XN000022-1977-07-10 — Page 3

N

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 1977

HONG KONG'S MINERAL RESOURCES IN STEADY SUPPLY

******

THE PRODUCTION OF FELDSPAR, KAOL IN AND QUARTZ, THE MORE ABUNDANT AND ECONOMICALLY WORKABLE OF HONG KONG'S NATURAL MINERAL RESOURCES AFTER IRON ORE, GENERALLY INCREASED LAST YEAR.

WORK INGS AT FELDSPAR, KAOLIN AND QUARTZ MINES, ALL BY OPENCAST METHOD, YIELDED 2,299, 1,305 AND 982 TONNES RESPECTIVELY, COMPARED WITH 2,059, 1,490 AND 760 TONNES IN 1975.

PRODUCTION OF IRON ORE, WHICH STOPPED IN APRIL WHEN THE EXPORT SALES AGREEMENT EXPIRED AMOUNTED TO 37,058 TONNES, COMPARED WITH 167,200 TONNES FOR THE WHOLE OF 1975.

MOST OF THE FELDSPAR AND KAOL IN PRODUCED FOR MANUFACTURING PORCELAIN AND POTTERY WARE WERE EXPORTED TO JAPAN, TAIWAN AND SOME TO THE PHILIPPINES. THE QUARTZ PRODUCED. FOR MANUFACTURING GLASS WARE AS WELL AS FOR GLAZING, WAS ENTIRELY TAKEN UP BY LOCAL

INDUSTRIES,

AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, THREE MINES WERE ENGAGED IN PRODUCING FELDSPAR, SEVEN IN KAOLIN AND FIVE IN QUARTZ. TOGETHER THEY EMPLOYED 84 WORKERS.

LICENCES OR LEASES FOR THE IR OPERATION ARE ISSUED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S MINES DIVISION. ALL BLASTING OPERATIONS AND QUARRYING IN HONG KONG AS WELL, PARTICULARLY ASPECTS OF THE IR SAFETY TO WORKERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ALSO COME UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE OFFICE.

+STRICT CONTROL IS EXERCISED FROM THE TIME OF DELIVERY OF EXPLOSIVES AT THE GOVERNMENT DEPOTS TO THE TIME THE EXPLOSIVES ARE FIRED AT BLASTING SITES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MINES DIVISION SAID.

+EVERY BLAST IS CLOSELY SUPERVISED, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN OR NEAR URBAN AREAS WHERE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS ARE TAKEN TO MINIMISE GROUND VIBRATIONS, HE ADDED.

+ THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF EXPLOSIVES USED LAST YEAR WAS 3,232.7 TONNES, DOWN BY 12.8 PER CENT OVER THE 3,708.3 TONNES RECORDED IN 1975. THE AMOUNT USED THAT YEAR, HOWEVER, WAS

A HIGH RECORD, COMPARED, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH 2,585 TONNES IN 1974,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

OF THE TOTAL TONNAGE OF EXPLOSIVES USED LAST YEAR, 48 PER CENT WAS THE AMMONIUM NITRATE AND FUEL OIL BLASTING AGENT (ANFO), 24.3 PER CENT TRUCK MIXED SLURRY EXPLOSIVE, 23.5 PER CENT HIGH EXPLOSIVES SUCH AS GEL IGNITE AND DYNAMITE, AND 4.2 PER CENT OF CARTRIDGED SLURRY EXPLOSIVE, COMMONLY KNOWN AS WATER GEL.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID WATER GEL WAS A NEW TYPE OF SAFER EXPLOSIVE WHICH WAS FIRST INTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.

/+BECAUSE