World’s Output of Platinum
According to J. L. Howe, the estimated limits of the total world-production of crude platinum, up to January 1917, were as follows[[13]]:
| In oz. | (troy) | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum. | Maximum. | |
| Russia | 7,115,482 | 10,128,308 |
| Colombia | 700,000 | 735,000 |
| Borneo | 175,000 | 200,000 |
| United States | 10,000 | 12,000 |
| Canada | 9,000 | 10,000 |
| Miscellaneous | 9,000 | 10,000 |
| Total | 8,018,482 | 11,095,308 |
On the other hand, James M. Hill[[14]] states that possibly 5,000,000 oz. was the total world’s production to June 1917, which he distributes according to the uses made of it as follows:
| Oz. | |
|---|---|
| Chemical and physical apparatus | 1,000,000 |
| Electrical devices | 250,000 |
| Catalyzing | 500,000 |
| Dental uses | 1,000,000 |
| Jewellery | 1,000,000 |
| Minor uses and hoarded (balance) | 1,250,000 |
It is difficult to obtain exact figures of the annual production of crude platinum. This is particularly so in the case of Russia, where there appears to have been a tendency for private enterprises to keep their published outputs as low as possible, in order to avoid registration. The discrepancy between the official and actual figures of production in Russia is variously estimated at from 20 to 60 per cent.
The table on the next page is compiled from the sources considered most reliable.
| World’s Production of Crude Platinum | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In troy oz.) | |||||||||
| 1910. | 1911. | 1912. | 1913. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | |
| Borneo and Sumatra[[C]] | 200 | 200 | [[D]] | [[D]] | [[D]] | [[D]] | |||
| Burma[[E]] | 38 | 57 | 58 | 37 | 18 | 9 | 4 | ||
| Canada[[F]] | 18 | 23 | 15 | 57 | 39 | ||||
| Colombia[[G]] | 10,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 17,500 | 18,000 | 25,000 | 32,000 | 27,030 |
| Madagascar[[H]] | 13 | 3 | |||||||
| New South Wales[[I]] | 332 | 470 | 610 | 442 | 244 | 56 | 82 | 259 | |
| Russia[[J]] | 176,334 | 187,008 | 177,596 | 157,735 | 157,182 | 119,789 | 78,682 | 50,000[[K]] | |
| United States[[C]] | 390 | 628 | 721 | 483 | 570 | 742 | 750 | 605 | |
| Victoria[[L]] | 184 | 127 | |||||||
Canada.—The recoveries of platinum at the works of the International Nickel Company in New Jersey for the years 1910–1912 were 258,666 and 497 oz. respectively, chiefly from Canadian matte.
Russia.—The actual productions of platinum as quoted in Mineral Industry in oz. were: 1910, 300,000; 1911, 280,000; 1912, 300,000; 1913, 275,000; 1914, 240,000; 1915, 124,000; 1916, 90,000; 1917, 50,000.
[C]. U.S.A. Mineral Resources, 1917, Geol. Surv.
[D]. Estimates not available.
[E]. Records of Geol. Survey, India.
[F]. Mineral Production, Mines Dept., Canada. Figures are for alluvial production only, and far below actual production figures, not including Ontario production from nickel matte, for which only incomplete information is available. [See p. [25].]
[G]. Mining Journal, November 30, 1918, p. 700, and Mineral Industry.
[H]. Mines and Quarries Reports, Home Office.
[I]. Annual Rept. Dept. of Mines.
[J]. Mineral Industry. These are official figures for production; actual production is much greater than these.
[K]. Estimated.
[L]. Dept. of Mines Reports (platinum obtained from copper matte).
The market value of platinum has risen considerably since 1880. In that year the price was 12s. 7½d. per oz. troy, in 1890 it was 25s. 3d., and in 1900, 63s. 1½d. The average prices in London and New York for the years 1910–1919 were as shown on the accompanying tables:
| Average price in pounds per troy oz. of refined metals of the platinum group in London | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910. | 1911. | 1912. | 1913. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | |
| Platinum Metals | 9·1 | 8·6 | 9·5 | 9·5 | 8·1 | 10·9 | 10–14·5 | 14·5 | 20 | 24 |
1910, 1915, 1916 and 1917—Metal Market Year Book. 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914—Mining Magazine.
| Average price in dollars per troy oz. of refined metals of the platinum group in New York | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910. | 1911. | 1912. | 1913. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | |
| Platinum | 33 | 43 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 50 | 84 | 103 | 106[[M]] | 114 |
| Iridium | 65 | 83 | 94 | 150 | ||||||
| Iridosmine | 33 | 35 | 45 | 80 | ||||||
| Palladium | 44 | 56 | 67 | 110 | ||||||
1910, 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917—U.S. Geol. Surv. Mineral Resources.
1911, 1912, 1913, 1918 and 1919—Eng. and Min. Journ., vol. 107, No. 2, p. 77.
[M]. The price was fixed on May 14, 1918, at $105.
CHAPTER II
SOURCES OF SUPPLY OF PLATINUM AND ALLIED METALS
(a) BRITISH EMPIRE
The outputs of platinum metals in different parts of the British Empire are shown in the table on p. [14].