C—2

18

V. MINERALS OTHER THAN GOLD. TUNGSTEN-ORE. There has been a considerable collapse in the tungsten-ore (schcelite) mining industry owing to the great decline in price, there being little or no demand for tungsten-ore at the Home market owing to accumulated stocks, due to greatly increased production during the war. For several year-s prior to the war the price of concentrates per unit (on a 65-per-cent. W0 3 basis per ton) did not exceed £1 10s., but during the war the Empire's production was commandeered for Imperial requirements, the price being eventually increased to .£3 Bs. per unit. After the armistice, upon the commandeer being removed, the price declined until at the time of writing it is nominally 1 4s. per unit. The following statement shows the quantity and value of ore exported: —

The following is a table showing the quantity of quartz crushed and scheelite concentrates obtained during 1920 : —

In addition to scheelitc, gold was also obtained from the quartz crushed as follows : Callery and Biekerton, £41 ; Dominion Consolidated, £2,291 3s. 2d. Cinnabar. Three parties were employed at cinnabar-mining operations near Puhipuhi, North Auckland. One of these, the New Zealand Quicksilver-mines (Limited), produced 3,6751b. of quicksilver, valued at £1,378. The other two parties are employed upon prospecting or development work, and have not yet'attained the productive stage. Asbestos. Messrs. H. F. Chaffey and party from their mine in Takaka County produced If tons of asbestos, valued at £105. The mine is not now worked, being, it is understood, under option for sale. Petroleum. No developments of commercial value occurred at any of five oil-boring operations in the Dominion. The Blenheim bore at Moturoa attained a depth of 5,726 ft., being the deepest borehole in Australasia. The bottom of the hole was in olaystone. Gas-emanation occurs. During the year the Taranaki Oil-wells (Limited) went into liquidation. The borehole of the Canterbury Petroleum Company at Chertsey reached a depth of 2,170 ft. Emanations of gas and traces of oil were given off below 1,368 ft.

Year. Quantity. Value. Year. Quantity. Value. 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 Tons. 32 54 2 39 42 17 28 55 137 68 58 143 £ 2,788 2,635 83 1,200 1,439 791 1,848 3,407 15,486 6,055 4,263 15,070 1911 .. 1912 .. 1913 .. 1914 .. 1915 .. 1916 .. 1917 .. 1918 .. 1919 .. 1920 .. Tons. 138 135 221 204 194 266 161 169| 131 Wo £ 11,853 13,347 22,933 21,498 27,784 49,070 28,972 37,922 29,489 1,378 Totals 299,311 2,304|

Name of Mine or Company. Looality. Quartz crushed. Scheelitc Concentrates obtained. Value. Callery and Biokerton .. A. 0. Buckland Sutherland and Hodd Macrae's, Waihemo County The Reefs, Taieri County Glenorchy, Lake County Tons. 35 1 15 30 I T. cwt. qr. lb. 6 17 0 0 0 17 0 0 2 10 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 6 0 0 12 2 0 0 8 10 0 0 £ s. d. Still held. 125 0 0 130 0 0 684 0 0 Still held. Black and McPherson a a Glenorchy Scheelite Company .. Dominion Consolidated Mining and Development Company 11 ,5 Wakamarina, Marlborough 150 1,649 850 "o 0 Totals 1,883 39 2 0 0