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BOARD OP lOCMIIie HARFARE ^
3/i-/)oT
WLSHWOTOW. D.C.
In reily refer toi
OI-3-i
JWE
Pob. 24, 1943
hlxtai an-
TOi Morris Rosenthal, Assistant Director
FRCUi
Alan H. Bataan, Chlaf, Metals k lllaarala Division
SUBJECT i Hstala & Minarala Division Progross Rsport For January 1943
MOTEi Tbs figures on contract doliveriss .and unfilled balances are as reported by the R.P.C. Our cm records, however, indicate that the R.P.C. reports are Incomplete and that the aaounts shorn so delivered represent only notarial assayed and aooepted for payment by R.P.C. No regular re ports of arrivals are aada by the R.P.C. although these would antedate acceptance by respective accounting departments from two to six weeks. (We are working on establishing a nore complete and up to date reoord.)
MAJOR .BASE METALS SECTION
URC Foreign Contracts Position as of January 28, 1943
Deliveries in January
In Transit
Balance of Contracts
COPPER Refined Matte Ore
(IT) (ST) (ST)
'36,200 1,200 10,607
-
m
179,427 -
209,243
LEAD Relxnea Bullion (Are
(ST) (ST) (ST)
17,103 -
15,010
11,208 -
11,513
259,699 300
140,459
ZINC
Finished
(ST)
C.-rrcertretms (ST>
11,572 4C,873
19,020
70,672 484,730
COPPK - HtC rsportod'an increase of 20Jt above the 1942 average in re ceipts of copper-bearing material. Stooks an'docks increased slightly,
but on the whole movement- of eoppor eas regular.
Contract negotiations are under ray for the Katanga production, calling
far tbs da11vary of 60,000 long tona bataaan July 1944 and Deceabar 1946. A latter of intent m signed by the Union Ulnlara and IRC.
The Washington olna, Maxioo, will atart production about April 1, and 600 tooa por year ahould ba available fren thia aource.
Contract negotiations aara begun with the Santa Elena alno, Bern, for production of 1000 abort tona par annua. .
The Division ia working with the State Department todetermine a baa la
for the allocation of Chilean copper to the various South American
countries.
, ..
WUCR BASE METALS SECTION
t .
,
IRC rorolgn Contracts.Position as of January 20, 1943
Deliveries in January
In Transit
Balance of Contracts
ANTLKWY Rogulus Ores
lERCURf
(ST) (ST)
(Flasks)
5,392
-
4,375
20,604 . 12,742
1C,434
rm
Ro fined
(IT)
900
1,150
45,490
Ore (LT)
-
m
169,597
BAUXITE
(LT)
1,224
10,051
270,523
AFTMONT - An agreement was roached and contracts will shortly be signed for. the Mexican antimony produced at the Laredo plant of the Toxas Mining and faulting Company.
Negotiations ccntinuo with Ilsuricio Hoehachild and the Banco Minero far axtanaion of th Bolivian antimony contract.
BAUXITE - Negotiations were bogun for tho purohasa of sotao 2,000 tons of bauxite available in North Africa.
hJIC'JP.l' -
1V4j delivery were concluded with tho Consolidated
Mining k Saalting Coopsny of Canada--:far a minimum of 15,000 flasks, and
with the PanamlnM Company of ftira--far. 1,Q00 flaaka. A nuabor of short*
ton contraota word also algnod with Maxloan produoon.. .
TIN - The contract for the production of tho sur <lua cm alterit# froo tho Belgian Congo la boing nogotlated. Contlnuod offorte aro being node to eoeure aoTlwai production of thoao high-grade concentrate*, and to nako then available to the Toxm City smeltor.
Mexican oporatora submitted contract* Involving about 600 tons of tin motal, but accoptanoo of these contracts iu held up, ponding agroaaont on the labor Clause.
