. If anyone wants to venture forth and plant my sign, you’re welcome to
it. I’m sorry, elbeau, that I didn’t get the job done.
Very sad.
[Edited on 3-6-2012 by wilderone]
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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That's to bad. We weren't sure they would actually work the mine when we were there. Just figured it was being setup to be sold, but what do we know.
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tripledigitken
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4848
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Does anyone know what they are mining?
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
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Location: South of the broder
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Baruim
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by tripledigitken
Does anyone know what they are mining? |
BARITE...
See the road and mine, as it was last April/ May (2011):
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=52779
From Wikipedia:
Baryte, or barite, (BaSO4) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate.[2] The baryte group consists of baryte, celestine, anglesite and
anhydrite.Baryte itself is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of barium. Baryte and celestine form a solid solution (Ba,Sr)SO4.[1]
The name baryte is derived from the Greek word βαρύς (heavy). The American spelling barite[2] is used bythe USGS[7] and more
often used in modern Scientific journals including those published by the Netherlands-based Elsevier journals. The International Mineralogical
Association adopted "barite" as the official spelling when it formed in 1959[citation needed], but recommended adopting the older"baryte" spelling in
1978,[8] notably ignored by the Mineralogical Society of America. The American Petroleum Institute specification API 13/ISO 13500 which governs baryte
for drilling purposes does not refer to any specific mineral, but rather a material that meets that specification, in practice this is usually the
mineral baryte.
The term "primary baryte" refers to the first marketable product, which includes crude baryte (run of mine) and the products of simple beneficiation
methods, such as washing, jigging, heavy media separation, tabling, flotation. Most crude baryte requires some upgrading to minimum purity or density.
Baryte that is used as an aggregate in a "heavy" cement is crushed and screened to a uniform size. Most baryte is ground to a small, uniform size
before it is used as a filler or extender, an addition to industrial products, or a weighting agent in petroleum well drilling mud
UsesSome 77% worldwide is used as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration to suppress high formation pressures and prevent
blowouts. As a well is drilled, the bit passes through various formations, each with different characteristics. The deeper the hole, the more barite
is needed as a percentage of the total mud mix. An additional benefit of barite is that it is non-magnetic and thus does not interfere with magnetic
measurements taken in the borehole, either during logging-while-drilling or in separate drill hole logging. Barite used for drilling petroleum wells
can be black, blue, brown or gray depending on the ore body. The barite is finely ground so that at least 97% of the material, by weight, can pass
through a 200-mesh (75-μm) screen, and no more than 30%, by weight, can be less than 6 μm diameter. The ground barite also must be dense
enough so that its specific gravity is 4.2 or greater, soft enough to not damage the bearings of a tricone drill bit, chemically inert, and containing
no more than 250 milligrams per kilogram of soluble alkaline salts.[7]
Other uses are in added-value applications which include filler in paint and plastics, sound reduction in engine compartments, coat of automobile
finishes for smoothness and corrosion resistance, friction products for automobiles and trucks, radiation-shielding cement, glass ceramics and medical
applications (for example, a barium meal before a contrast CAT scan). Baryte is supplied in a variety of forms and the price depends on the amount of
processing; filler applications commanding higher prices following intense physical processing by grinding and micronising, and there are further
premiums for whiteness and brightness and color.[7]
Historically baryte was used for the production of barium hydroxide for sugar refining, and as a white pigment for textiles, paper, and paint.[2]
Although baryte contains a "heavy" metal (barium), it is not considered to be a toxic chemical by most governments because of its extreme
insolubility.
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[Edited on 3-6-2012 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Cindi, what a bummer you couldn't drive over the berm made by the grader to get to the north road (leads to some drug runner airport strips ditched by
the army)!
So, I guess you didn't walk to the geyser?
How cool of you to make those signs... I hope you will let elbeau know!
Baja is full of minerals folks, and if the value of them gets high enough, mines will open up. Too bad that instead of coming in from Hwy. 1, they
didn't have a port on the gulf and make a new road down the mountain, giving us a short cut across Baja!
