Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-05-17


Although chromium is the basis
of most of the rustless iron and
steel produced, it has a great many
other uses and is especially valuable
during the present national defense
program In normal times the I'm
tied States used from 100000 to
over 100000 long tons of high
grade chromium ore, in which the
mineral is known as chromite, con-
sisting of two atoms of chromium
and 3 atoms of oxygen combined
with iron oxide. In 1889 the United
States imported 1918 long tons
OF ehromite ore, the imports COM
ing: 81 percent from Africa, IT
percent from Cuba, percent from
New Caledonia, percent from
Turkey, and 3 percent from Greece.
The remaining portion of the i'm
ports originated in other countries,
principally the PHILIPPINE Islands.
In 1889 domestic production of the
United States was only 3.614 long
tons or about one percent of our
total consumption. Due to present
world conditions the United States
imports probably are seriously cur
tailed and may be entirely elimi-
mated. With this in mind, several |
departments of the United States
Government are devoting their eff
forts to the development of domes-I
tic deposits of chromite. During the |
last year of World War No. l, it |
is stated that 40 percent of the
United States consumption was do
mestically produced most of the
production coming from California,
Washington Pennsylvania, and the
South, with small amounts coming
from Montana, Alaska Oregon and
Wyoming.
Largest Deposits In U. s.
1t has long been known that
there were large deposits of chrom
lite ore in Sweetgrass, Saltwater and
Carbon Counties in sOuth-central
Montana and in 1926 Professor
James F. Kemp, head of the min
ing department of Columbia Uni
versity, made the statement that the
Montana deposits were the largest
in the United States and probably
in the world. While most of the
Montana deposits do not assay high
enough in chromite to ship directly
to the consumers, and while these
deposits are further handicapped by
substantial amounts of chemically
contained iron, new metallurgical
processes recently have been dis
covered to concentrate the Montana
ore so that they can be made into
a product assaying high in chrom-
ium, low in impurities, and with an
iron content that is not detrimental
for use in industry.
u. $. Makes Tests
During the past two years the
United States Bureau of Mines has ,
done substantial amount of
trenching and diamond drilling on
these deposits. A geological survey
of the district was carried on by
Paul A. Schafer, a member of the
staff of the Montana School of ,
Mines and the Montana Bureau of
Mines and Geology, and his find
ings were published in 1897 in
Memoir No. IS of the Montana Blu
reau of Mines of Geology, of which :
DR.. Francis A. Thomson is director.
According to Professor Schafer, the :
saltwater Boulder River deposits .
contain about 10 million tons Of
possible ore and 20 million tons 4;
of speculative ore, averaging about :
rs percent chromium oxide which :
could be concentrated to 40 to so :
percent chromium oxide. AS a result =
Of the diamond drilling and trench y
ing program of the United States -
Bureau of Mines on the Benbow
property east of Saltwater River, ~
there has been developed an ore -
body Of 5 u feet wide containing U
over 100000 tons assaying rs =
percent chromium oxide. It Is re- y
liably reported that other properties II
On the Saltwater River can prob r
ably furnish over 2 million tons.
The United States Bureau of Mines =
did not do any work in Carbon =
County, private interests state that q
these deposits can furnish several =
million tons. There are also a num- -
Der of chrOmite prospects in Madi- !
son County which have been ex- 9
AHMED by the Montana Bureau OF 4
Mines and the Montana Mineral Re- o
sources Survey. The latter organi- y
sation has carried on some trench h
ing operations on these smaller de- q
posts and will continue this work 9
n the next few weeks. Certain OF y
these deposits might possibly be q
able to furnish an appreciable ton n
lage, in the aggregate especially y
If custom mill were erected at h
some central point. l.
A. C. NJ. Assists Government a
According to semi-official re- C
ports, development of the Ben
BOW property will be undertake in {
he very near future and a mill of a
,ome 400 to 900 tons daily capac-
ty will be erected near the property
to handle the output A contract
has been executed providing for
R. f. C. to take title to the prop
srty. and negotiations are under
way for the Anaconda Copper Min
ng Company to operate the prop
erty on a nOn-profit basis.
In peace times so percent of the
United States consumption of
chromium was for metallurgical us
Is. about 40 percent for refractory
purposes and 10 percent for the
of chemicals. Today