THE TUNGSTEN ORE MINE OF PECHTELSGRUEN, SAXONY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 24
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
T ! TUNO8TEN O )WIZ 01 P2flI'1lL84BUBN, IAZO11Y
i.ecatior-, Owfl.rship, etc
Te mine, until 1945 the property of "Oawerkschatt Yereinigung,"
Halle, nn I.o. Farben subsidiary, is now natiailieed as the 'Yolk-
seiner Betrieb Wolfraaitgrube Pecl,t.lsgruen der YYB Buntaet*U"
(peop1c-owned enterprise, P.chtelsgrusn WOSiraAite Mine of the
Association of People-owned Znterprises for Nonterrous 1letals), and is
owned by the Mstallurgical Adoninistratiof of the aerslan Zcoaaeic Can-
mission. The mine is located near the town of Lsngenfeld, Vogtland,
near the Chelnnits - Hof "Autobahn,"
The digging of the acne was begun in 1934, and production first
began in 1936. The mine shatt was first dug to a depth of 100 asters
and extendad to 150 metrrs in 1943/1944. The Washing plant had a
capacity of 100 tons per ds . The mine vas also equipped with a rock-
crushing and sorting plant, the opacity of vhich vas increased to
200 tons per day in 1943/1944? The mine and the ore-dressing plant
were connected by an aerial railV* . Tbt aine Was in operation until
l95.
During the last pbase of the var, the conveyor tower Was bloom up
by the Americana and the alas was tloodad. The ore-dressing plant re-
sumed operations in September 1945. Until he nrv conveyor tover was
set up, the ore-dressing plant processed crude ores and pyrite con-
centrates Which had been stored.
Present Condition
In February 1947, reconstruction work vas hard hit by the confis-
cation of the cruehetr and dressing plant by the Wisnut A.G. A prall
sing plant Was then built, Which began operation in September 1947.
It processes about 25 tons per day. Since the sins has to t~ltill a
quota, only high-content cores are processed.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
'I ,
50X1 -HUM
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
"4' 1
Production tram 1936 to 1944 in tope (vet) vas as follovsi
Cruclo Ora Production
Frost
Year
Tana
?Wet
To
Du*p to
8or'tiri
To
5ort1
So
ted
r
1936
2,950
2,950
1)
1)
1)
1937
2,993
2,993
73
73
73
1938
6814
1939
8,797.1
6,488.3
15,285.4
2,904.5
12,360.9
1940
26, 666.1
314.3
380.0
26,931.8
7i95.6
19,536.0
1941
30, 474.5
30, 474.5
8,130.4
22, 344.1
1942
35,959
35,959
5,980
29,979
1943
37,513
37,513
6,713
30,600
1944
36514
6 3,5914
4
Total 162,830
Dry
tome 164,600
6.240
6.240
i44,6oo.o 31.046
1) 73 tone of crude ore for oz* dr.satg experlaiente
Starting with 1945, thi statistical data are lees reliable. A. fax
as can be ascertained, they are as follows;
J? t
Year
Crude Or. Production
a
Dressing Plant Througbput
Tans
Dory
,
1945
U,454
9,924
1946
18,29'
14,710
1947
1,191
800
1248
3,888
3,'923
Total
1936/48
199.43o
162.910
Mining Installation.
The voltramite mined cases tram the "Aeue llottnung" mining region
which covers an area of 8,512 hectares and irhich is adjoined, in the
northwest, by the "Xirchberg-West" field vith en area of 5.2 hectares.
Mining is carried out on four level., 50 meters, 100 meters, 150
meters, and 180 meters. The horisontal tunnel. are connected with each
other and vith the surface.
z-
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9 I
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
The mine, in addition to conveying, puaping, and cos~reasor aachia-
ery, ventilation plants, repair shop., storehouses, ainere' wash house
send kitchen, and office building., also owns a amsa/1 grMnite Quarry.
The presbr,t node of apsration, that is, of processing only high-
content Ore, ID 4An1 roue, since the bon-content ores are not even
mind. A10re, they are probably not vorth mining, and their tungiten
content will be canpiotely lost unlesu n much lower yield and corres-
pornUngly higher cost per kilogram of WO, are accepted.
