—In European Russia[37] the principal deposits of iron ore are distributed over four chief districts: Ural Mountains, central Russia, southern Russia and the Caucasus.
[37] Bogdanowitsch, K.: “The Iron Resources of the World,” Stockholm, 1910.
In the Ural Mountains for the greater part the ores are associated with igneous rocks. The most important deposits are in the neighborhood of Gora Blagodat, in the northern Ural regions, and near Gora Mongnitnaja, in the southern Urals. The ores are mainly magnetite and limonite and come from an extremely large number of small mines. In central Russia, over widely scattered areas, are deposits of calcareous ores, clay ironstones, and bog ores. Many of the deposits are thin and can not be profitably worked. The only reserves in southern Russia of any importance are divided among three centers: Krivoi-Rog, the Donetz basin, and the Kertsch peninsula. By far the most important deposits are the magnetite-hematite ores in the region of Krivoi-Rog. The ironstones of the Coal Measures in the Donetz basin and the limonite of the Kertsch peninsula are of secondary importance. The mines of Krivoi-Rog are extensively worked, and their reserves are estimated at some 86 million tons of commercial ore. The mines are controlled mainly by the following three companies: the Briansk company; Krivoi-Rog Iron Ore Co.; and the Providence company.
The following table shows the production of iron ore in different parts of Russia in 1912:
Table 18.—Output of Iron Ore in Russia
| Long tons | |
|---|---|
| Southern Russia | 5,679,000 |
| Ural | 1,817,000 |
| Central Russia | 286,000 |
| Other Russia and Siberia | 6,000 |
| Total | 7,788,000 |
The ore reserves of Russia may be summarized by districts as follows:
Iron-Ore Reserves in Russia
| Millions of tons | |
|---|---|
| Ural | 282 |
| Central Russia | 789 |
| Southern Russia | 536 |
| Caucasus | 14 |
| Total | 1,621 |
Eckel[38] reviews the iron-ore situation in Russia as follows: