Table 52.—Copper Production and Ore Reserves of Russia
(All figures long tons)
| District | Company | Original investments made by: | 1913 production | 1915 production, (estimated) | Ore reserves (developed) | Copper in ore reserves (per cent.) | Remarks | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urals | Kyshtim | British | 7,000 | 7,600 | 3,150,000 | 2.75 | Obtains gold as by-product. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Bogoslovsk | Do | 4,300 | 4,100 | ... | ... | Ore hard to follow; excellent possibilities. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Sissert | Do | 1,100 | 1,500 | 5,000,000 | (2³⁄₄)-4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Tanalyk | Do | 600 | 600 | 126,000 | ... | Developing into a gold rather than a copper deposit. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Verch-Isselz | Russian | 3,000 | 2,500 | large reserves | 2-3 | Massive pyrite ore. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Nishni Tagilsh (Demidov) | Do | 2,000 | 1,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Urals total | 18,000 | 17,800 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Caucasus | Caucasus Copper Co. | British | 5,500 | 3,000 | 3,600,000 | 3 | Mines at Khot Eli and Katar. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Allah Verde | French | 2,000 | 700 | ... | ... | Industrial & Metallurgical Co. of Caucasus. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Siemens Co. | Russian | 1,500 | 800 | ... | ... | Mines at Tcherek and Kedabeck. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Caucasus total | 9,000 | 4,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Siberia | Spassky | British | 4,756 | 3,450 | 543,000 | 10.7 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Miscellaneous | Do | 734 | ... | ... | Development companies, see below. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Irkysh (Ridder) | Do | (New) | ... | 2,300,000 | 5 | 1,000,000 low-grade ore also in reserves. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Russian Mining Co. | Do | 410 | ... | 500,000 | 2.6 | Ore carries other metals. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Alexeieff Co. | Do | 377 | ... | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Do | Russo-Asiatic Corporation | Do | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Siberia total | 5,553 | 4,184 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russian chemical works | 1,358 | 811 | Ouchkoff, Kreiners, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand total Russia | 34,911 | 27,295 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Russia has always been in large part dependent on foreign copper and there was a tariff premium on domestic production. It is likely that ultimately Russia may more nearly be self-supporting as regards copper requirements, even if consumption increases greatly. [Table 52] shows the important developed properties, their production in 1913 (maximum) and in 1915 (estimated), their developed ore reserves, and the nationality of original capital that made the developments possible.
SUMMARY
Copper, the red metal, is surpassed only by gold and silver in malleability and by silver alone in electrical conductivity. Next to iron it is industrially the most important of all metals, as its value per pound is much greater than that of lead or zinc, and the world requires and consumes much greater quantities of copper, lead, and zinc than of any other non-ferrous metals.
The uses of copper are many, but the electrical industry is the largest consumer. Brass, bronze, and other copper alloys are second in importance. A considerable quantity of copper sheets, tubes and other wares are used outside of the electrical industry. Copper is used in coinage, and in China it is the money standard of the working population.
The United States, producing a major part of the world’s copper, has also been responsible for financing and developing more successful copper mines abroad than any other country. Success has been facilitated by the presence in the Western Hemisphere of the world’s chief copper deposits and also by the advances in mining, milling and metallurgy that have been in great measure the work of United States engineers. England and Japan control considerable copper production, but it is small compared to that controlled by the United States.
In the consumption of copper Germany is a big factor. Because of this fact, German interests and international metal houses have in the past secured a considerable control over copper supplies through refining and selling contracts with mining companies. Such control is based entirely on refining and selling companies and does not extend to ownership of producing mines, and only to a small degree to ownership of smelters.
Chile, Mexico, Canada, and the Belgian Congo should become of increasing importance as copper producers not only because of known reserves but, in the case of Canada and Mexico particularly, because of the likelihood of new and important discoveries. The position of the United States, including Alaska, should be maintained as at present, neither gaining nor losing as compared to the rest of the world.