|
<br />F'
<br />\'
<br />',' .
<br />I,;,
<br />
<br />~"
<br />
<br />1
<br />
<br />
<br />o
<br />o
<br />~
<br />~
<br />~
<br />~
<br />
<br />SYLLABUS
<br />
<br />,it,
<br />r
<br />
<br />l. Section l6 summarizes available information on the
<br />distribution, development, reserves, and potentials of the mineral
<br />resources, and the status of geologic mapping in the AWR Basins;
<br />points out the more serious problems facing the mineral industry in
<br />its attempt to maintain production and recoverable reserves at a high
<br />level in the face of the increasing drain on these exhaustible re-
<br />sources; reviews briefly the types of investigations and research
<br />being undertaken by industry and State and Federal agencies; and pre-
<br />sents a plan for further investigations and research, and geologic,
<br />mapping, designed to aid in greater development and utilization of
<br />the Basins' mineral resources.
<br />
<br />2. The production of liqUid, gaseous and solid fuels, metals,
<br />and nonmetallic minerals in the AWR Basins has been of great impor-
<br />tance to the economy of the Basins for many years. Moreover, the out-
<br />put of petroleum, natural gas, helium, molybdenum, zinc, lead, baux-
<br />ite, and other minerals and metals has, helped immeasurably to supply
<br />the national needs for these materials, particularly in times of war
<br />and world unrest. Available data indicate that the cumulative value
<br />of mineral production in the Basins to the end of' 1952 was about
<br />$27.7 billion. Of' this amount, petroieum, natural gas, arid helium,
<br />accounted for 72.5 percent; metals 14 percent; coal 7.5 percent; and
<br />nonmetallic minerals 6 percent.
<br />
<br />3. The value of mineral production in 1952 is estimated to
<br />have ,been $l.8 billion, about l3 percent of'the total value of nation-
<br />al mineral output in that year and 6.5 percent of' the cumulative value
<br />of' minerals produced in the Basins. In i952, petroleum, natural gas,
<br />and helium contributed 83 percent of the total value of' mineral out-
<br />put in the Basins; metals ,9 percent; coal 2 percent; and nonmetallic
<br />minerals 6 percent. The rise in proportionate output of liquid and
<br />gaseous fuels and the decline in metals and coal are due mostly to
<br />the rapid increase in petroleum and natural gas production since
<br />World War II; but are also due, in part, to declining production of
<br />coal and several of the metals, particularly zinc, lead, gold, and
<br />silver; because of economic conditions and depletion of the higher
<br />grade and more accessible deposits. In'addition to the rise in out-
<br />put of liquid and gaseous fuels, the increase in production of petro-
<br />chemicals in the Basins has been tremendous since World War II. The
<br />production of nonmetallic minerals for construction, industrial, and
<br />chemlcal use has expand'ed greatly in recent years; this expansion has
<br />been especially notable in the cement, stone, clay products, sand-
<br />gravel, 'and'barite industries.
<br />
<br />4. Despite the steady increase in petroleum and natural gas
<br />production since 1945 and the industry's success in maintaining a
<br />
|