Diario las Américas., 1958-01-01
thy
Nei9hboti
By ANTONIO RUIZ

MEXICO - One of the richest
mineral countries in the world is
Mexico, and mining is n of the
most highly organized and de-
veloped of national industries. The
great zone of mineral deposits fol-
lows the direction of the Sierra
Madre mountain range, extending
from the United States border in
the northwest, to the Pacific coast
state of Oaxaca, in the southeast.
Nearly every state in the Republic,
however, has some mines.
The acknowledged importance Of
Mexico's mining industry is com
monty attributed to its output of
two main groups: y gold and
silver, and q lead, zinc and cop
per. To these, however, iron and
coal should be added. While pro-
duction of lead, zinc and copper is
important from the international
standpoint, the iron and coal are
even more vital from the domestic
viewpoint. Not only is existing in
dustry highly dependent on nation
al iron and coal production, but
future expansion is predicted on
broader and more intensive ex-
ploitation of the nations known
reserves of these two minerals. Me-
xico is the worlds first producer
of silver, second in lead, and third
in zinc.
Other metals and minerals min
ed in Mexico include cadmium,
tungsten, mercury, anthony, gra-
phite, tin, manganese, arsenic, and
bismouth. Two large iron ore de-
posits have been discovered re-
Gently. One of them, estimated to
have a reserve of more than 105
million tons, is located at Lake
Truchas. The Cerro de Mercado,
near the city of Durango, con.
tinues to be the principal source
of iron ore in Mexico. The coun-
try's iron ore reserves are placed
officially at more than 225 mil
lion tons.
Coal is an important product in
Mexico's mining and manufacture
ing industries. Production is Who'll
ly bituminous type and amounts
approximately to 100000 tons an
nually. This is insufficient to take
care of the country's coal fields
in Mexico are in the north central
part of the country, where the Sa-
binas and Papau deposits are locat-
ed. An important coal basin was
discovered in the State Of Oaxa-
ca, with an estimated reserve of so
million tons.
With the exception of coal and
iron, Mexican mineral production
is exported almost entirely. In the
last few years almost 70 per cent
of the total mineral production has
been exported. The principal mar
ket is the United States.
Petroleum exploitation, which
began in Mexico about fifty years
ago, is extracted in quantities
enought to make Mexico seventh
in world production. The nations
oil reserves have been estimated
in more than 1,400 million bar
rels, while natural gas reserves r
estimated in $4,000 million cubic
meters. The oilfields are located
along the east coast in the states
of Tamaulipas and Veracruz, and
in the northern section Of the
Tehuantepec Isthmus. The oil is
shipped from the port of Tampico,
where large refineries r located.
Two new refineries were opened
in 1851 at Salamanca. State of Qua
najuato, and at Reynosa, in nor
theastern Mexico, having a COM
bined refining capacity of $4,000
barrels a day. Maximum capacity
for all refineries is over 800, 900
barrels daily.
Since appropriation of foreign
owned oil properties in 1887, Pc
troleum production in Mexico has
been controlled, with unimportant
exceptions, by "Petroleos Mexica-
nos" (Pemex), a government agen-
cy. Petroleum production has
been more than sufficient to meet
the nations needs, with consider
able quantities available for ex-
port. The extension of highway
mileage and the consequent in
crease in the number of motor
vehicles in circulation have result.
ed in a greater domestic consump.
ton of petroleum products, in par.
ticular gasoline.
Spanish Version Page 3