Pereoni 1
The personnel of the mine has fluctuated a great d.a1, es shwa in
the following table:
Year
Mine,
r o d
Ubds
Mine,
Burface
Dressing
Plant
Zb~t.1
?
1944
425
1946
211
1947
Jan
96
128
131
355
Feb
53
112
-
165
Apr
40
45
-
85
Sep
33
42
13
88
1948 Jan
36
46
17
99
Sep
71
41
(lI
156
1949 Mar
195
Proor~ fete
The "Kirchberg-Kest" field .ayyr be coinsidared a reserve field for
this mine, because it should yield higher-content ores at greater dsptb.
This has been probed by investigations.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
IL Z
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
geological Data
Qeneral gec orphologica1 data;
The Pschtelegxu?a wolframite mine is located 3/4 kilosrster sort of
the village of P?chtelsgruen, on the eastern slops of the libUberg (S03
meter.). '1"ht deposit is a poewrtolytic-~ydrothermal tranaitioaal
deposit. It is arsuaed that, in accordanc? vith the Hato,. of such
d*posita, v0lframite ore viii be found at greater dapths.
Special characteristics of the deposits
The volfrsmite deposit at P.chtsl$grwn consists of a bundle of
veins about 500 meters in length in individua1 quarts apophysss, accom-
panied by narrow greissn ribbons. At the point where the quarts apophysss
vanish, they turn into nsarrov greisen sons on either aids of a narrav
fissure; then these too dlsapp'$r? Aft*r a short distance, the grsieen
somas reappeat, then d ,slop into quarts, acco*panisd to a greater or
lesser extent by grsissn goner. The total thiclaeess of the quarts
apophysee and gr?isirs sons remains fairly constant. wh?z'e the quarts
apophysee li? close enough togsther to be rained di1t*fleoua1y, thSY are
worth mining for their volframite content. At grIraterJIi5mpths, there is
a tendency for the ind?Vid *1 quarts apopb7$ss to concentrate into veins
of lesser thicl~neU, about 50.'70 csntiaetsrs altogether.
Ihaber of deposits or vines
For stretch of ebout 500 meters, the veins are close enough to-
gether to be north mining. 8Ln1141' sodas hers been found elsewhere in
the vicinity, e.g. in the Lohnbach region, at the Jrgdhuette, and on the
Qalgenberg near Btangen81n, but it has not yet been definitely eetab-
lish?d whether or not these deposits are worth mining. Further invsti-
grttions are planned.
Country rock.
The country rock of the deposit is Xirchberg granite, a medium-
grained biotite granite with about 33 percent quarts, 20-30 percent
orthoclase, 3040 percent plagioclase, s.nd 7 percent biotite. Close to
the volfraaite-bearing quart, the granite has been ~nataeameticaUy
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
converted to grri.,,and has been more or less kaolinized. It cansista
of quartz and muscovite, and also contains acme apatite and very alight
amvunta of causitarita. me latter 1.s rrequently tuaed vith mica and
is never larger thin 100 micro,'. The greiaen contains no topaz and no
tourmaline, but doea sometimss caatain voltraaite. The tbLekn.sa of the
greiaen veins increases vith depth, and sometimes exc sda 1.0 centimeters.
Position of the deposits
The wolftramite-bearing quartz apophyses trend regularly and in a
straight lino trcm northwest to southeast, dipping about 77? to the
northeaet. They increase in thickness with depth, but decreano in
numb w,
ml quarts apophyses diverges in bundles to th~a northvast and to the
southeast, eimaltaneousl~y b.caaiug thinner and lover in volframite con-
tent. T a northwestern part of the bundle has a flip fault, trending to
the north-northeast and having a 700 to 800 dip to vest-northvast, of a
height of 60 to 80 mst.rs, so that the deposit at the 50-mater level is
not worth mining voile that at the 100-niter level, not touched by the
tault, is a borderline case. It is probable that the quartz apopbya.e
ere more conc.ntrated at greater depth and contain more wolframite beyond
the fault. The south.ast.rn part of the son. is also bordered by a
fault, trending east-northeast with an 840 to north-nortiavest dip. This
fault was found on the 150-meter level. The conditions beyond thin
fault are still unknown.
