F. H. Hatch— The Iron Ore SujypUes of the World. 507 



for losses in mining is suggested. For the present purpose a round 

 50 per cent of the total given for areas partially developed is taken, 

 which brings the total reserves for Coal Measure ironstone down to 

 575 million tons of ore of about 30 per cent grade. 



In all, therefore, the low-grade ores of the United Kingdom are 

 estimated at 3,219 million, or, say, in round figures 3,000 million tons 

 of 30 per cent ore. 



The reserves of low-phosphorus hajmatite of Cumberland and 

 Lancashire are estimated by the Survey at 40 million tons. The 

 .grade may be taken at 50 per cent. 



Spain and North Africa. 



Spain has in the past been the principal source of supply for the 

 high-grade low-phosphorus ores used in European furnaces. The 

 production reached 10 million tons in 1913 ; but it fell to about half 

 that amount during the War. For many years British makers of 

 haematite pig for Bessemer and Siemens Martin steelworks have 

 derived the greater proportion of their ores from Bilbao (some 

 2i million tons per annum) ; but three-quarters of the workable 

 ore has already been mined, and for some time there has been 

 a gradual deterioration in quality due to the exhaustion of the 

 richer mines. 



■ The low-phosphorus ores of Bilbao consist of vena, campanil, 

 rubio (all three varieties of haematite), and spathic (the carbonate) ; 

 but the qualities now exported are practically confined to "rubio" 

 ■and calcined " spathic ". The standard guarantee for " best rubio " 

 is 50 per cent iron, 8 per cent silica, and under '02 phosphorus, but 

 many shipments run about 47 per cent iron, 10 per cent silica, and 

 '025 phosphorus. The guarantee for " best calcined spathic " is 

 56 per cent iron, but on account of fuel scarcity cargoes of about 

 54| per cent iron and 9| per cent silica are delivered. Among other 

 ores imported are the Santander washed granular ores, but these, 

 being higher in phosphorus, can only be used in combination with 

 a considerable proportion of other purer ores. Rubio ore is also 

 worked at Castro (Dicido) in Santander, and considerable reserves 

 ■of low-phosphorus and low-silica ore with iron 47 per cent exist in 

 Almeria (Alquife). A large quantity of ore is mined in Seville and 

 Teruel (Sagunto). Deposits of haematite, magnetite, brown ore, 

 and carbonate are also known in the following provinces : Guipuzcoa, 

 Oviedo, Leon, Lugo, Malaga, and Granada ; but they have not been 

 much developed and the extent to which they will be worked in the 

 future depends on the results of investigation and the provision of 

 adequate transport facilities. Few of the ores are equal in quality 

 to those of Bilbao. 



The Stockholm estimate for the actual reserves of Spain, brought 

 up to date by the Imperial Mining Resources Bureau, is 650 million 

 tons, of which 28 million is credited to Bilbao. 



High-grade ores (averaging about 50 per cent iron) are found on 