MAJOR FERRO ALLOC SECTION
MRC 7orolgn Contracts Position as of January 2C, 1943
Delivcrioe in January
In Transit
Balance of Contracts
CHROME ORE IPON CRE MANGANESE
(LT) (IT) (LT)
32,431 -
33,009
101,000 -
32,607
836,202 ' 2,250,000
499,817
NICKEL Matte
Contont of Matte
(LT) (LT)
096 per so. for duration -
4,703
CHROiS - It ni docidod to olinln&to all imports of choolcal-grade chrome. Shipping on Botallurglcal grade will probably bo roducod from 500,000 to 300,000 tons for tho yoar. If conauaption of Botallurglcal grade chrooo oontinuos at the 1942 rate, a doficlt of approximately 127,000 will hevo
to bo drawn lYon eurront stocks.
UANCANESE - The shipping allocation far manganosa will probably bo greatly curtailod. If the roduction froo 1,350,000 to 600,000 tons goo* through,
will havo to tli-a* oi. ..Leuka ut thu ratv of 400,eOC toiia ^i year and will huvo to axpomd our foreign storage facilities.
MJKCSl FSRRO ALLOTS SECTION
iRC Foroign Contracts Position as of January 28, 1943
Dolivorios in January-
In Transit
Balance of Contracts
C024U
(LT) 69 -
4,963
U.LYBXH014 (Chllo) (MX)
SB
258
34
TUNGSTEN ORE
(ST)
770
1,930
52,578
VANADIUM Concentrates (Lbs.) Lead Yandotc Ores "
720,000 699,900
es (Contract for production 4, IX,000
'r
rr. /
COBALT - Luring tho aonth 1,314 tons of cobalt ore were liftod froa North Afrioan porta for V, S. account. A balanco of.about 2,500 tona roalna at porta and nin>;* and will bo shipped toon.
- v IUUHDEJCK - Our poaltlon la atlll critical. Stooka dooroaaod steadily during 1942--fFon 20;613,000 to 21,578,000 lbs. ,, Field examinations cocplotod during tho. aonth failod to show any poaaiblo non aourcoa. The Pnta'co llino in Coohuila, lloxico, aay com into production in February and nay yiold an additional 100,000 lba. a year.
TJi'GETEN - An agrocaont v&a rcachod with Hoohaohild and a contract was proaqntod, calling for an incroaao to 81,000,000 in tho advonco far the Bolaa Dogra Hino. Tho aacndod oontract colla for a guaranteed production of 25,000 unita free July 1, 1944 to July 1, 1945, and 60,000 units oach yoar thoroaftor until a total of. 265,000 unita haa boon rouehod.
Contract diacuaaiona wore held nth tho Patino interests, calling for Ineroaaod production at tho Kami mine. Agroonont was roachod on all points, but one--the Patinos have so far doolinod to accept tho labor Cl-uso.
VANADIUM - As a direct reault of BET's offarts, a largo incroasc in production la untioipatod at tho Abonab nine, Sauthnost Africa. Reports woro received frost Um Durham and A. C. Barrott which show that up to 400,000 lba. should bo avallnblo froo this sourco during 1943, oo against 135,000 in 1942.
UX Foreign Contracts Position as of January 2C, 1943
Dolivcrlos in January
In Transit
Balance of Contracts
AiWMhAV Refined
(ST)
1,009
-
2,791
BISiLTH TAITALTTE
(Lbs.) (Lba.)
-
- 225,840 m 202,974
AiebmMC - Bocauso of
opening up dT tho Cold Kill, Utah, deposits wo
hu.-o r:-1 = r'r.irri *V U* rd
preJoct In Canada, This is a high-cost
production projoet and wot\ld hovo required a largo amount of oquipnont
from tho U. 8.
The Boattlo Qold Uinos aro continuing thoir uxporlaor.ts before signing tho contract for apprcKlnatoly 2,000 tona of orsonic. It-la oxpootod that this production eon bo aaaurod and that tho oontroot will bo signed during Fobruory.
4
BZSiUTH - Our efforts to otiaulato production at Corro do Poaco will thaw as ineroaao for January of about $0,000 lba, (Monthly average far 1942 was 70,000 lba.) A eurtoilaont of British roquiroaonta is corpeotod. which should bring our allocation fri this source during
1943 .to 600,000 lbs.