Caepoeition of minerals:
The percentage of W0 in individual ore samples fluctuatee so
greatly - train 0.1 to several percent - that an average content figure
cannot be givsu. The rubble which is called ore novadaye probably con-
tame an average of 0.3 to 0.4 percent MO .
3
The tabulation given below applies not to average ore but to ore
which may be called rich. Although the analysis has been c x yuted to a
100-percent basis, the alkali tnalyeie is obviously missing.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
BiQ~
Cao
A]203
01.16 %
3.97
10.31
Mp
0.10
Fe
2.07
Mn0
0.05
W03
0.12
B
0.96
P
0.02
Io
0.01
A.
0.o
Cu
0.01
Pb
Hi
Asst-0 0~
100.00 %
fleet-0 = residual 0
The concentrates from the wet mechanical dressing process were
divided into four classes, I, II, IIIa and IIIb, sccording to their
magiaetisation capacity. Group I coctained 12 percent of the concentrate,
with a W03 content of over 70 percent. Group II contained 7 percent of
the concentrate, with a W03 content of over 45 percent, Group III con-
tained 81 percent of the concentrate, with a W03 content of over 9 per-
cent.
In a second separation of group III into Ills and IIIb, a small
saount of highly concentrated ore was obtained, but the pure gravel still
contained 3-4 percent wo3 in the fors of scheelite.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
An ~an&Lyris of or* ssanI;los in August 1946 slaved the lollorin.g
result:
TPe..ot Ore
T
1
I
1
..Il!,
1:11b
eio %
1.32
0.99
1.03
9.57
"93 %
74.33
68.13
39.146
2.93
Fo0
17%I 4
?
6
.1
33.81
x.91
Nn0 S
5.30
5.53
7.05
CaC 0
0.17
0.16
2.03
1.0
8
0.16
3.68
16.40
46.05
Aa
Ipur
0.06
0.02
P`05
1.60
0.94
Fe
38.31
Pb
0.3
0.2
0.3
Cu
0.05
0.1
0.25
0.2
No
P'
0.24
?b
%
0.05
Ag
g't
25
60
42
Bi
g f t
25
eO
45
-V...
The valves below the line are for another waple.
The spectroscapic ersainations carried out on the esae ss*ple
brought the following results:
Ti o
Cu
~Ll
T'a
Nb
Ti
Ag
Pb
Zn
Y
No
U308
-7
I
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
dymbol$I
/ ??. trace
ftpproximatellr 0.01 to 0.1 yercent
'I ? ? above 0.1 ,orcent
rr those snL&1yua are approxiimately C x puted on the bssis or the
minernl coad~Ozento, the result is sa
o re
I
IIIa IIIb
qua: ;z
1.32
0.99
1.03
9.57
WQltremite (u/F ' 0.071)72.02
61.92
1.72
Huebnerite
22.79
24.92
36.79
8cheolite
0.87
0.84
10.43
3,64
Magnetite
3.79
0.75
Pyrrhotite
10.09
29.05
Pyrite
0.30
10.81
81.99
Aroenopyrite
0.14
0.06
Vivienito
6.08
2.46
Apatite
0.33
Method of aeoa.ying:
Assaying was carried out only during the first
development period
of the mine. No regular ssssying was done while the mine was in produc?
tion. No data are av*ilable an the setual metal content or the crude
ore or on the ylelde. No testy whatsoever vere conducted on the molyb?
denim content.
The sand dumps vere once tested for mo1ybdana, shoring 0.027 per.
cent No and 0.45 percent W03. It wse estimated that this corresponded
to an average W03 content of 0.36 percent.
At the present no systematic assaying is carried out, either in the
mine or in the processing plant. Only 10?day samples are tested for WO
to control the dressi 3
ng process. The sulfur content in the concentrates
is also determined.
". sppraximo1.y_0.001 to 0.01 percent
10?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
I~O.ervao:
(No'r Origins, conteine s detsilnd breakdown of reserrds in
tabular form; s uujtuu ,, u~ j, tcJ. 'l uc n i o gi, bolow. )
Certain ores; Crud uro t 2U,( Q tome, sversc W03 content 0.37
i ercent, 740 toue W03 .
Probable: orvn: l:rudo ore: 139 , lOO toni , uvarage W03 content 0.45
xrcetrt, iO2.U tcuJtJ W03.
