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Manganese.—Mirandite Products, Ltd., Clevedon (G. Maning, lessee), produced 402 tons from the area, and for this obtained £1,686 9s. The ore was sold to the Broken Hill Pty. Steel Works, Newcastle, New South Wales, and proved, on analysis, to contain the following : Per Cent. Per Cent. Mn .. .. .. 49-810 Si0 2 .. .. .. 14-210 P.. .. .. 0-669 H 2 O .. .. .. 9-330 Fe .. .. .. 1-480 Penalties were imposed for excess SiO 2 and H 2 0, and a bonus allowed for excess Mn, the basis of which is fixed at a minimum of 48 per cent. It is proposed to continue sending the ore to Newcastle. Mr. W. S. Miller, Auckland, disposed of 22 tons 2 cwt. 3 qr. 7 lb. of dioxide, and for this received the sum of £354 ss. The ore was taken from stock mined formerly in the Moumoukai Valley, Hunua, and disposed of to the manufacturers of torch batteries. Copper.-—Mr. W. S. Miller, Auckland, lessee, mined 500 tons of ore from a deposit at Pakotai, North Auckland, as a trial parcel for smelting at Port Kembla, New South Wales. Considerable delay, however, was experienced in getting the shipment away, and it was not despatched until February of this year. Kaolin. —N.Z. Mercury Mines, Ltd., produced 95 tons from its property at Puhupuhi. The clay was sold for £323. Silica.—The N.Z. Glass Manufacturers Co. Pty., Ltd., Auckland, obtained 14,679 tons from its deposit at Parengarenga, and Messrs. Gilberd and Sons got 383 tons from Aramoho, Wanganui. The former was valued at £36,698 and the latter at £172 7s. Pumice.—Approximately 870 tons, valued at £152 55., were got from a deposit near the west bank of the Wanganui River at Aramoho for use in the manufacture of wallboard. The pumice is extremely light, and was evidently carried down from inland high country during or subsequent to a period of intense volcanic activity. Fuller's Earth.—Mr. S. C. Crawford obtained 75 tons from his property at Kamo and shipped it to Borthwick and Co., Christchurch, who use same for clarifying fats and oils. It returned the sum of £3lB. Diatomaceous Earth. —Production amounted to 276 tons, which was got by Mr. Crawford, of Kamo. It was valued at £476. Bentonite.—The amount won was 154 tons, valued at £777. The material is sold in its raw, sundried, and pulverized states, and can be used for foundry moulding, insecticides, cement filling, the manufacture of wallboard, and a multiplicity of other purposes. Inquiries and orders are numerous enough, both inside and outside New Zealand, but no market of importance is likely to be built up until a dryer is erected, and the owner of the property, Mr. Stoddart, has this in hand. Overseas sales would, of course, be subject to reasonable shipping rates. Alumina.—Kamo Potteries, Ltd., produced 1,000 tons from its*pit at Kauri, near Whangarei, and this was valued at £lOO. 4 Limonite.—The quantity produced amounted to 7,100 tons, made up as follows : Okaihau Quarries, North Auckland, 4,382 tons, worth £13,694 ; Whitelaw's quarry, Kamo, 2,388 tons, worth £2,328 ; and Reyburn's quarry, Kamo, 330 tons, worth £247. Serpentine.—This was produced at Piopio, Te Kuiti, also at Wayby and Kaukapakapa, North Auckland, and aggregated 20,058 tons. It was got on behalf of Asbestos Mines (N.Z.), Ltd., Wellington, and Bitumix Ltd., Auckland, and was valued at £3,966. Petroleum.—Moturoa Oilfields, Ltd., New Plymouth, was the only producer, No. 1 well yielding 4,585 gallons, No. 2, 46,605 gallons, and No. 4, 30,438 gallons, or 81,625 gallons altogether. The quantity obtained is down by about 10,000 gallons when compared with 1945 figures. Fractions stilled during the year were as follows : Gallons. Petrol .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16,898 Distillate.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,700 Power kerosene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10,170 Heavy kerosene .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11,690 Diesel oil.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19,180 Residue oil .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 15,145 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 78,780 Loss .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,350 Crude in still .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 83,130

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