588 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 
Table 1O.—Mine production of silver, lead, and zinc, in terms of recoverable
metals 
 
 
Material 
Silver 
 
Lead 
 
 
Zinc 
Total 
 
Mines 
sold or 
—________ 
 
 
— 
 
—— 
value 
Year 
pro- 
ducing 
treated 
(short 
tons) 
Troy 
ounces 
Value 
(thou- 
sands) 
Short 
tons 
Value 
(thou- 
sands) 
Short 
tons 
Value 
(thou- 
sands) 
(thou 
sands) 
1963                 
1964                 
1965                 
1966                 
1967                 
3 
2 
2 
2 
2 
594,245 
683,494 
788,961 
818,408 
808,749 
19,544 
13,306 
11,441 
21,590 
31,103 
$25 
17 
15 
28 
48 
$1,009 
732 
601 
1,097 
1,653 
$218 
192 
188 
332 
463 
53,495 
60,754 
69,880 
73,454 
70,555 
$12,304 
16,525 
20,405 
21,302 
19,534 
$12,547 
16,734 
' 20,607 
' 21,661 
20,045 
1 Data do not add to total due to rounding. 
 
from the Balmat mine, St. Lawrence County, was 44 percent greater than that
of 1966; the value increased 73 percent. Silver recovery, however, usually
reflects the demand for silver-free lead rather than the silver content of
the concentrateS The average value of silver rose from $1.29 per ounce in
1966 to $1.55 per ounce in 1967. 
 
Table 11.—Mine production of silver, lead, and zinc, in 1967, by months,
in terms of recoverable metals 
 
Month 
Silver 
 
(troy 
 
ounces) 
Lead 
 
(short 
 
tons) 
Zinc 
 
(short 
 
tons) 
January         
February        
March          
April           
May            
June            
July            
August          
September        
October         
November        
December        
1,986 
2,065 
2,408 
2,754 
2,431 
2,414 
2,452 
2,457 
2,649 
2,868 
3,061 
3,558 
99 
111 
118 
134 
125 
132 
129 
135 
142 
161 
171 
196 
5,840 
5,328 
5,594 
5,824 
6,089 
6,015 
5,957 
6,629 
6,105 
6,135 
5,286 
5,753 
Total      
31,103 
1,653 
70,555 
 Titanium Concentrate (Ilmenite).— Ilmenite concentrate was recovered
as a coproduct of magnetite from an opencut titaniferous-magnetite deposit
near Tahawus, Essex County. Shipments and value were 5 percent less than
those of 1966. The output was used principally in the manufacture of titanium
dioxide pigment. 
 
 Zinc.—New York ranked second to Tennessee in U.S. zinc production.
Production, all from the Balmat and Edwards mines in St. Lawrence County,
decreased 4 percent in output and 8 percent in value. St. Joseph Lead Co.
reported progress in sinking the No. 4 shaft at Balmat. The 18foot-diameter
circular shaft, designed for 
a depth of 3,180 feet, was started in 1966 and reached 1,302 feet in 1967.
The shaft will provide access to a new ore body discovered in 1966 and also
will permit efficient mining of previously developed reserves. Sufficient
additional ore will reportedly be made available to double Balmat's capacity
by the early 1970's. 
 
MINERAL FUELS 
 
 Natural Gas.—According to the Geological Survey, New York State Museum
and Science Service, the production of natural gas increased 42 percent to
3.8 billion cubic feet. Estimated crude recoverable reserves of natural gas
at yearend, according to the American Gas Association, were 121 billion cubic
feet, of which 96 billion cubic feet was in underground storage reservoirs.
The reserves were essentially the same as at the end of 1966. Natural gas
was stored underground in eight counties by five companies; rated storage
capacity was 101.8 billion cubic feet ultimate.2 The Oil and Gas Journal
reported that Mobile Oil Corp., had capacity to store 631,000 barrels of
liquefied petroleum gas (propane, 422,000 barrels; butane, 209,000 barrels)
in Steuben County; Suburban Propane Gas Corp. had capacity to store 400,000
barrels of propane in Cortland ' County; Texas Eastern Transmission Corp.
had capacity to store 800,000 barrels of propane in Schuyler County. These
storage facilities were in underground caverns mined in salt. In addition,
Texas Eastern Transmission Corp. had inground refrigerated storage capacity
for 600,000 barrels of liquid natural gas in Richmond County (Staten Island).

 
2 Oil and Gas Journal. V. 65, No. 42, Oct. 
16, 1967, p. 124. 
 ~ Oil and Gas JournaL V. 66, No. 22, May 27, 1968, p. 136.