Pot' Ibis' areos Crudt ore: 500,000 tono, average W03 content 0.3
percent, 1,500 tons WO3.
(NO t: Pegv 1J in mi..iug Fran original. )
P1 im for to rther investigation;
Inveetigdtione arc, planned both along the trend of the veins sad at
greater depths. A 230-meter level is plannod and the 180-meter level is
to be extended to the northwest sad the southeset.
The sress of Lohb*ch snd Qalgenberg give indications of the presence
or wolthtimitc and will also be inveeti~ted more closely.
Mining operations:
Method of operations
The mine conaiste of one vertical conveyor .haft, from which tunnels
run out at 50-meter internals, vith the exception of the lowest, which
is only 30 meters belov the 150-meter level. The hesdxayrs sre driven
through vein sections which ire connected by transverses to the conveyor
rlasit. Vertical overhand .toper snd ramps with an inclination of 45..
serve for ventilation, access, e~lorationa, and far the transport of
material to fill up the empty galleries. Since there are fern lateral
faults, the numober of search tunnel. is aasll.
The mining methods used are overhand .toping and magazine mining.
The latter was considered sate and war widely employed, since the grsntte
around the veins seemed solid. Recently, hoverer, a 2o?aeter stretch of
the sS aline an the loo-meter level collapsed, so that this practice viii
probably not be continued.
9
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
In overhand atoping, mostly outside material is ueed for fill
in8,
since all the material mired is conveyed to the surface. The fill
material is obtained from the clnad hc:~p$ sand the Yudte from theii1
proceae. 8eparatian by hand in the mina vas carried out for a while
in order to bring to the surface only cue of the highest possible con
tent, but since the poor lighting and the dirt make this a difficult
and uneconomical process, it has been discontinued.
In overhand atoping, the pining depth varies between 1.5 pad 3.
meters. The height of the machine is 2 meters.
In February 1915, the output vrn 2.6(' tons per an per shirt. i'roa~
194 to Muy 191, mining eoets for mag *inf mining were c utcd at
~ 5.89
marke per ton of ore and 6.3 per ton of or. for etoping.
in atoping, tho 2?meter high hoe is blasted with drill, holes 1.5
meters in length, made by aomprea eed air drills. The debris ie homed
to roller conveyors in mining carts or vbeelbarrov., then tran.ferred
from the rollers into mining carts of 0.4 cubic meters capacity and 600.
millimeter gauge and pushed to the conveyor shaft by hand. The conveyor
in the vertical eh&Zt has a capacity of 22 tons per hour.
The capacity of the nines
The bottleneck at the mine is the dressing plant, which is nor a
temporary installation. A new permanent dressing plant is to be built
r
witb a capacity of 50 tone per deer. In order to meet thin figure, a
production of 15,000 tone of are per year is required. With the nee...
easy ?Zpaneion, the mine might attain a production capacity of 90,000
tons per yaw, but it may not be poseible to reach thin figure because
of the danger of eilieosis. Since the dressing plant at present has a
meximnn throughput of 25 tons per day, the ore production can be onl.y
7,500 tons per year (650 to s per nth, or 2s ton. per day). Accord.
ing to the state of dsvelopaent of the mine, a dressing plant with 10
5
tone per *y throughput would be most approprjate, plus a picking plant
to remove about 21 percent, i.e. a crude ors production of 190 tons.
The planned 5Q?toiiiu.perplant is only an e~srgsney solution c
ondi..
tinned by the circumstances of the present tiass.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
For the tirNt halt of 1949, the production quota of tungsten con-
centrate his been aet nt 45 tons of typee I and II. According to this,
ueing 1948 production ar a b.aie of reckoning, the mine vould have to
produce 43 tone of 68 percent WO and 2 toss of 50 percent WO3, ihieh
would bave to represent 88 percent of the WO content of all the cry
mined. Bince the dressing plar+t can operata aaly at a 6Orye~cent yield,
production has been estimated at 34.4 tons of w03 (see table, p. 19).
