The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-01
TUNGSTEN OUTPUT
IN SIAMESE MALAYA
Ore Widely Diffused Through
out Country.

The earliest available statistics OF
the fiscal year ended March 81. 1912,
when the amount of wolframite recov-
cred was 119 tons, Vice-Consul Carl C,
Hansen says in a special report from
merce at Washington, D. c. This ore,
however, had been known to the Chinese
tin miners for a long time as dead ore."
but at that period IT'S commercial value
was unknown and it was left in great
heaps as valueless material, after hav-
Ing been separated from the tin ore.
In the fiscal year 1s12-1s13 the pro-
duction of tungsten amounted to 300
tons, and it was reported that the future
output was likely to be less. On the
contrary. however. the amounts sub
sequently recovered have steadily in
creased, reaching 5s4 tons In the fiscal
year ended March 81, 1917, and for the
succeeding twelve months the output Is
said to have Appropriated 500 tons. tho
monthly returns generally averaging
from 20 to 80 tons
Local mining men assert that the
potential production of tungsten is un-
limited and that the ore is widely dif-
fused throughout the Siamese Malaya
and northern Siam, although in the Do It
the richest deposits have been found IN
tho DISTRICT Nakon Sritamarat
The recovery of wolframite has hitherto
been left mainly to the Chinese miners,
who have limited their operations to
surface workings, the depths of which
are said not to have exceeded 100 feet,
the deposits being found as lodes or
"shadings' of lodes- The high grade
ores have been found 70 contain from
90 to ~ per cent. WO3, but quantities
OF mixed ores, composed Of nearly equal
parts OF tin and tungsten have also beenN
recovered. Both wolframite and schee4
lite ores have been found, but the forI
mer is the more common.
During the war the price reached
about 100 ticals $3.50 gold) per picul
(133 l-3 pounds), while at present
(June, 1870 il is about 40 ticals (s15D
or less per picul Tungsten Is not used in
this country, and the customs statistics
contain no record of any imports OF
ferro- tungsten
While no financial difficulties appear
10 have arisen among the dealers in
tungsten In Siam, because of the abrupt
cessation OF the war, yet II Is under
stood that one or two OF the leading
agents for the British and French Gov
ernments lost heavily through accumu-
lations Of stocks and by advances made
to local miners. AS far as known 10
compensation has been obtained for
these losses, there being no local
agencies OF producers associations in
this country.
Official information Is not available
in regard to the destinations of the
tungsten ore exported from the Siamess
Malaga, but Ia understood that nearly
the entire output during the first two
years of the war period was reserved
for the United Kingdom, France shar-
Ing to some extent during 1918 The
shipments of tungsten through the port
OF Bangkok to the United States in me
fiscal year ended March 81, 1917,
amounted to 1S1.04o pounds and to a.
500 pounds In the fiscal year l917-Is
The production OF tungsten practically
ceased with the beginning of the cur
rent year. but Bangkok dealers in tho
ore are Keen ON securing new markets
Tor stocks already on hand and are
ready to guarantee almost unlimited
supplies for future shipments. During
last year the Government Gasette an
nounced that the royalty on tungsten
ore, which was previously collected ut
the sans rate as that in force on tin
ore, had been reduced to 10 per cent
ad yalorem.