(Thousand long tons) 
 
 Gross weight Year 
 Ore Iron 
 Iron content (percent) 
content 
 
 1963 10,336 5,913 1964 13,676 7,923 1965 14,322 8,343 1966 14,322 8,432

57.21 
57.93 
58.25 
58.87 
 1967 14,030 - 8,453 
60.25 
Table 15.—Iron ore 1 shipped from mines 
 
(Thousand long tons) 
 
 Direct- Concentrates Total 
Year shipping ——— usable 
 ore 2 Agglom- Other Total ore 
Proportion 
of concen 
trates to 
total usable 
erates 
ore 
(percent) 
 1963 4,852 4,364 1,574 5,938 10,789 1964 5,753 6,573 1,546 8,118 13,871
1965 4,969 7,554 1,004 8,558 13,527 1966 4,272 8,690 1,415 10,106 14,377
1967 3,011 10,336 783 11,119 14,130 
55.03 
58.53 
63.26 
70.28 
78.69 
lExelusive of ore containing 5 percent or more manganese. 
2 crushed, screened, and sized ore not further treated. 
3 Datamay not add to totals shown because of independent rounding. 
THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF MICHIGAN 
 
 
Table 14.—Production of usable iron ore 
419 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 According to the Michigan Department of Conservation 2, the average cost
per ton for underground mines was $9.07 in 1967, compared with $9.15 in 1966.
Labor costs decreased to $2.45 per ton, while taxes (excluding Federal income
tax) decreased to $0.32 per ton. Deferred costs per ton were $0.47, and other
costs were as follows: 
General overhead, $1.28; royalty, $0.42; and marketing, $0.05. 
 
 Pig Iron and Steel.—Pig iron and steel were manufactured at plants
in Ecorse, Dearborn, and Trenton in the Detroit area. Pig iron shipments
and value were nearly 5 percent smaller than in 1966. Basic and foundry grades
were produced, and shipments included these grades as well as low phosphorus
grade shipped from stocks. 
 About 2.3 million tons of iron and manganiferous ores, mostly domestic,
were consumed in agglomerating plants and blast and steel furnaces. 
 The American Iron & Steel Institute reported Michigan steel production
of 9.2 
million tons, nearly 8 percent iess than in 
1966. 
 
 Silver.—Silver was recovered from copper ore mined and milled by the
White Pine Copper Co. Concentrate from its silver-recovery circuit was smelted
sepa 
rately for delivery to electrolytic refineries where the silver was recovered.
Silver contained in fire-refined copper was not recovered but was marketed
as a constituent of Lake copper. Output in 1967 dropped substantially because
of the labor strike at the White Pine operations. 
 
MINERAL FUELS 
 
Natural Gas and Natural Gas Products. 
—Natural gas was produced from both oil and gas wells in 25 counties.
About 87 percent of the production came from five counties, with St. Clair
County supplying 45 percent of the total State output. 
 Natural gas liquids were stripped from Michigan gas principally at the AlbionScipio,
Bell River Mills, Boyd, and Reed City gas plants. Additional natural gas
liquids were stripped from gas delivered by interstate pipeline from out-of-State
gasfields at a plant in Washtenaw County. 
 
 Peat.—Michigan led the Nation in peat production with 38 percent of
the total. Peat was produced in 14 counties, with nearly one-half of the
State output from 
 
 2 Geological Survey Division, Michigan Department of Conservation. General
Statistics Covering Cost and Production of Michigan Iron Mines. 1968, 5 pp.