Political and commercial geology and the world's mineral resources

by Unknown

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

The chief zinc ore deposits of the world are in the countries listed in the [table] below; the order of the countries is that of their importance in the industry in 1913, as nearly as can be estimated from incomplete data.

The three major metallographic provinces of the world as indicated by present exploitation are those of Broken Hill, N.S.W., Silesia, and the Mississippi Valley.

The condition of the zinc industry in the principal countries, in 1913, is shown in [Table 59].

United States.

—The zinc deposits of the United States may be assigned to three metallographic provinces, which in the order of their present importance are: the Mississippi Valley province; the Western province; and the Northeastern province.

Judged by present knowledge, the Mississippi Valley province is one of the three major zinc-bearing metallographic provinces of the world. It occupies an area underlain with slightly disturbed Paleozoic limestone, ranging from Ordovician to Lower Carboniferous in age, that comprises most of the great mid-continental valley of the Mississippi in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Iowa, also Tennessee and the western part of Virginia. Igneous rocks are generally absent. There are three principal subprovinces: the Ozark province, comprising Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas; the upper Mississippi valley, comprising Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, and Iowa; and the regions of Tennessee and Virginia.

Table 58.—Chief Zinc-ore Deposits of the World

Approximate order	Country	Percentage of world’s production in 1913
1	United States	35.0
2	Germany	25.0
3	Australia	15.0
4	Italy	5.0
5	Algeria	3.0
6	Japan	2.0
7	Spain	2.0
8	Russia (including Russian Poland)	2.0
9	France	1.5
10	Greece	1.0
11	Sweden	1.0
12	Mexico	1.0
13	Austria	1.0
14	Tunis	1.0
15	Indo-China (Tonkin)
16	Great Britain
17	China
18	Bolivia
19	Canada
20	India (Burma)
21	Egypt
22	South Africa
23	Peru

In the Ozark subprovinces the Joplin district is most important. The ores lie at three horizons in flat-lying lower Carboniferous limestones. In the upper horizon, below the surface, the ore lies in clayey chert breccias, and galena predominates. The middle horizon, or “sheet ground,” carries mixed galena and blende, which cements brecciated chert. The ore is low grade, the average recovery of zinc being 1.9 per cent. This horizon has been the most important source of ore. The third and lowest horizon, as yet little exploited, contains disseminated ores. Thirty mills were busy in the Joplin district in 1918. The Athletic Mining & Smelting Co. was the largest producer, operating the Athletic mine, at Duenweg, the Bertha A., at Webb City, and Mutual mine, at Oronogo. Miami Zinc Syndicate, affiliated with the Butte & Superior and American Zinc, Lead & Smelting Co.; the Commerce Mining & Royalty Co.; the Century Zinc Co.; and the Tri-State Mining Co., are large operators. Much of the production is by lessees and small operators.

Table 59.—Zinc Industry in 1913

Country	Available zinc in ore (short tons)				Spelter (short tons)
					Produced		For export	To be imported	Annual con- sumption
	Produced	Smelted	Exported	Imported	Primary	Secondary
United States	305,500	310,500	8,500	13,500	310,500	50,000	21,000		339,500
Australasia	206,000	4,000	202,000	...	4,000	...	...	...	4,000
British Isles	50,000	65,000	...	15,000	65,000	6,000	...	143,500	214,500
Canada	24,000	...	24,000	...	...	...	...	20,000	20,000
Burma, Indo China, etc.	18,000	...	18,000	...
France and French Africa	69,000	63,000	6,000	...	63,000	20,500	...	5,500	89,000
Italy	40,000	...	40,000	...	...	...	...	12,000	12,000
Belgium	11,000	218,000	...	207,000	218,000	3,500	7,500	...	84,000
China	5,000	2,500	2,500	...	2,500	...	...	7,500	10,000
Greece	12,000	...	12,000
Japan	10,000	8,000	2,000	...	8,000	...	...	4,000	12,000
Russia	35,000	13,000	22,000	...	13,000	...	...	23,500	36,500
Holland	...	27,000	...	27,000	27,000	3,000	25,500	...	4,500
Mexico	30,000	...	30,000
Norway	15,000	10,000	5,000	...	10,000	...	10,000
Spain	50,000	15,000	35,000	...	15,000	...	8,500	...	6,500
Sweden	10,000	6,000	4,000	...	6,000	...	6,000	...
Austria-Hungary	24,000	24,000	...	...	24,000	3,000	...	17,500	44,500
Germany	163,500	312,000	...	148,500	312,000	18,500	75,000	...	255,500
Other	...	...	...	...	...	1,500	...	45,000	46,500
Total	1,078,000	1,078,000	411,000	411,000	1,078,000	106,000	283,500	278,500	1,179,000

In Arkansas the ores are of similar character and mode of occurrence and are found in the same formation and also in the Ordovician limestone. The Lavender Mining & Milling Co. is the largest operator and the production has been largely carbonate ores.

