Table 9.—Mercury production, by methods of recovery 
 
 
Direct-furnaced 
Retorted 
 
Total 
 
 
Year 
Ore (short Flasks tons) 
—— Ore (short tons) 
Flasks 
-——— Flasks 
 —— Value' 
(thousands) 
Oper 
ating 
mines 
1963                   
1964                   
 42,768 4,908 42,635 3,181 
356 
653 
 36 4,944 
 81 . 3,262 
 
$937 
1,027 
11 
21 
1965                   
 48,197 2,877 
3,575 
456 
3,333 
1,902 
42 
1966                   
1967                   
 48,813 3,021 51,693 4,457 
14,633 
1,567 
334 
246 
3,355 
4,703 
1,482 
2,301 
29 
25 
1 Value calculated at average 
New York price. 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF NEVADA 
525 
 
Jean plant was expected to produce a complete line of iron oxide pigments,
both natural and synthetic, for Smith's western customers. 
 
 Lead.—Although nine lode mines contributed to the total lead output,
only four 
—Diamond Jim group of lead claims, Elko County; Mountain View zinc
mine, Eureka* County; Pan American lead-zinc mine, Lincoln County; and Good
View lead-silver prospect, Pershing County— yielded significant quantities
of recoverable lead. The Pan American dominated the lead industry in Nevada
with 93 percent of the total output. Production declined 58 percent from
that in 1966 as most producers shut down shortly after mid-year when labor
strikes closed the smelters. Several 1966 producers confined 1967 operations
to exploration and development. 
 
 Mercury.—Mercury production in- 
 
 Molybdenum.—Kennecott Copper Corp. recovered molybdenite in its McGill
concentrator, White Pine County, as a byproduct in treating copper ore mined
in the nearby Robinson district. As a result of industry-wide strikes during
the last half of the year, production and shipments were more than 50 percent
below 1966 figures. The Anaconda Company announced that drilling at the Hall
molybdenum property near Tonopah, Nye County, had been completed. 
 
 Silver.—Recoverable silver output was only 65 percent of that in 1966.
Although seven silver properties reported production, a very high percentage
of the total was recovered as a byproduct in the treatment of copper and
lead-zinc ores. As in 1966, the Pan American lead-zinc mine, Lincoln County,
was the State's leading producer 
creased 40 percent over the 1966 figure, as a result of the rise in the average
unit price from $441.73 to $489.26 per flask. The number of producers declined
from 29 to 25 and only three— Kollsman Mineral & Chemical Co. (B&B
mine), Esmeralda County; Fred H. Lenway Co. (Cordero mine), Humboldt County;
and Crofoot Lumber Co. (Red Bird mine), Pershing County—produced more
than 100 flasks each, with 15 of the 25 operators reporting less than 10
flasks. As in past years, the Cordero mine was the State's major producer,
with twothirds of total production and shipments. Only five producers, including
the three largest, used furnaces to recover the meta1~ all the others used
retorts. Carlin Gold Mining Co., Eureka County, began recovering mercury
as a byproduct of gold production. The mercury was reco~ered by retorting
the precipitate from the cyanide solutions. 
of recoverable silver. Lead-zinc ores yielded 54 percent of the total lode
silver, copper ores, 42 percent and all others, 4 percent Only 129 ounces
of silver was recovered from placer gold operations in Nevada. 
 
 Tungsten.—Seven tungsten properties were active for part of the year.
Small quantities of tungsten concentrates were shipped by operators in Churchill
and Pershing Counties to the tungsten carbide plant of Kennametal, Inc.,
near Rawhide, Mineral County. The plant was operated on purchased concentrates,
principally from the General Services Administration stockpile, although
some came from the above producers in Nevada and from neighboring States.
Nevada-Massachusetts Co. shipped some concentrate from stockpile to a California
paratungstate plant.