The Thetford-Black Lake area is the important area of Quebec and now the most productive asbestos district of the world. In 1917 there were 17 active mines in the district. In 1918 the quantity of rock mined was 2,445,745 tons, and the total asbestos production was 159,225 tons, valued at $9,053,945. The Broughton and the central and eastern Thetford areas are mainly slip-fiber asbestos. The West Thetford, South Ireland, and North Coleraine Township deposits constitute the vein-fiber belt which yields the high-grade spinning asbestos that has a world-wide reputation.
Serpentine rocks bearing chrysotile asbestos are reported near Port au Port, in Newfoundland, probably representing a continuation of the Quebec belt. The possibility of commercial development is uncertain.
Mexico, Central and South America.
—Asbestos deposits have been reported in Brazil, but aside from this no commercial deposits have been noted in South America.
There is no record of asbestos deposits in Mexico or in Central America.
Europe.
—The asbestos deposits of Russia probably rank next to those of Canada. The principal mines are 57 miles north of Ekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains. The quarries can be worked only from May to November in each year. Transportation is over the Perm Railroad, and the output is exported via Riga. The fiber is of the same type as the Canadian, a chrysotile asbestos, chiefly of the cross-fiber type. The richest ore yields 42 to 55 pounds of asbestos per cubic yard. Production has also been reported by the South Urals Asbestos Co., operating in the Orsk district, in Orenburg. Russian asbestos is said to be harsher than Canadian and less suitable for spinning, but a great deal of high-grade fiber has been produced and Russia is likely to be an important future source of asbestos.
The asbestos of Italy is of the anthophyllite variety. There are three main districts: the Susa Valley deposits, near the French border, which lie 6,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level and are, therefore, not readily available; the Aosta Valley deposits, of wide extent, with long-fibered, strong, and soapy product; and the deposits in Lombardy, also of great extent. Italian asbestos may be used to some extent as a substitute for Canadian fiber, or to mix with it, but the supply of high-grade fiber is not great, and it is more difficult and expensive to work than the Canadian material. The United Asbestos Co., of London, England, is the largest producer.
Large deposits of asbestos are known on the island of Cyprus. The material is derived from serpentine and is of the amphibole anthophyllite type. Much of it is short-fibered but some of it can be used to mix with Canadian fiber.
Good spinning asbestos has been noted in central Finland but production up to the present time is almost negligible.