The Upper Mississippi region comprises deposits in nearly horizontal limestones of Ordovician age. Three-fourths of the output of this district is made by five companies: the Mineral Point Zinc Co., a subsidiary of the New Jersey Zinc Co., with seven mines; the Vinegar Hill Zinc Co., with six mines; the Wisconsin Zinc Co., a subsidiary of the American Zinc, Lead & Smelting Co., with four mines; the Frontier Mining Co., with five producing mines; and the Cleveland Mining Co., with two mines. Other important companies are Burr Mining Co., Block House Mining Co., M. & A. Mining Co., B. M. & B. Mining Co., and Oliver Mining Co., a subsidiary of the U. S. Steel Corporation. All of the mines are equipped with milling plants. The production of the district shows a steady growth.

The zinc deposits of southwest Virginia and northeastern Tennessee occur as disseminated replacement breccia along crushed and faulted zones in folded Cambro-Ordovician limestones, and also as oxidized ores in clays residual from the weathering of the same limestones. The gangue is calcite and dolomite. The American Zinc Co. is the largest operator in Tennessee; it has a milling capacity of 3,000 tons daily and zinc-blende ore reserves greater than 6,000,000 tons averaging between 4 and 5 per cent. zinc, from which 60 per cent. zinc-blende concentrates are made. This company is a subsidiary of the American Zinc, Lead & Smelting Co.

The Western province comprises most of the western states; it extends north into British Columbia and south into Mexico. The chief subprovinces are those of Leadville, Butte, and Coeur d’Alene.

The Leadville deposits are found in strata varying in age from Archean to Cretaceous, which have been intruded by igneous rocks. The ores are mainly replacements of limestone and occur in large masses. This district first became of importance in zinc production upon the recognition of smithsonite and calamine in the large masses of oxidized ores. Of recent years sulphides form an increasing part of the production, now coming largely from deeper levels. The ores carry gold, silver, manganese, copper and sometimes bismuth. The United States Smelting Refining & Mining Co., the Empire Zinc Co., a subsidiary of the New Jersey Zinc Co.; the Western Mining Co., the Downtown Mines Co., the Wellington Mines Co., at Breckenridge; and the Mary Murphy mine, at Chalk Creek, are the largest operators in this region.

The Butte ores occur as veins in igneous rocks. The area in which zinc ores predominate surrounds that of important copper veins on three sides. On the border of the two areas, zinc-silver ores predominate in the upper levels and copper in the deeper workings. Many of the present zinc mines were formerly worked for silver. These complex zinc ores have been made available by the successful application of oil flotation and electrolytic deposition. The Black Rock mine of the Butte & Superior Mining Co., the Elm Orlu of W. A. Clark & Son, the Alice, and several other mines of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co., and the North Butte Mining Co. are among the most important producers. The twelve mines yielding zinc in 1915 together have immense reserves. The ores all carry lead and silver and some pyrite, and many contain copper and gold.

The Coeur d’Alene subprovince comprises a number of mining districts in Idaho, at least five being zinc producers. The Interstate-Callahan, in the Beaver district, is the largest zinc mine in the state. The ore is remarkable for the small percentage of minerals other than sphalerite, averaging 28 per cent. zinc.

The Northeastern province comprises important deposits at Franklin, New Jersey, and in the Adirondack Mountains in New York, and others of minor importance in the New England states. It is characterized by deposits of igneous metamorphic origin in Pre-Cambrian limestone. The Franklin deposits, in New Jersey, consist chiefly of franklinite, willemite and zincite in a gangue of calcite, rhodonite, garnet, pyroxene, magnetite and hornblende. Willemite is separated magnetically from these ores and used to produce a very high-grade spelter free from lead and cadmium and therefore in great demand for certain purposes. The other classes of ore are smelted for the production of zinc white and spiegeleisen. These mines, owned and operated by the New Jersey Zinc Co., have produced more than 1,500,000 tons of zinc in the form of spelter and zinc oxide. The Edwards-Balmat district, in St. Lawrence County, New York, comprises an area two to three miles wide and fifteen miles long, of Pre-Cambrian limestone. The ore occurs in lenses and is a mixture of sphalerite, pyrite and a little galena with a gangue of dolomite. Separation is effected by magnetic tables. The typical ore contains: sphalerite, 25.5 per cent.; galena, 1.43 per cent.; pyrite, 12.4 per cent.; barite, 3.9 per cent. The ore reserves of the Northern Ore Co., the largest operator, are known to exceed one million tons.

