The distribution of tungsten ores is far from being as wide as the distribution of the granitic rocks, and some regions with large areas of granite have almost no tungsten minerals. Among such regions are the Scandinavian peninsula, large stretches of Canada, the eastern United States, and Brazil.

The world’s known large tungsten fields are grouped along the shores of the Pacific Ocean—not always close to it, but somewhere in the great mountain masses paralleling its margin, and the western shore is much richer than the eastern shore. In 1918, fully 92 per cent. of the world’s tungsten came from the shores of the Pacific, 61 per cent. coming from Asia, Australia, and Oceania, and 31 per cent. from North America and South America. Eastern Asia alone furnished 56 per cent. There is only one considerable tungsten-bearing area not situated close to the Pacific, that of the Iberian Peninsula, mostly in Portugal but partly in Spain. Of the less than 8 per cent. not produced around the Pacific, that area yielded nearly 5 per cent. There are, of course, small deposits in England, Germany and other places near the Atlantic, but together they produce less than 3 per cent. of the world’s tungsten ores. The huge continent of Africa has only negligible known deposits; none of consequence are found on the borders of the Arctic, Antarctic or Indian oceans except along the narrow Malay Peninsula dividing the Indian and Pacific oceans, and only minor deposits are known in Siberia.

Considered as a single metallogenic province, the region making by far the greatest production is in southeastern Asia; it includes the Malay Peninsula, Burma, the Shan States, Siam, Tonkin, and southeastern China. The second largest producing metallogenic province is the Cordilleran, including Bolivia and the adjacent closely related areas of Peru, Argentina and Chile, to which the United States and Mexico would be a close third.[77] Portugal, Spain and Italy form the fourth province, to which are closely related the Cornish-French producing areas. Australia, including Tasmania, is next in importance and is a distinct province, practically all the ores being found in the ranges of the eastern side of the continent. Japan and Korea also form a rather distinct province which may continue into Manchuria. Mexico, as has been indicated, should be included in the same province as the western United States. There are numerous small more or less isolated areas, like Connecticut, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, etc., that are at present of little importance and give no promise of future greatness.

[77] It may be quite justly objected that the idea of a metallogenic province is considerably stretched to include the Boulder and Black Hills deposits with those of the southwestern states and Mexico, but for convenience they are here so grouped—with a frank confession of the license taken.

PRODUCTION BY COUNTRIES

The world’s production of tungsten ores by metallogenic provinces and political areas is shown in the following table:

Table 28.—The World’s Production of Tungsten Ore, 1913 to 1918, by Metallogenic Provinces and Political Areas[78]
In short tons (2,000 pounds) of concentrates containing 60 per cent. WO3.

Province and area191319141915191619171918
Africa
South African province:
Rhodesia4......21237
Union of South Africa.........1919
4......32156
Asia
Chino-Malayan province:
Burma1,8912,6052,9634,1665,0184,919
China.........[79]120[79][80]1,500[80]11,662
Dutch East Indies (Billiton and Singkep)71752[81]61[81]61
Federated Malay States[80]252[80]292[80]326578794398
French Indo-China (Tonkin)[80]101119220183422[82]450
Siam...301475584800[82]800
Unfederated Malay States:
Johore[80]......22521
Kedah32271419139582
Trengganu[80]94160161303225691
Indian province:
India (excluding Burma).........476945
Japo-Korean province:
Chosen (Korea)......74613992[82]1,102
Japan272215411770808[79]651
2,6493,7204,6537,46010,83021,362
Australia
Australian province:
New South Wales[80]191[80]220[80]93[80]296[80]274[79]325
Northern Territory[79]217159366401427614
Queensland402270468415406298
South Australia.........1......
Tasmania7653106119270416
Victoria1...161254
Western Australia[80]11...415
8887031,0491,2371,4031,662
Europe
Erzgebirgan province:
Austria5762[82]75[82]150[82]150[82]150
Germany[80]318[82]100[82]150[82]351[82]200[82]200
Franco-Cornish province:
England204229370441270338
France301[82]200[82]200[81]182[81]182[81]182
Iberian province:
Italy.........91...
Portugal1,2417351,0291,5631,742[82]1,300
Spain1861492084684914,741
Russian province:
Russia.........36[79]108[82]150
Scandinavian province:
Norway34...1[82]10[82]10
2,3101,4792,0323,2013,1547,071
North America
American province:
Alaska......([83])473212
United States1,5379902,3325,8766,1125,056
Canadian province:
Southeastern Canada...............13
Southwestern province:
Mexico.........13207165
1,5379902,3325,9366,3515,246
Oceania
Oceanic province:
New Zealand[80]248228217298181190
South America
Brazilian province:
Brazil.........[80]7......
Cordilleran province:
Argentina[80]6794992019631,251724
Bolivia[80]3393309473,6244,6464,082
Chile......102......
Peru357235455587471295
1,3751,0641,6135,1836,3685,101
Total9,0118,18411,89623,31828,30840,688

[78] Figures unaccompanied by footnote references are taken from official sources or other authentic publications. In all cases the original quantities have been reduced to their equivalent in concentrates containing 60 per cent. WO3.

[79] Figures partly official and partly estimated by the United States Geological Survey.