A no* prico shoodulo was authorised far Bolivia in an effort to stimu late production, Horover, it was found that bccauso of iapurltics in tho oro a noro favorablo suoltor sehcdulo will havo to bo arranged,
%
A contract was concluded far a snail tonnage of concontratos in Mexico. Our nlssion is investigating tho do'osit*.
nP3 suoooodud in gotting tho Amy to roduoo its roquiroaonts ostinatc for bisnuth salts by over 1,000,000 lbs., and lssuod an industry allo cation ardor during tho aonth. Howovor, doapitc strict curtnilhonta, allocations aro still far in oxcoss of curront production,
TAt/TALITE - Arrangements for soouring Australian production under re verse lend-loose noro concluded,
Tho first shipment from Nigeria, 1,130 lbs,, tostod batter than 65$ Ta205, Production trm this source for tho year is ostimatod at 15 to 20 tons. Tho iigerian Production Board is arranging to supcrviao oper ations and will install a control troataont plant in ardor to insuro roxlnta dolivorius to tho U. G. Saco oquipount will bo providod.
The Uganda Ocological Survey, in chargo of all tontalito projoots thoro, has guaranteed tho grado of oro to bo shippod to tho U. S. Production for tho yoar will be around 15 to 20 tons and tho grado of oro will probably run 45$ to 50$.
UgHgAttlP KflTTAt? ggCTjpy
KRC foroign Contracts Position as of January 28, 1943
Dolivorios in January
In Transit
Balance of Contraots
Rmn (crr)
care; hduu
f tfan 1 * l tt -.4 * *\
* r,sL. t
(W) (LT) i * >
601 3,911
472 723 0,490
2,702 9,804 20,161
PUJCRS^P
(ST)
Metallurgical Orado
Acid Grado
-
40,000 m 10,000
GRAPHITE
Off)
175
525 10,618
k*\'
P
rf
V
r
c- - 6
Deliveries in January
Ii.TWSTRIAL DIAMONDS (Carats)
Braail
10,993
Congo (Crushing Bart) 600,000
Congo a(Di.a..m...o..n..d....M..u..t.o...r.i.a...l.s...). -
In Transit 20,681
Balaneo of Contracts
900,000
Hia
Block Splittings
(Lbs.) 333,544 (Lbs.) 911,C06
428,846 1,151,371
867,783 5,923,588
QUARTZ CRYSTAL
(Lbs.) 82,364
99,064
ASBESTOS - Tho eontracts far Rhodesian chrysotilo and bluo asbestos
wero dolivurod to IRC far ratification.
f
Fuiluro to obtain oquipnent priorities Bade it necessary to abandon a Vcnotuolan projoot which would have yioldod 300 to 500 tons por year.
BCRYL - Tho 1943 production ostisato of 3,500 tons of beryl from north* cast Brasil and a possible additional 500 tons froa nowly opened daposits in Minns Coraos was raaffiraod.
Shipping improved greatly, bringing IRC stockpile at tho end of tho nonth to 700 tans, as against 200 tans at tho boginning of tho nonth.
A nor; sourco of boryl was ro ort.id in Hosaabiquo, which -aay yiold 200 tons per year. A small supply v*cs ready far ianediato shipment aqd wo
oxpoct to ostablish a reasonable price--{>6.75 por short ton unit, f.o.b. Lcronio Norquos.
T/o rccoivod word froa Argontlna cf substantial ocouaulations of low* gredo beryl, representing discord froa stondord-grodo ore solection. No ostiante can as y.t U, made of possible production, but a 300 lb. sarplo is bn the way end will be given frotn-flotation test.
CRYOLITE - Tho contract vrlth Pennsylvania Salt Ufg, Co. calling for 55,000 tons of cryolite ore froa Greenland was extonded froa Feb. 1, 1943, to Dec. 31, 1943. To date about 35,000 tons have boon purchased against this contract, leaving a balaneo of 20,000 to be acquired in 1943.
