SCHEELITE MINING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 February 1941, Page 2

SCHEELITE MINING

VALUE TO EMPIRE’S WAR EFFORT RETENTION OF MEN (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, 11th February. An indication of how important scheelite mining is to the Empire’s war effort and an idea of the activities of Macßae’s Flat Gold and Scheelite Company were given to the Armed Forces Appeal Board at its first sitting in Dunedin by the manager of the company, Mr H. P. Lew’is. The information was supplied w’hen an application for exemption from military service was made on behalf of a mining engineer employed by the company, the appeal being based on the grounds of public interest and undue hardship to the firm. “Scheelite is urgently required for the Empire’s w-ar effort.” Mr Lewis told the board, “and I have repeated requests from the Mines Department urging that the production of ore be raised to the highest point and that the men engaged on scheelite mining should be retained. Every ton of scheelite w r e can produce is urgently wanted by the Government, which is buying it on behalf of the Imperial Purchasing Board. From it tungstic acid is obtained and this is used for hardening steel for armour-plating. “Altogether about 1800 tons of scheelite has been mined at Macßae’s,” Mr Lewis added, “and in the past six months alone we have shipped 12 tons of treated ore for which w*e get £220 a ton. Our average assay in that period has been 66.7 per cent All this goes straight to the Government for war purposes, and we have just received a further urgent request for any ore on hand.” Mr Lewis w’ent on to outline the manner in w'hich the ore is obtained. The stone is mined underground, and after it is brought to the surface it is cradled and scheelite of a sufficiently high grade for shipping is picked off bj’ hand. Second grade ore is then selected and the quartz is napped from it to bring it to the required grade for shipping. The finer stuff is put through a screen, and is jigged on a sieve under water. Scheelite is very heavy and quartz and other impurities come to the top and are picked off.

“We have been carrying out important development work at the mine,” Mr Lewis added, “and it is hoped to secure good ore as a result.” The appeal was adjourned sine die.