A small output of asbestos from Natal has been reported for several years; however, the fiber is not high grade and an increase of production is not likely.
Important deposits occur in southern Rhodesia. The Southern Rhodesia Geological Survey reports that there is in sight several years’ supply for an output of 200 tons per month without going deeper than 60 feet. The “probable ore” supply is very great. It has been stated that the Rhodesian fiber is the only class of chrysotile asbestos that can compete successfully with the best grade of Canadian fiber.
Australasia.
—A chrysotile-bearing serpentine belt covers a considerable area in Queensland. A deposit occurs near Rockwell, South Australia. The Australia Asbestos Manufacturing Co. has produced a small amount of material similar to Italian asbestos. A small amount of chrysotile has also been found. A deposit of chrysotile prospected in New South Wales is claimed to have the longest asbestos fiber in the world. No production has been reported. In the Pilbarra district, West Australia, there is chrysotile asbestos of spinning grade which is said to be superior to either the Russian or Italian product. Some years ago a mine was worked to considerable depth by the Pilbarra Asbestos Co., of London, England, but in recent years the production has been almost negligible. In New Zealand chrysotile asbestos of spinning grade occurs in Nelson Province. The Australasian Asbestos Co., of Sydney, has recently prospected the serpentine belt of Tasmania, which contains both chrysotile and anthophyllite asbestos.
DEVELOPMENTS AND CHANGES IN DISTRIBUTION OF MINES
The United States leads all nations in the manufacture of asbestos products, and the large supply of asbestos in Quebec is readily available. There is, therefore, little prospect of any radical change in the geographical distribution of American asbestos mines. As there is always a possibility of such changes, however, it is well to consider the controlling factors.
As to the future of the Quebec deposits, the present source of supply, little definite information is available. The fact that serpentinization is a deep-seated process has led Canadian geologists to conclude that commercial fiber may be formed to the full depth of the original peridotite rock. For all practical purposes, however, the depth of the deposit is limited to the depth at which asbestos can be extracted profitably. One mine is now working at a depth of 300 feet and drill holes sunk 400 feet farther indicate a thickness of at least 700 feet of good fiber-bearing rock. Cirkel has stated that in one of the Black Lake quarries there is 44,377,500 tons of asbestos rock in sight above the railway tracks, ready for immediate exploitation. A deduction of 50 per cent. for waste rock would leave 22,000,000 tons of mill rock available, or enough to supply for 22 years a plant capable of producing 4,000 tons a day. As this includes only the visible ore it may be inferred that the reserve is very great. Cirkel estimates the total acreage of productive vein fiber as 12,420, of which 1,100 acres is under development at the present time. A geologist who spent two summers studying the geology of the region states that second-grade fiber is very abundant and that the high-grade deposits are not more than 25 per cent. exhausted. There is, therefore, no prospect for many years of any change in the geographical distribution of working mines through the exhaustion of present deposits.
During 1916 and 1917 the production of high-grade fiber in the United States grew steadily, but is still far from meeting domestic demands, as the total United States output in 1917 was only one-eightieth of the amount imported. The most important development has been in the high-grade chrysotile districts of Arizona, but these new deposits do not give promise of an abundant supply, and it is unlikely that they will constitute a dominating factor in American production.
Legislation may have a profound effect on the development of deposits. A high export duty placed on raw asbestos by a country now producing it in large quantities would have the effect of encouraging prospecting in other countries and the development of deposits that might supply substitute material. In this connection it is interesting to note that the Board of Trade of the eastern townships of Quebec proposed measures to protect the export of raw asbestos, in order to force the manufacture of asbestos products in Canada. The Canadian Mining Institute Bulletin (August, 1916) pointed out the dangers of such action, for other countries would immediately search for asbestos deposits elsewhere, and as good asbestos occurs in Russia, South Africa, Cyprus, and other localities, substitutes for Canadian material could probably be found. It is evident, therefore, that Canada does not control the supply, but that so long as Canadian fiber is available at reasonable prices there is no strong incentive for the development of new deposits.
In the Old World the situation is less stable than in America. European countries import considerable material from Canada, and the balance of their requirements is filled from various sources, chiefly from Russia, Cyprus, Italy, South Africa, and Australia. High-grade asbestos deposits exist in various countries and are for the most part developed to a small extent. The factors determining changes in production are somewhat different from those outlined for America. The lack of a strong central government greatly hampers production in any country. Thus under recent conditions in Russia the output fell from nearly 20,000 tons in 1913 to about 9,000 in 1916. Stabilized conditions and more efficient governments would tend to increase the output of several eastern countries. The most important factor contributing to the slow development of the Old World deposits is poor transportation. Russian asbestos for the English market has to pay transportation costs of $25 to $30 per ton. The important crocidolite deposits of South Africa are likewise hampered by poor transportation. Not only are the roads poor, but the most important deposits of Koegas are 18 miles from a traveled road, and other deposits are about 100 miles from roads. This drawback is offset to some extent by cheap labor.