Germany.

—Imperial Germany comprised most of one metallographic province of major importance, Silesia, and other districts ranking as follows: Upper Silesia; Rhenish Prussia; Westphalia; Saxony; Hanover; and Nassau.

The major part of the mineral province of Upper Silesia lay within the boundaries of Germany in 1914. Once it was part of the Kingdom of Poland, except for portions included in the old empires of Russia and Austria. The pre-war production of zinc ores from Russian Poland was entirely from this metallographic province. The deposits, which contain lead and zinc together, occur in Triassic formation overlying Carboniferous rocks that carry important seams of coal. This juxtaposition of ore and fuel has furnished an ideal basis for the great smelting industry that has been developed, and facilitates the smelting of low-grade ores. The ores are said to average 17 per cent. zinc and 5 per cent. lead. They come from two ore horizons. The lower is characterized by blende, with a little galena and marcasite; the upper or lead horizon comprises a very persistent sheet of galena 0.05 to 0.30 meters thick, which generally is underlain by red calamine. The blende deposits are extensive and will be productive for a long time.

In Rhenish Prussia, zinc ore (smithsonite) deposits are found in strata of Devonian age. These deposits are approaching exhaustion. The chief zinc deposits of Westphalia are in Devonian strata. The historic mines at Freiberg (Erzgebirge), in Saxony, produce a small quantity of blende from the concentration of galena ores. The blende carries considerable iron and silver and some of it contains traces of tin. These mines are controlled by the Saxon government.

A considerable quantity of blende ore is concentrated as a by-product in the dressing of the lead ore of the Upper Harz, Hanover. The ore of Rammelsberg, in the Lower Harz, occurs in a bed interstratified with lower Devonian slates and sandstones; it is an intimate mixture of blende, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and barite and some calcite and quartz. Zinc is produced as a by-product of lead ores in the valley of Lahn (Nassau), where a series of strong veins are found in Lower Devonian strata.

Australia.

—The zinc resources of the Commonwealth of Australia are chiefly in New South Wales and Tasmania. The former has been the chief source of zinc in the past, but the Tasmania deposits are now being rapidly developed and equipped for production.

The most important source of zinc ore in New South Wales is the great Broken Hill lode, where operations began in 1884. The country rock comprises crystalline schists and gneisses. Between the oxidized and primary sulphide ores was a thin zone of secondary sulphides. The early operations in the district were for lead, and immense dumps accumulated of zinc-bearing ores sorted out or of zinc-bearing tailings from the concentration of the lead ores. In 1903 these dumps were estimated at 5,687,400 tons carrying 18.6 per cent. zinc. With the development of demand for zinc sulphide ores and of oil flotation methods of separation and concentration these dumps became important sources of zinc concentrates, but many of them are approaching exhaustion. The sulphide ores are a close mixture of galena and zinc blende, carrying silver. There are two classes of these ores, distinguished as silicate-gangue ore, and calcite-gangue ore. The silicate gangue ore bodies carry rhodonite, garnet and quartz and are richer in zinc and silver than those of calcite gangue.

Eight mining companies are now at work. In the order of the importance of their output and ore reserves, these companies are: Broken Hill South Silver Mining Co.; Broken Hill North Mining Co.; Zinc Corporation; Sulphide Corporation; British Broken Hill Proprietary Co.; Broken Hill Proprietary Co., Block 10; and Broken Hill Proprietary Co., Block 14. The estimated ore reserves of all the mines approximate 12,000,000 tons.

The Broken Hill South Silver Mining Co. has ore reserves estimated at 3,350,000 tons, and is the largest producer. Broken Hill North, Amalgamated Zinc (de Bavay), Zinc Corporation, and Barrier South Ltd. are controlled by Govett and associates, a group of Australian capitalists. The Amalgamated Zinc Co. in 1913 treated 498,289 tons of tailings, obtaining 140,098 tons zinc concentrates, carrying zinc, 48.9 per cent.; also lead concentrates amounting to 1,584 tons, carrying 57.1 per cent. lead. The Zinc Corporation, a company formed by Bewick, Moreing Co., has ore reserves estimated at 1,504,211 tons, averaging 14.8 per cent. lead, 9.2 per cent. zinc, and 2.5 ounces of silver per ton. The mine of the Broken Hill Proprietary Co. is, according to last reports, nearly exhausted.

