54 (1) that 500,000 tons of fluorspar of present-day saleable grades is
probable, and that an additional 500,000 tons is possible.
(ii) that this would be roughly equivalent to 15 years supply for the U.K. industries at an annual consumption rate of 65,000 tons.
127. There are indications of the existence of many other fluorspar deposits which, if developed, might be sufficient to last the industry for a much longer period, but the absence of definite information, the supply of which would entail expenditure of considerable sums of money on exploratory work and testing, makes any estimate of their exact value entirely speculative.
Future development of the industry
128. In the ordinary course of business, the present mining companies would no doubt continue development and would transfer their operations to new deposits when existing sources become exhausted. Some of the more promising and less costly exploratory projects which are indicated on geological evidence, therefore, will be put in hand in the ordinary course of events. There are other large exploratory projects, however, where the element of speculation is high, which might not prove sufficiently attractive to private enterprise under present conditions and it will be on the successful outcome of these that the long-term future of the industry will depend.
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129. Generally speaking, the fluorspar deposits in this country are not of large individual extent and the industry has been built up of small mines needing little capital outlay on exploration, development and plant. As the richer and better-known deposits become exhausted greater financial resources will be needed to facilitate new projects, and exploration will have to be more scientifically planned.
130. In the case of concentration plants, the exhaustion of richer deposits, and the increasing demand for a higher grade product (and particularly for acid-grade spar) will demand more efficient equipment, employing flotation and other modern means of mineral concentration in a greater number of cases than at present. Further developments in mineral dressing technique of this kind are also desirable in the national interest to conserve resources. At present a large proportion, sometimes as much as 50 per cent. of the fluorspar mined at some localities is being lost. In this respect the British industry as a whole is much behind those of the U.S.A. and (in 1939) Germany. This is not necessarily a criticism of the British industry as mining conditions are not strictly comparable, but it is indicative of the fact that the organisation of the British fluorspar industry, based on small mines and undertakings, tends to
restrict capital expenditure on economic grounds. Many of the British mines could not afford a modern plant of the technical efficiency necessary to ensure maximum recovery of a high-grade product.
131. It is clear that to conserve remaining resources of fluorspar and reduce overall costs considerations will have to be given to the establishment by the industry of centralised treatment plants, perhaps on the customs mill principle. This would involve a greater degree of collaboration within the industry than has existed to date. The efficiency of the industry and its future development would also be assisted if a greater degree of standardisation could be obtained in the requirements of metallurgical spar for the steel industry.
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Summary
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132. Evidence of Téserves of fluorspar in England Page Wales H6suffi-
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、cient to enable reliable estimates to be made. Our examination has shown that proved and probable reserves (CaF2 basis) total about 280,000 tons and that, in addition, possible reserves of about 350,000 tons exist. Geological evidence also suggests that a further 650,000 tons of resources might be found in the neighbourhood of existing mines but that at the moment information is insufficient for this figure to be regarded as anything more than speculative, and it would appear that 15 years but not more than 20 years supply can be foreseen. The position, therefore, cannot be regarded as anything but serious.
1001 Quise101 69 7 Borod oviamo:ko juo m: brin aion ent atteway dosb bae ning 133. In this industry steps should be taken to improve dressing facilities as at present much fluorspar is lost in the course of treatment and resources of fluorspar too low-grade to work might be found profitable in future. We consider that steps should be taken to erect modern central dressing plants at suitable points in the mining fields, or to modernise existing plants.ico
FULLERS' EARTH
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134. At the present time three occurrences of fullers' earth in this country are being worked. One of these is at Nutfield, Surrey, and a second near Bath, both of which are worked by the Fullers' Earth Union," Ltd. A third and probably much smaller deposit at Baynards in Sussex is worked by F. W. Berk & Co. Ltd.
135. Other occurrences are known at Woburn in Bedfordshire, and Maidstone in Kent. The former was worked on a considerable scale in the last century and earlier. Smaller occurrences of fullers" earth, probably of little economic importance, have been noted from time to time in different parts of the country and at one locality in the Isle of Man.
Production and Uses
136. The Fullers' Earth Union, Ltd., produced about 44,000 tons per annum of natural (dried) earth from Nutfield in 1948, and they plan to expand this production when more mechanical equipment can be obtained. At Bath 17,000 tons of (dried) earth were produced in 1948.
Annual pro- duction by F. W. Berk & Co. Ltd. is 2,000-5,000 tons. The fullers' earth in the Nutfield and Baynards area is produced by opencast methods and at Bath by underground mining. About 75 per cent. of production of natural earth from Nutfield is treated by a process developed by the Fullers' Earth Union, the product now being sold mainly under the trade name "Fulmont", which is described by the company as activated earth for the decolorizing of vegetable and mineral oils. In addition the Company pro- duces the trade-marked earths "Fulbond" and "Fulbent ", the former being a war-time development especially for use in foundry sand mixtures, and the latter a thixotropic product finding its principal use in oil-well drilling mud, in which it satisfactorily replaces the bentonite earth from Wyoming, U.S.A. Neither of these trade-marked products is of the acid- activated type.
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137. Messrs. F. W. Berk & Co. Ltd., produce "Distribond ", a product said to have similar characteristics to "Fulbond"; the greater part of their production, however, is used as pesticides and soil dressings.
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138. The chief uses of fullers' earth are for oil refining, in foundry sands, for well-drilling muds, and for certain other uses such as
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