MRbNDEM - Duo largely to sinkings, arrivals of oarundua averaged only
352 long tons pur nonth during 1942, or tram 30* to 40* bolow require ments.
Wo arranged far tho purchase of 180 tons of crystal corundua fton Rho* dosia, with doliverios to avorqgo about 20 tans por nonth.
7*
A 60 lb. soaplo of corundum cro was shipped by nir fros Madagascar, and a EEff mission, which will loavo shortly, will investigate all sauroos there.
Arrangements wore wado for tho testing of sasplos from Karachi, India, and from Canada. No information is as yet availablo on tho Karachi sourco, but tho Canadian samplo is from mill tailings which arc cstiotod to yiold about 3,000 tons,
FUJGRSFAR - No roooivod an offer of high-grado motallurgical fluorspar from South Africa and a contract was proparod, calling for 6,000 to 12,000 long tens--^olivorios to bo eamplotod boforo Fob, 29, 1944. We succoodod in gotting a shipping allocation of 10,000 long tons for this material, with a rating of A-4. In ardor to allow for this additional shipping, tho allocation for Newfoundland metallurgical grodo woo ehangod from 20,000 to 15,000, with an lnprovod rating, howovor, of A-4 as against B-3. Tho shipping allocation for Newfoundland acid grodo was also rovisod--from 15,000 to 5,000 long tons and from B-3 to B-l.
Information wrs roooivod that about 5,000 tons was being shipped from Spain in a Spanish vcssol.
GRAPHITE - It woe dooidod during tho month that tho ontirc etodk from Madagascar (about 12,000 tens) bo shipped to tho U. S. Sinco Unitod Kingdom requirements will bo roshippod from hero, shipping quotas will havo to bo rovisod, as quotas ostablishod last November provided far U. S. roquiromonts only.
INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS Further stops wore tnkon in sotting up a purchas ing mission for Vunosuola.
An additional 600,Q00 carats of crushing berts woro rocclvod from London during tho month, bringing deliveries to 3,600,000 against our .contract for 4,500,000.
Our purchases in Brasil during tho month amountod to 3,1*4 carats.
KXANfTS Stocks on band at tho baginning of tho month totalod 9,443 short tons~a^.prw:laatoly a fiftoon month supply at tho present rate of ullucaU.=u, Increases in industrial consumption, however, aro oxpoctod to bring allocations during the lattor part of the yoar to an annual rate of 9,000 abort tons.
nw expuot U
Uns irom India during 1943, which will
oaslly moot cur maximum roquiromonts of 8,000 tons for stookpilo and
supplios lew* industry during tho yoar. A contract for 5,000 tens was
slgnod botnoon IRC and Charles Taylor k Sons Co.
-6
MCA - Latost CRJ3 ostuntos of U. 5. roqulraaenta are put a; 5,800,130
lbs., but the total way bo revised dor.mmrd. United Kingdom requirements
far tho first quarter of 1943 are put at 435,000 lbs... or about 1,740,000
lbs. for tho year.
I
Figures recoivod drring tho stanth shonod Docombcr shipments from Brail 1
of 201,C52 lbs., shipments far tho last quarter of 1942 wsro 502,445 lbs.
Production for tho first quarter of 1943 is ostimatod at 550,000 ll>s.,
but any bo higher If development berk is not seriously haaporod by tho
rainy soosen. Tho first arrival of additional mining oquipaent was re-
portod.
.
A contract for J^ruvion mica was submlttod to Graco L Co. This provides for a 150,000 dovolopaont fund, to bo used for odvoncos to mine operators against mioa dolivsries and to enable thorn to proeood promptly with cxploitaton. Ur. O'NolU rotumod to Poru to oxpegito ihc opening of the
Qdilco field.
A dovolopaont fund of &50,000 vr.s also set up far gonoral ninorals stinulat.an in Quatoaala. Of this amount, b10,000 is allocated for mica t*e> volopo.nt work.