The principal deposits of Tasmania are those of the Primrose, Hercules, and Tasmania Copper Mines, all owned by the Mount Reed Rosebery Co., affiliated with the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Co. The state geological staff estimates reserves at 1,272,500 tons averaging 29.79 per cent. zinc, 8.89 per cent. lead, 12.16 ounces of silver and 0.17 ounces of gold per ton.

Italy.

—The zinc production of Italy is derived from the Iglesias district of Sardinia, and the Province of Bergamo. The Iglesias district is in the southeastern part of the island of Sardinia. The ores are oxidized and mostly worked by open pits. They are mined and milled by two Italian companies, Societa di Monteponi, and the Societa di Pertusola. The ores have usually been smelted in Germany, England or Belgium. The Bergamo mines, in the Province of Lombardy, are worked by the English Crown Spelter Co., which ships the ore to Swansea, Wales, for smelting.

Algeria.

—Algeria produced 82,256 tons of zinc ore in 1913. Of the 78,973 tons whose origin is known, 31 per cent. of the total was extracted by Belgian companies and the remainder was produced by French operators.

Japan.

—The only important zinc-producing district in Japan is the Province of Hida. The principal companies are the Osaka Zinc Mining & Smelting Co., Takata & Co., the Rhuara Mining Co., and the Mitsui Mining Co. The largest producer is the Kamioka Mine of the last named, which produces annually about 10,000 tons. The Osaka Mining Co. also produces from Korea (Chosen) about 15,000 tons of ore annually.

The annual smelting capacity in Japan, with all projected construction completed, is estimated at 300,000 tons of zinc ore, whereas the domestic output of ore is about 50,000 tons. The difference has been imported chiefly from Siberia, China, Tonkin and Australia. In the future it is expected that the foreign ores will come chiefly from China and Siberia. The domestic spelter production has reached about 60,000 tons annually and the domestic consumption 29,000 tons.

Spain.

—Zinc ores are produced in the provinces of Santander, Murcia, Tereul, Biscay and Guipuzcoa. The only district of importance is that of Santander, where there is a zinc smelter owned by the Compagnie Royale Asturienne des Mines (French). Some of the ore is smelted in France. Most of the Spanish ores are calamine and occur almost without exception in limestone. Eighty per cent. of the Spanish production comes from Santander and Murcia. In the latter the mines are worked primarily for lead.

Russia.

—The zinc output of the Russian Empire was derived from Russian Poland, eastern Siberia, the Altai Mountains in southwestern Siberia, and the northern Caucasus Mountains. The Polish deposits are part of the Silesian field. The ores are largely carbonates and silicates. Some of the mines and plants were owned by the Russian government, others apparently by French companies. In eastern Siberia, the Tyuticha mine has a calamine orebody containing at least 200,000 tons averaging 48 per cent. zinc. Some ore has come from the Ussurisk district. It is believed that the Mitsui Mining Co. has made arrangements to ship ores from this district to Japan for treatment.

In the Altai Mountains of southwestern Siberia the Ridder Mining Co., controlled by the Irtysh Corporation, Ltd., of London, has developed two large deposits on the same mineralized zone, with ore reserves estimated in 1917 at over 3,500,000 tons. The possibilities of this property are immense. The company has acquired the Ekibastus coal fields, constructed about 165 miles of railroad and provided river transport, thus bringing the ore and coal together at a smelting plant having a capacity of 15,000 tons lead and 5,000 tons spelter annually.

In the northern Caucasus Mountains, the Sadon mine, belonging to the Société d’Alagir (French), has been worked for a long time. The ores from this mine are smelted locally.

Other Countries.

—The zinc-ore production of France comes from several scattered districts. Of the 45,929 long tons reported in 1912, nearly all came from six mines which are all controlled by French capital with perhaps some Belgian participation.

The only important source of zinc in Greece is the famous Laurium deposit, which was worked in ancient times. The ancients, however, rejected, as far as possible, the zinc ores. These deposits are now controlled and operated by a French company, the Compagnie Française des Mines de Laurium, which also has reopened the ancient workings of Gebel Rosas, near the Red Sea, in Egypt.

The chief zinc mines of Sweden are the Ammeberg, the Rylls Wytland and the Sala. At the Sala immense piles of tailings made in centuries of operation, containing quantities of zinc, can now be treated, as well as zinciferous areas left in mining silver-lead ores. The important Ammeberg deposit consists of bands and lenses of disseminated blende in gneissoid granulite and is exploited by the Société de la Vieille Montagne (Belgian).