Thanks for the (sad) update on the El Volcan road.
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Islandbuilder
Senior Nomad
Posts: 555
Registered: 11-9-2011
Location: nob
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Mood: bewildered
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Barium dust is considered hazardous, it is believed to cause hypertension. I had a big run around with our well when we found elevated barium levels.
If you're driving the road and notice your left eye twitching and your pulse racing, wait to keep going until the dust settles!
I'm sorry to see this place getting, well, used like it is. I have been intriqued with it ever since reading about it in the Baja Adventure book, and
DavidK's posts.
I guess I missed it:-(
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Happily, the road improvement has not disturbed the geyser, from what Wilderone has posted... The geyser is 1/2 mile up the arroyo from where the
Olvidada mine road crosses it.
The mineral is barite (baryte), not pure barium, being mined there... it is not dangerous (per Wikipedia): "Although baryte contains a "heavy" metal
(barium), it is not considered to be a toxic chemical by most governments because of its extreme insolubility."
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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Just a shame. Many of you have told me to accept change. I do, but morn for the way things were.
MMc
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
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David - I've been to the geyser more than once. It was after 5:00 pm when I arrived, and sundown was an hour away. The trucks were coming and going,
and I was parked on the road - couldn't pull off anywhere. I considered driving the gravel road they made going toward the geyser to camp somewhere
at the end of it, when the water truck came down that road. Just too much activity and dust.
"...you couldn't drive over the berm made by the grader to get to the north road"
It's more than a berm at that point - it's large boulders and debris about 6 ft. high from carving out about 20 ft of cliff.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Drill baby drill
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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The problem with omelets, I guess, is all the broken eggs.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Good one Perry!
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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Mood: Happy!
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Tis sad...on the other hand it was a mining road that someone put in for the original road too. Was there any signs or gates prohibiting driving
further in on the road from Volcan? What the heck, may as well see some new country. Once the mine is tapped and a couple chubascos blow out the
canyon it'll look about the same as it did before, hopefully.
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3824
Registered: 2-9-2004
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I didn't encounter any signs prohibiting driving on the road, but not to say it couldn't be so in the future, and I didn't go past El Volcan. I
intend to write SEMARNAT and submit photos. I often see indication of SEMARNAT oversight on coastal regions, but they should protect sensitive
geologic areas too. At least impose reclamation regulations on mining projects that are so disruptive; that is the "state of the art" now.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
I didn't encounter any signs prohibiting driving on the road, but not to say it couldn't be so in the future, and I didn't go past El Volcan. I
intend to write SEMARNAT and submit photos. I often see indication of SEMARNAT oversight on coastal regions, but they should protect sensitive
geologic areas too. At least impose reclamation regulations on mining projects that are so disruptive; that is the "state of the art" now.
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It may also be in the Valle de los Cirios Natural Area!?
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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that sucks! oh well, at least you had the privilege of enjoying it before it lost its soul forever....
DK, shouldn't you be spouting off about progress and how the people of Baja will benefit?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
that sucks! oh well, at least you had the privilege of enjoying it before it lost its soul forever....
DK, shouldn't you be spouting off about progress and how the people of Baja will benefit? |
Personally, I like bad roads... as it filters out any bad people! As for the road work to this mine, it was coming.... just like the paving of Mex. 1
and now Mex. 5... Some of us don't like it, but that is just progress.
Barite is used to drill for oil... and as Bajaboy said above, we need to "drill baby drill"... as long as we want to prosper on this planet!