Q JtlZ - ffo succcodod lri running dorm a report of quartz possibilities in Australia which may Trove on Important new eourco. Conferences with tho Hon York ropr&aontativo of on Australian radio manufacturing coapcny dloelosod -that they had rooponod soao bid molybdomim-blsauth workings * from which thoy cxpoct a production of 1,000 lbs. of high-grado crystals per month, with an additional 2,000 lbs. of usablo radio-grado to bo rosovorod from old discards. B3? roprosontatives lnvostigntod on tho spot md reported that production of rndio-grcdo crystals could bo oxpondod to 10 to 15 tons a month through a nnxtrum expenditure of f.250,000. Indicat-'ens are thrt tho Australian Government would uelcoeo U. S. aid on tho projoct, but tho question of Jurisdiction rust bo doteralnod first.
Tho matter was rofurred to tho Iritish Embassy hero.
A BEN onglncor left for Ouatcmala vith a full sot of quarts inspection . *quipae..t, _nd it is expected that with bettor method of selection we nay secure some radio-grade quarts free sovoral sourcos thoro.
rogress is boing modo on tho Brasilia!), despite difficulties in obtain ing equipment and shipping priorities. Rrioritlos t;oro sccurod for equip ment totaling '1,000,000 end deliveries are couing to docks rt an accolerat.-d ratt>. Tho insprct-ion l-.boratory is beginning to function rith roasw^blu cltlcloney and should Soon inprovo tho genoral quality of shipments,
'* .
i
6P0DJ1CHE IRC agreed to tho noccssity of purchasing forolgn lithium
ar s. As a rosult, all avallablo feroign sourcos will bo tapped.
r *
V*
About 1L0 tom of spoduB.-nc '.rare purchased frou Argentina and 100 tons of uublygoitilo nill be shipp.d fror. Brasil. Contract n^cotiat'ana arc under ny for -odunono free on Australian source, rith a Monthly pro* duet'.cn of about 90 tons.
Because of the critical status of lithiun minerals, MIC ncs directed to purchase oublygonitc end to accept louor grade spoduncno--5? LijO content. Tbo original diroctiTo includod only s toduneno, and spooifiod lithiun
oontont of t&.
STROITTJM - Shipoonts free Mexico incroascd sononhat during tho month and stocks at tho sonant aro onplo.
ho additional ohlpnents of oolostito have boon rooclvod frou Spain, bo*
y-nd tho 1,338 tons lost roported, although 600 tons noro roportod at the
dock in llantril,
t
TALC Efforts to devolop nerr sources of lr.vn-grodo talc have boon un
successful and i.o are still dopondont on India for 35 tons por nonth (tluir naxinuu anticipated production). This amount however, docs not pc:rult acciuaulrtion of a stockpile, ibr. J. ii. Morris, BET' engineer, is expected to leave shortly far India end Chine, end uill offer technical assistance to Indian producers, in an effort to atJauloto production.
During tho ninth purchased 170 not tons of non-ferrous scrap n-tals fren i.ruba and Cuba.
V'e issued directives for th; purchase of 35,000 gross tons of scrap iron end steel fron tho following countriest Quatouala, British Hon duras, El rolvndnr, Australia, Haiti, Doninican Ho xiblie, British Guiana, Dutch Quiana, French Ouiana, and tho Union of South Africa. In addition, tu also node s jot purciioseo of scrap iron and stool onounting to 7,000 tons.
Iffvccivu January 31, the rPB vithdrou our scrap diroetivo. further' ccrap .jure acco r:ore thcr-far.- suspended as of that date, pend, ng an ad juntnnt of tho situation.
P*-iiv: h<' ** h o' Jarorry, SL2 *vrt License* ucto obtained for 59 ul.nos in various aouth American oountri.s and ILxioo.
Four i'on reoolvod their final training es administrative officers of In. Control Distriots end two of thoa left *<* South Anerloa during th* tenth i.ith it*. Patoneaux, oho uill sv.pcrviso tbo organisation of those districts. The V'PB's (fining Branch granted first-quarter quotas of equipiunt an supplies totaling $146,350 far the distrluts at Poru, Bolivia, Chile end Brasil,