Political and commercial geology and the world's mineral resources

by Unknown

India is not a copper producer. The Rakha Hills mine of the Cape Copper Co. (see [Cape Colony]) has 400,000 tons of 4 per cent. copper ore developed and a smelter is being built. India is an enormous copper consumer, and it is surprising she has never been a producer.

EUROPE

Political and commercial control of much of the copper production of Europe is obviously uncertain in the extreme, as are any figures of production for the Central Powers and Russia. (See [Table 49].)

SPAIN, PORTUGAL, NORWAY AND SWEDEN

Spain is the oldest and steadiest producer of copper in the world. The chief deposits are controlled by English capital and their developed reserves insure present production for 30 to 60 years. The copper is largely refined to finished form in England and enters the market there under various brands. The Rio Tinto is an enormous deposit worked by open pits.

Table 50.—Production and Control of Copper in Europe

Country and chief localities in which copper is produced	Output 1916-1917 (metric tons)	Estimated output 1918-1919 (metric tons)		Estimated output 1918-1919 (pounds)	Control by:			Reserves of ore	Remarks
					Financial[126]	Political	Handling of sales
Germany
Mansfeld	30,000	30,000		...		Now entirely German			Output in future should not be nearly as large.
Mitterberg, etc.	10,000	10,000		...		Do
Austria-Hungary	10,000	10,000		...		Do
Serbia, Bor, etc.	10,000	10,000		...		Do
Turkey, Aghano, etc.	10,000	10,000		...		Do
Bulgaria and Roumania	1,000	1,000		...		Do
Total Central Powers (est.)	71,000	71,000		...
Spain and Portugal[127]	42,000	42,000		...					No statistics since 1914.
Mason & Barry	...	...		5,000,000	English	Portuguese	English	32 years’ supply
Rio Tinto	...	...		62,000,000	Do	Spanish	Do	Very large	60 years’ reserves known.
Tharsis	...	...		12,000,000	Do	Do	Do	Do
Misc. (United Alkali, Huelva, Cordoba, etc.)	...	...		11,000,000	Do	Do	Do	Do
Miscellaneous (Calva, Los Guardos, etc.)	...	...		3,000,000	Spanish	Do	Do	Do
Russia (See [Table 52])	18,500	18,000	?	...	?	?	?		1914 output 36,340 tons.
Norway[128] (Sulitolma 40 per cent.)	19,000	19,000		...	¹⁄₂ English and ¹⁄₂ Norwegian	Norwegian		Important	Like Spanish deposits.
Sweden	1,000	1,000		...	Swedish	Swedish	Swedish
Other countries
Italy	3,000	3,000		...	Italian	Italian	Italian		Some English capital.
France	1,000	1,000		...	French	French	French		French pyrite mines.
England	250	250		...	English	English	English		Tin mines.

[126] All companies have foreign stockholders, but dominant nationality is as indicated.

[127] Export copper to France and England in form of blister, alloys, cement, pyrite ore and copper ore.

[128] Export copper to England and Sweden chiefly in form of cupriferous pyrite.