94 MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 Legislation and Government Programs. 
—The General Services. Administration (GSA) and Duval Sierrita Corp.,
a subsidiary of Duval Corp., Houston, Tex., entered into a domestic copper
production expansion contract on November 28. The agreement was for the development
of a low-grade copper-molybdenum ore body adjacent to the Esperanza mine
in Pima County. The contract was entered into under the authority of the
Defense Production Act of 1960 as amended, on the basis of a program authorized
by the President cn March 29, 1966, to encourage additional production of
copper in the interest of national security. Since April 11, 1966,, when
GSA was authorized by the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) to undertake
the program, the Interagency Working Group composed of representatives of
the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Interior, OEP, and GSA had evaluated
over 140 submissions, 30 of which were located in Arizona. 
 Copper export regulations were i'elaxed to permit U.S. mining companies
unaffected by the strike to export their copper products. The new regulation
allowed any independent concern to ship overseas up to 80 percent of its
average monthly copper ore production where the refined metal was to be sold
abroad, and to ship the entire output where all finished metal was returned
to the United States. Duval Corp., with operations at the Esperanza and Mineral
Park mines, was the first to obtain a permit, followed by Pima Mining Co.
and Bagdad Copper Corp. 
 The copper stockpile remained at about 259,000 tons, 516,000 tons below
the objective of 775,000 tons; no releases of stockpile copper were announced
in 1967. 
 The Office of Minerals Exploration (OME), U.S. Geological Survey, contracted
to assist Robert C. Hanford in exploring for silver at the Lane Silver Mines
group of claims in Yavapai County. Of the total cost of the work, estimated
at $30,000, OME participation was 75 percent ($22,500). 
 OME also contracted to assist Western Minerals Corp. in exploring for copper
and silver at the Silver Hill and Homestake-Indiana property in Pima County.
Total cost of the work was estimated at 
$79,200, of Which OME participation was 62.5 percent ($49,500). 
 Construction contracts financed by Federal, State, and municipal funds utilized
much of the cement, sand and gravel, and stone production. State highway
construction contracts awarded during the year totaled $70 million. Fifty-five
percent ($38,500 million) was for cons.truction of roads in the National
System of Interstate and Defense Highways.4 Of the 1,167.3 miles of Interstate
highways in Arizona 732.3 miles were open to the public at yearend; 434 miles
were under construction, engineering, or right-of-way phase; and 1 mile had
not been started.5 
 
 Exploration and Development.—Exploration for mineral commodities in
Arizona continued at a slightly reduced rate. In the Basin and Range province
parts of the State, including areas in 11 of the 14 counties, over 50 separate
entities—companies and individuals—were engaged in exploration.
Although gold, ' silver, and molybdenum were sought for in the potential
deposits, copper was the primary target. The most active areas of exploration
were the Vekol district (Casa Grande) in contiguous parts of Maricopa, Pima,
and Pinal Counties, the Patagonia region of Santa Cruz County, and the Owl
Head district in Pinal County. Other areas of interest included the western
part of San Manuel, Safford (Lone Star), San Xavier, Cochise (Johnson Camp),
and Helvetia. An indication of the trend in exploration and development activity
in the State was given by the footage of work reported to the Bureau of Mines.

 Total drilling dropped 28 percent to 612,200 feet. Of the total, more than
99 percent was for metals. Copper and uranium accounted for 75 and 15 percent,
respectively; silver accounted for about 3 percent; magnetite, zinc, and
molybdenum each accounted for about 2 percent. 
 Footage from churn drilling, formerly an important method of exploration
from 
 
 Engineering News-Record, State Highway 
Departments' Construction Contracting Plans 
' for 1968 . - - and Budgets for Maintenance: 
Highway Spending Go~ for a New Record 
Despite Federal Aid Cuts. V. 180, No. 14, Apr. 
4, 1968, pp. 86—87. 
 Federal Highway Administration. Quarterly Report on The Federal-Aid Highway
Program, Dec. 31, 1967. Press Release FHWA-118, Feb. 14, 1968.