526 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 Zinc.—The Mountain View mine, Eureka County, was the only zinc mine
in operation during 1967. The Pan American lead-zinc mine, Lincoln County,
again dominated Nevada's zinc industry, yielding 92 percent of the total
zinc recovered. Virtually all zinc producing mines were shut down shortly
after mid-year due to labor strikes that closed stnelters. As a result, zinc
production dropped 48 percent from that in 1966. 
 
NONMETALS 
 
 Barite.—Primary barite production was 6 percent above the 1966 figure;
shipments, including that used by producers, rose 11 percent. Shipments of
ground barite, virtually all for use in well drilling, increased 40 percent.
Lander County mines yielded 80 percent of the output and 81 percent of the
shipments. The major producers again were FMC Corp. (Mountain Springs mine)
and Dresser Minerals, formerly Magnet Cove Barium Corp., Ltd. (Greystone
group). Dresser and National Lead Co. ground barite in their respective plants
near Battle Mountain, Lander County, and Dunphy, Eureka County. National
Lead contracted some of the barite mining from its own property in Elko County
to supply plant requirements. 
 
 Cement.—The dry-process portland cement plant of Nevada Cement Co.
at Fernley, Lyon County, was the State's only cement producer. Local limestone,
and clays, gypsum, and iron ore from deposits in the nearby counties of Washoe,
Pershing, and Douglas, respectively, supplied raw materials for the plant.
Shipments were only slightly below those of 1966 as increased sales to northern
California customers nearly offset a notable decline in the Nevada market.

 Consumption of cement in Nevada, including out-of-State receipts, was over
1 million barrels, about 300,000 barrels less than in 1966. The southern
Nevada market required about 20,000 barrels more than the northern market.

 
 Clays.—Western Talc Co, formerly Silicates Corp., mined bentonite
from pits in three counties—the Francis near Apex, Clark County; the
Blanco near Mina, Esmeralda County; and the New Discovery near Beatty, Nye
County—and prepared the material for use in cosmetics and phar 
maceuticals. In Lyon County, Industrial Minerals & Chemical Co. obtained
fuller's earth from its Jupiter deposit near Weeks and sold the prepared
mineral for a filtering and decolorizing agent and as a filler in animal
feeds. Nevada Cement Co. used miscellaneous clay from its Washoe County pit
near Flanigau at its cement plant in Lyon County. Sales of bentonite more
than doubled, compared with 1966, and the tonnage of fuller's earth sold
rose 9 percent. The quantity of miscellaneous clay consumed was 24 percent
less than in 1966. 
 
 Diatomite.—Sales of prepared diatomite rose 12 percent above those
of 1966. No sales of crude material were reported in 1967. Four deposits
were mined—one each in Churchill, Esmeralda, Pershing, and Storey Counties.
The Lincoln County deposit of Morgan & Bush was not worked in 1967. Major
processing plants were operated in Pershing and Storey Counties by Eagle-Picher
Industries, Inc., and in Esmeralda County by GREFCO, Inc. The Churchill County
deposit of Cyprus Mines Corp. supplied the company plant in Lyon County.
Sales of prepared diatomite, in order of greatest demand, were for filtration,
anti-caking agent, fillers, lightweight aggregate, insulation, and abrasive.

 
 Fluorspar.—Production and shipments of fluorspar, lower than in 1966,
came from two Nyc County mines. Metallurgical grade fluorspar from the Daisy
(Crowell) mine of J. Irving Crowell was shipped to a southern California
steel plant. Lower grade material from the Goldspar mine was produced by
Monolith Portland Cement Co. and used in the producer's California cement
plant. Monolith's Mary mine was idle in 1967. Wells Cargo, Inc. reported
exploration and development only at its Carp fluorspar mine, Lincoln County.

 
 Gypsum.—A substantial decrease was reported in the output of gypsum
used in making gypsum products for the construction industry. Crude gypsum
production declined 31 percent from 1966, and calcined gypsum output was
down 17 percent. A part of the crude gypsum decline was offset by a reduction
in stocks at calcining plants. Also, less crude material was shipped to plants
outside the State, being replaced to a degree with shipments of gypsum products.
United States Gypsum Co. mined crude gypsum from its Empire