Under these coaditioaa, the crutc ore would harm to contain y7.3 tone of
w03. 'Phis meano that the crude are would bare to have a w0~ content of
1.3 percent with a throughput or 3,7O tone semiannually. Thu quota i?
thus envoi too high, and the mine is forced to emplol- spoliation practices
to meet it. Even after the ore?dresaing p1 nt has reacted a capacity
or 50 ton& per dqy, ore with a W03 content or 0.77 percent would have
to be processed in order to rill the present quota. This frirly high
percentage figure ie not in aeeoacd with the ore reserve Nituation at the
mine, and the quota ehOuld be considerably reduced, unleen the mine is
to be exhausted within a short time air unless poorer ores, which ere
vcrth mining only in conJunction with richer ores, are to be lost to
production. Bush a reduction would, of coarse, drive up the costs per
ton of wo3, but same of this tcreased cost could be rsede up for by a
more ration/ operation o!' the mine. The opti~oa1 operational figure of
150 tone of ore per day throughput in the dressing plant eaanot be
achieved because of the prevailing canditiona which do not favor further
expansion of the installation.
In consideration or the ore reserve situation, the quota mast be
reduced. Otherwise, after a year, when the present rich ores are ex-
hausted, the quota vill either have to be reduced suy'hav, or the mine
will have to be shut dorm.
Draiaagat
dine the dimension of the underground installations are relative.
ly small, the seepage is slight. The total seepage is 250 to 300 liters
per minute, one quarter on the 100-meter level, one-half on the 150-meter
level, and one.quarter On the 180-meter level.
'ia
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
The 100-meter level to equipped vitb puts with a capacity of 1.5
cubic meters per minute. The voter is acid and is neutralised vith
calcium ~yQroxide.
Tho pumps on the 50-mater local haw a capacity of 1.5 cubic asters
per minute and those on the 180-aster level a capacity of 0.5 cubic asters
per minute.
Ventilations
The ventilator has a capacity of 300 cubic astir. per minute.
Special ventilatioo is provided for the faces.
Since several serious cases of silicosis have occurred in the mine
during the poet few years, the danger of dust must be checked by strict
aeasures .
In order to make this possible, the mine will have to be expand
so that it can operate On only 0fe production sriitt per day. This viii
allo r the dust to settle, and give crews tics to hose down ell places
which might be sources of dust.
Production lasers
The losses are either those connected vith the type of mining method
used, or those which can be controlled by proper operation. Both in
sag sine mining and in stoping, posts aunt be left standing to prevent
collapse, and the ore losses caused by this practice vary between 5 and
20 percent. However, rock slides and collapses in magasine mining can
increase this figure considerably.
No ex,aot figures are available for losses in mining by the staping
method, but they can be eussumed to be belay 5 percent; however, while
the manual separation aethod was e~ployed for the purpose of producing
only high-content one, the losses probab)7 xeee between 20 and 40 percent,
The average losses are eetintated Mt 10 percent.
Miscellansouss
Although the narrow cross-section of the shafts is sufficient
for
the conveying installations and. carts, it is en obstacle to effec
tg Pe
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
1/N
control or rilicoeia. It ~ou1d lu~v~ b. bettor troy the, atMadioint
of ailicooie control if tho ahitt had been victor.
Ore Areeaing
The crude rubblc eoaaiete or quarts with eaeurse or fine interspersed
Wolframita. Pyrite and some iaolybdenw are also round. The usocjated
rocks, groiaan and granite, also Corm part of the rubble vhieh is dined.
Thu wolfrernite In aost]y contained in the quarts] only very little of
it !e contained in tho greieen, slorrg with caseitezrite. The ore dram.
ing is cat3-aretive]y easy.
Tho crude ore can be dreaeed, otter it bas been eortod, in a vet
mechrnicel tub vaehinj end buddlo process. The voltrsmite-pyrite con-
centrate obtained thereby can be eeparated mgneticelly.
At present the dreuaing process is very primitive. The ore le
first ground in a rock cruehur and then tinely ground in two roller
mills. It ie then graded on screens and vaehed in two tube and one
buddla. Bince rich ores are given preferecce in proceeeing, in ordar
that the quota can be met, the wute fnxi the vaehing still contains so
much tungsten that it would be processed under normal circumstances.
The waste from the tubs contains 0.3 to 0.6 percent WO and that tram
the buddies 0.12 to 0.25 percent. These wastes are ueunlly put beck
into the mine as tiller material, so that they can be rained again later
and processed. The present-day thrqughput is 25 tons daily.
