The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-03-04
Lake SUPERIOR IRON ORE
RESERVES ESTIMATED

the geographical location of the iron
ranges, permitting the use Of the mag
nificent water highways of the Great
Lakes, has concentrated the principal
iron and steel-producing units of the
country in the area adjacent to the
lower lakes. In 1929, the last year OF
large production, the iron and steel
industry produced 64,258, 562 tons OF
steel and merchant iron; that is, iron
not used in steel-making. Total ore
consumption was 73,058, $50 and of this
ore the Lake Superior iron ranges
furnished So, 662 ,346 tons, or something
more than 81 per cent.
Serious exhaustion of the high grade
ore reserves of the Michigan and Min
nesota ranges would attack the values
Of iron furnaces and steel plants worth
plants have been located to take ad-
vantage of cheap water transportation
on ores of high metallic content. In
ability to secure ample supplies of low
cost raw material would compel the
great iron and steel industry of the
lower lakes to do one of three things:
use foreign or other domestic ores on
which the transportation costs were
higher; use lower grade lake ore, which
would increase their costs; or relocate
their plants in such places as would
offer convenient domestic or foreign
ore supplies.
OF these three alternatives a gradual
relocation would be the most likely
There are many rich deposits of high
grade ore in South American countries
and abroad, from which water trans
portation could be had. The water haul
would be longer than that on the
Great Lakes, but in most cases labor
and other costs of the ore would be SO
much less than are in the Lake Su-
perior ranges that the cost Of the ore
laid down at the seaboard furnaces
would probably be greater than ore
now laid down at lower lakes furnaces
from the Lake Superior district
An even remotely possible depletion
VI 4ASi1 etoS 4@ohC SakC4AS4 VIC tA1OAS
fore becomes problem in which the
whole industry and much of the popu-
lation of the industrial middle west is
vitality concerned. Iron and steel are
the foundation stones on which much
of the wealth and industrial importance
of the middle west are based.
Two factors most vitality affect the
continuance of supplies of high con-
tent ore from the Lake Superior regions
These are the use of scrap In steel
making and the possibilities Of benefi-
ciating the lower grade ores Of the
north to give them a metallic con-
tent equal to or higher than the present
high grade ore.
or more has decreased the require
ment for new ore in the ultimate pro-
duction of steel. Scrap is being used
in ever-increasing quantities, with a
constant reduction in ore requirements
In 1917, for example, the total produc-
ton of steel and merchant iron was
So, 295, 429 tons and the total consump.
ton of lake ore $4,000, 900, ratio OF
IL tons of lake ore to every ton OF
iron and steel produced. In 1929 the
total merchant iron and steel produc-
ton was 64,258,5 62 tons and the total
consumption of lake ore So, 662 ,346 tons
ratio of 0.99 tons of lake ore to each
ton of steel and iron.
Inasmuch as the iron content has
not changed much and the ratio Of lake
ore to all ore consumed has increased
other than lake ore remaining at about
slightly year by year-the tonnage OF
the same figure while the total ore
tonnage has mounted steadily-it is
evident that the increasing ratio OF
steel production to lake ore consump-
ton can only indicate the use of scrap
in steel-making.
How much Importance attaches to
this matter of the use of scrap in
steel-making is seen by applying the
1917 ratio of lake ore consumption to
the total merchant iron and steel pro-
duction in 1929. Had no more scrap
been used in 1929 than was used in
1917 the Lake Superior mines would
have been called on for a total OF
77,110,274 tons of high grade ore in
stead of the 1852 ,346 tons actually
furnished. This total which 1929 would
have demanded on the 1917 scrap ratio
is larger than any years shipments in
Lake Superior history.
The maximum amount Of scrap
which can be used per ton of steel Is
a question which even steel men could
probably not answer. In no industry
is more attention paid to research
work and scientific investigation than
in the steel business. Science may in
crease the amount of remelted steel tt
such an extent as to considerably
lengthen the life of even present known
supplies of ore. In the meantime the
automotive industry, one of the great
steel consumers, is laying much stress
on the scrapping of old cars, and much
of the arlier steel construction and iron
and steel machinery is becoming OBJ
solete being replaced, so that there will
be a constantly increasing supply of
scrap metal.
Technical developments in industry
itself are also tending to reduce its
steel tonnage demands. In many steel
consuming industries greater stress is
being laid on nghtness and added