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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I hate drinking that stuff
Barium From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Not to be confused with Borium.
caesium ← barium → lanthanum
Sr
↑
Ba
↓
Ra
56BaPeriodic table
Appearance
silvery gray
General properties
Name, symbol, number barium, Ba, 56
Pronunciation /ˈbɛəriəm/ BAIR-ee-əm
Element category alkaline earth metals
Group, period, block 2, 6, s
Standard atomic weight 137.33
Electron configuration [Xe] 6s2
Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2 (Image)
Physical properties
Phase solid
Density (near r.t.) 3.51 g·cm−3
Liquid density at m.p. 3.338 g·cm−3
Melting point 1000 K, 727 °C, 1341 °F
Boiling point 2170 K, 1897 °C, 3447 °F
Heat of fusion 7.12 kJ·mol−1
Heat of vaporization 140.3 kJ·mol−1
Molar heat capacity 28.07 J·mol−1·K−1
Vapor pressure
P (Pa) 1 10 100 1 k 10 k 100 k
at T (K) 911 1038 1185 1388 1686 2170
Atomic properties
Oxidation states 2
(strongly basic oxide)
Electronegativity 0.89 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies 1st: 502.9 kJ·mol−1
2nd: 965.2 kJ·mol−1
3rd: 3600 kJ·mol−1
Atomic radius 222 pm
Covalent radius 215±11 pm
Van der Waals radius 268 pm
Miscellanea
Crystal structure body-centered cubic
Magnetic ordering paramagnetic
Electrical resistivity (20 °C) 332 nΩ·m
Thermal conductivity 18.4 W·m−1·K−1
Thermal expansion (25 °C) 20.6 µm·m−1·K−1
Speed of sound (thin rod) (20 °C) 1620 m·s−1
Young's modulus 13 GPa
Shear modulus 4.9 GPa
Bulk modulus 9.6 GPa
Mohs hardness 1.25
CAS registry number 7440-39-3
Most stable isotopes
Main article: Isotopes of barium
iso NA half-life DM DE (MeV) DP
130Ba 0.106% 130Ba is stable with 74 neutrons
132Ba 0.101% 132Ba is stable with 76 neutrons
133Ba syn 10.51 y ε 0.517 133Cs
134Ba 2.417% 134Ba is stable with 78 neutrons
135Ba 6.592% 135Ba is stable with 79 neutrons
136Ba 7.854% 136Ba is stable with 80 neutrons
137Ba 11.23% 137Ba is stable with 81 neutrons
138Ba 71.7% 138Ba is stable with 82 neutrons
v ·t ·e· r
Barium ( /ˈbɛəriəm/ BAIR-ee-əm) is a chemical element with the symbol Ba and atomic number 56. It is the fifth element in
Group 2, a soft silvery metallic alkaline earth metal. Barium is never found in nature in its pure form due to its reactivity with air. Its oxide is
historically known as baryta but it reacts with water and carbon dioxide and is not found as a mineral. The most common naturally occurring minerals
are the very insoluble barium sulfate, BaSO4 (barite), and barium carbonate, BaCO3 (witherite). Barium's name originates from Greek barys
(βαρύς , meaning "heavy", describing the high density of
some common barium-containing ores.
Barium has few industrial applications, but the metal has been historically used to scavenge air in vacuum tubes. Barium compounds impart a green
color to flames and have been used in fireworks. Barium sulfate is used for its density, insolubility, and X-ray opacity. It is used as an insoluble
heavy additive to oil well drilling mud, and in purer form, as an X-ray radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract.
Soluble barium compounds are poisonous due to release of the soluble barium ion, and have been used as rodenticides. New uses for barium
continue to be sought. It is a component of some "high temperature" YBCO superconductors, and electroceramics.
Bob Durrell
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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Hey, as a dye in radiology it is pretty cool. I can put the DVDs of my CT scans up on this same screen and the contrast provided by this B! of a
compound reveals amazing new detail. In my case, the total loss of Barium would only result in more uncertainty about my ultimate certainty! Many
forms of metastasis would be reasonably treatable IF found in time. Fortunately for me, we've been too stupid to foresee the end of oil, and that
industry will insure that there will be plenty of that disgusting Barium laced stuff for me to drink.
Could Barium and 167 xrays every 180 days cause a completely unrelated cancer? I'd rather worry about what the road in this thread might look like in
the very unlikely event I ever see it on my travels in Baja. 
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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