Amounts of cruda ore processed and contents of crude ores
(NO'!!: Complete figures are given in Table 5, but kt table is
missing in the origins/.) The distribution of the contents of WO,, in
the concentrates of Group. I, II, IIIa, and IIh is shown in Table 6
43 s
1 6 1 W-
Amount of concentrate in tons, dry
y:pe I
T
77,896
82,875
351,268
ype II
T
3l;97
42,038
l94,73
ype III
4 99O2O
2 8 4
Total
()084)1363
623,883
2,853,855
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
I-j
~~ 1 6 1 44
12
Porcnntuge die Lrlbut1 i
TjI 12.d 133 123
'rte' II 5.2 67 6.8
Tyje III 82.0 80.o
'rotul 100.0
Percarnt of 1,'OJ In cuuceutrat4,
'rylti I
Type II
'rye' i II!
T
To tla
I
_ _ 0.9 X7,2
140.0 100.0 100.0
Tone of WO j In concentrate
'ry~'v I 54.447 58, 7 52 249.392
Type II 14.029 20.165
'I Q 90.997
p? III 1.87L .257 2.1.61o
Tot&1 110.3)49 114,171+
percentage distribution of tho W03 content by weight
541.999
Type I 49.3 51.J ~
Z'Ype II ~.46,0
Typ,III 7 17.7 16,8
8 r
Total
Fraan 1946.1948 the distribution of the concentration wan ae follows:
Type I Type 11 Type IIIa Type IIIc Pyrlte concentrate
Year .jam t,. ~,! tans tons Wb tons
1946 50.689
1947 3.031
1948 49.417
1946-
1948 03.137
Pe1oent-._.._..
ague 14.3
64.904
69.90 70.69 71.00
43.91 47.97 46.72
ha7 8.74
10.12 18.30 18,9q
29.886 27.6781) 12.334 )
3.080
2.194
0.872
2.715
2o.8811)
31.689
35.160
31.265
4.8 4,3
100.0 100.0
262,26411
186.9761)
42.467
}91, 747
8,9 67,7
1) Partly from processing of pyrite concentrates rtoa id from previcur
years of operation
During the first quarter of 1949, production was as follows:
Fran a througbput of 1993 tons containing approte 1.1
lY percent
v03 the following ~rere obtained:
Concentrate I 17.116 tone with a ko content of 11,68 tan
3 e
Concentxatte II 1.439 tons with a WA content of 0.72 t
..3 ane
/y
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
Pyrite co~lcarltrato 21 tons.
The pyrite concentrate still contains 2 to 3 percent w03.
Thn following W03 balance cwi be sot up tram the data in Tables 1
to 3 for 1936-1944:
Amount
Long
M'03 Coat.nt
103 Coatent
(tons)
Crude ore production 164,600 0.452 742.3
Less dead rock 31,046.5 o.og lg.g
To be processed 133,553.5 0.54,
Reserves at dressing plant 670.5 O.545
Throughput of dxeseing plant 132,883
Concentrate
wa.te
2,853.855
130,029.2
776.8
3.67
0.545 723.13
19.0
0.14
541.999
181.131
The total W yield is thus (inclu&tng dud rock):
Total Yield 1936-1944 content in Tons Total WO Yie1d, %
Crude ore production corres-
ponding to dressing throughput
(Minus 30,897 tons dead rock)
Dressing throughput
Concentrate
Waste
Secondary products:
738.58
15.45
723.13
541.999
181.131
100.0
2.1
97.9
73.3
24.6
The tungsten-containing pyrite concentrate used to be sold for use
as an additive to iron-tungsten alloys, but since the closing of the
Zonal boundaries this can no longer be one. The 2-3 percent of WO:,
xhich is contained in the by-product trcm the W0~ extraction frcm the
pyrite concentrate and which cannot be removed, must thus be considered
lost. It had originally been planned to extract the molybdenum, and
plane for this were made in the projected 200-ton-per-day processing
plant, but these plans were not realised. At present it io more important
to extract all the W03 than to bother with the 0.027 percent of molybdenum.
However, the projected 50-ton-per-day dressing plant is to include a
molybdenum flotation installation.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
Mi scellIAeoua:
The confiscated dressing ylant at the Plobbach via veil proridad
with water supply and apace for caste. The new teaporary processing
plant vae erected directly in the mine area, sad suffers greatly true
lack of water rind epeco for waste rocks.
