Table 47.—Shipments to the United States in 1917
| Grade Shipped | Shipments (tons) | Copper content (pounds) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otavi to New York | Ore (12 per cent.) | 3,900 | 1,048,000 |
| Messina to New York | Ore (45 per cent.) | 703 | 715,000 |
| Do | Matte (45 per cent.) | 306 | 310,000 |
| Cape Copper to New York | Concentrates (55 per cent.) | 375 | 460,000 |
| 5,284 | 2,533,000 | ||
| Katanga | Blister | ... | 5,437,000 |
| Total | 8,000,000 |
AUSTRALASIA
Copper production in Australasia is not now increasing. In recent years the production (metric tons) has been as follows:
| 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16,600 | 22,900 | 37,592 | 32,512 | 35,000 | 38,100 |
Formerly German metal buying and refining companies controlled the Australian copper output (as that of lead and zinc) by virtue of refining and selling contracts. Hence the year 1914 brought disorganization to Australian mining. War-profits taxation on Australian mines has been severe; and government aid, formerly granted, has been largely withdrawn. Lack of labor, inability of new properties to obtain railroad connections, and absence of government encouragement to prospecting, have retarded the copper industry since August, 1914. Aside from former German control based on selling and refining contracts, all Australian copper mining is and has been under British control. The properties are owned by British and Australian capital and present refining and selling arrangements will prevent the German metal companies from again getting any foothold in the field. All former contracts with German agencies were abrogated. The government took this phase of the matter in hand, and one step was to purchase the entire production of Australia for the first half of 1918 at £106 to £108 per ton.
The Australian copper situation in 1917 is exhibited in the table following:
Table 48.—Production of Copper and Refining Plants in Australia in 1917
| Chief mines | Production, 1917, (long tons) | Refineries | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland: | |||
| Mount Morgan | 8,000 | [123] | Port Kembla plant, Electrolyte Refining & Smelting Co., Ltd. |
| Hampden Cloncurry | 8,000 | [123] | Capacity, 29,000 tons electrolyte copper per annum; 12,000 tons fire-refined copper per annum. |
| Other Cloncurry district mines | 4,000 | [123] | Mount Elliott completed refinery at Bowen, Queensland, in 1917; capacity 10,000 tons refined copper. |
| South Australia: | |||
| Wallaroo & Moonta | 7,000 | Wallaroo & Moonta smelter, Bowen, Queensland; capacity increased from 7,000 to 10,000 tons per annum. | |
| Tasmania: | |||
| Mount Lyell | 5,000 | Ships to Port Kembla. | |
| New South Wales: | |||
| Great Cobar | 2,500 | [123] | |
| C. S. A. and Mt. Hope, etc. | 2,250 | ||
| West Australia and Papua: | |||
| New pyrite ore bodies of promise opened | 1,250 | ||
| 38,000 | |||
[123] Ores mined are primary, consisting of chalcopyrite and chalcocite. Secondarily enriched ores near the surface have been entirely mined out.