The zinc production of Mexico has come chiefly from the states of Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua and Sonora. Various zinc deposits have been worked in Nuevo Leon by German and American capital. Most of them are within 50 miles of Monterrey. Zinc-producing districts are scattered over the State of Chihuahua. In the Santa Eulalia district, El Potosi Mining Co., controlled by Americans, works the mine of the same name, which has carbonate ores to a depth of 1,700 feet. The Buena Tierra, in the same district, is controlled by British capital. The principal mines in the Parral district are owned by Americans and British companies, including the American Smelters Securities Co., American Zinc Extraction Co., and San Francisco Mines of Mexico, Ltd. (British). The Carnegie Lead & Zinc Co. owns the largest zinc mine in Sonora, located near Cananea. The Calumet & Arizona Co. and the Mexican Metal Co. own zinc deposits in the Arizpe district. All of these companies are American.

Zinc ores are produced in Austria in the provinces of Carinthia, Styria, Carniole, Tyrol and Galicia. The Raibl and Schneeberg mines of Carinthia are government owned, and the ores are smelted at the government works at Cilli. Tyrolean ores were shipped to Frankfort-on-Main and Aix-la-Chapelle. Styrian ores were shipped to Silesia and Rhenish Prussia for smelting.

The considerable production of calamine with some blende from Tunis is under French political and commercial control. The chief zinc ore producers appear to be French companies, in general paying a royalty of 5 per cent. of the net proceeds to the government of Tunis. The total production for 1916 was 12,544 tons.

Four districts of Indo-China produce zinc ores with an aggregate total annual output of about 46,000 tons.

The largest zinc mine in Great Britain is the Nenthead, in Cumberland, worked by the Société de la Vieille Montagne (Belgian). The second largest producer is the Carshield mine, in Northumberland. With the exception of the Nenthead mine all the important producers are, so far as known, owned and operated by British capital.

The chief mine in China is the Shui K’ou Shan, under control of the Hunan Board of Mines. Prior to the war this mine was dominated by German capital, which had provided machinery and shipped the product to Europe. Japanese have sought diligently and with partial success to secure control of this mine.

The chief zinc-mining district in Bolivia is Huanchaca, the production of which has recently decreased because of great quantities of water entering the workings. The largest operator is the Compañia Huanchaca de Bolivia, the capital and control of which is French. Its zinc production is incidental, the principal metal produced being silver.

The zinc production of Canada is chiefly from British Columbia, but a small amount is from Ontario and Quebec. The only production of any moment is from the southern part of British Columbia, where the Slocan district is of greatest importance. British, Canadian and American capital are largely interested. In 1915, the mines of the Slocan district were estimated by the management of the Trail smelter to be capable of producing 10,000 to 15,000 tons of ore carrying 40 to 45 per cent. zinc. Apparently this was in addition to the possible production from the Sullivan mine, owned by the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. (Trail smelter), which had proved reserves of 3,500,000 tons of galena-sphalerite ore. The principal mines of Ontario and Quebec produced 580 tons of zinc, or one-thirtieth of the production of Canada. These are operated at least in part by American capital, and the ores are smelted by the Zinc Co., Ltd., owned by Americans.

The chief deposits of India are those of the Bawdwin mines, located in the Northern Shan States (Burma). There was estimated December 31, 1917, 4,033,000 tons lead-zinc ore assaying 24.7 oz. silver, 27.4 per cent. lead, and 19.1 per cent. zinc. The essential constituents of the ores are galena and sphalerite with a little pyrite and chalcopyrite. The lead and zinc concentrates are available for the customary methods of smelting. A zinc-distilling and sulphuric acid plant is being constructed at Sakohi, with the aid of the Indian government, to treat the table zinc concentrate. The company operates a lead smelter at Nam-Tu, 11 miles from the mines. The Bawdwin deposits may be expected to be an important factor in the world’s production of zinc in the immediate future. They are owned by the Burma Mines, Ltd., an English corporation of the R. Tilden Smith-Govett-Hoover interests, in which some American capital is interested.

The only zinc deposit of note in Egypt is the Gebel Rosas, operated by the Compagnie Française de Laurium. This deposit is located near the Red Sea and was worked in ancient times.

The only deposit of importance in South Africa is the Rhodesia Broken Hill. The large ore bodies are, so far as developed, almost wholly oxidized. One ore body is estimated at 250,000 long tons, averaging 26 per cent. lead, 22¹⁄₂ per cent. zinc, and another at 300,000 long tons, averaging 32 per cent. zinc, with little lead, but much iron oxide and carbonate. They are controlled by British capital. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in developing a commercial treatment.

In Peru a French company, the Association Minière, has interests in the Compagnie des Mines de Huaron.