BUMIAAY
The uolframite deposit of thc~ Pochtelagruen mine occurs in s vstn
which extends for 500 meters and probably reaches n length of 600 meters
st greator depth. The composition of the, volfraaite (buebnerite/
Ferberite coefficient 0.071) iudicston tyrdrothermal origin. It is,
therefore, expected that the deposit extends to greater deythe than is
the case with prennurc~eenoitive and temperature-eenaitive pneutiatolytic
tungsten deposits. Possible deposits can thus be assumed to exist down
to a depth of 300 meters. Another favorable feature is the fact that
the individual quartz and greisen apophyses concentrate into more com-
pact form with increasing depth, with improwmsnt in their voltramite
content.
Prole a g4ological point of view, therefore, the Pechtelsgruen mine
is to be coneidaxed as a wry favorable one. It is the most izgportant
tungsten mine in the Fxsg,ebirgs except for the tin-tungeten deposit of
Zinnimid.
The mine was developed by 1.0. Farben slowly and carefully. The
selected production of 100 tans per day corresponded to the knowledge
at that time of the impor *n o of the deposit. If the deposit had been
derslaped energetically, especially in a horizontal direction, it could
have provided enough ore for a throughput of 200 tons per day, but this
would have involved great difficulties in silicosis control.
The technical conditions for exploitation of the deposit ryr be
called good. The ore can be mined by normal methods below ground. The
wolfreznite is enclosed in the rocks in such a weyr that normal wet
1/S
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
mechanic-/ procea-eing, with relatively high-content ores, cap supply
hjgh.gxade tungsten and yyrito conncentrates which msJ- be separated
m.W1etically4 A slight tungsten content in the pyrite is attributable
mainly to non-r*gpetic scheelite.
Purina the last years of the war, tungsten prices were so high that
the concentrates brought approximately 17 AM per kilogram of w'03, so
that only a very email subsidy was needed. The confiscation of the
dressing plant has changed these conditions ecmpletely. The teeporary
dressing plant at the shaft is too emil and too primitive to replace
the old model installation. The optimal ore dressing far the mine would
be a quantity of 150 tone per day. however, since overhead costs have
increased considerably since l91 e4, even operations at this optical
figure would require considerable subsidise, especially if the mine were
to process the average type of rock rubble instead of only high-gad.
ores, a practice which would be ouch more in keeping with the ore re-
serves. The overhead can undoubtedly be reduced if the operations are
better organised, and ia~provement can be expected in the quantity of
production. On the whole, however, the Pechtelsgruen mine, under present
conditions, will have to remain a heavily subsidised enterprise. Above
all, the preference for mining only high-content ores mast be stopped at
once, if the future davelopsent of the sine is not to be Jeopardised.
A good comparison with siailgr enterprises or with previous years
of operation in rard to aanpover efficiency is given by the "metal
yield," i.e. the metal content of the concentrate produced per man per
shift. Since the content of the crude rubble is of importance here,
this figure is also given. The best ccmparison is afforded by the
"relative metal yield," which determines the metal content of the con-
centtate produced per man per shift fray crude rubble with 1 percent W03.
l7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9
Average Content
Metal Yield
Relative Natal Yield,
Kg o! WO Per Nan Per
of Crude Rubble,
Kg of WO
Shift, oA 3&sie of l%
Y
?ar
sn W0 j
Per Nan per shirt
WOt in Qrude 0
?
19112
o.55
1.58
2,87
1943
0,525
1,38
2.63
194
0, 5u
1.3
2,54
1946
0.6
0.9
1.5
194?(
2.3E
0.35
0.15
19148
1.78
1.08
o.6
I?ViertelJ.
1949
1.1
0.97
0.88
Viertelj. - quarter
The "relative metal yield" shows that the mine Is not operating at
anything like its previous etficiency. Although it is unlikely that the
previous officiency Will be attained spin, because the nature of the
enterprise has undergone a great change, there figurer do show, in an
indisputably clear and reliable fashion, not only the effect of the
prewiling conditions but also the practicability of the on.rational
installatione and organisation.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/04/04 : CIA-RDP82-00039R000100060024-9