An
interesting summary of the Russian platinum industry, prepared as a
"Special supplement to the budget estimate of the Mining Department (of
Russia) for 1916," was published at Petrograd in 1915. This volume
covers the mineral resources of the Russian Empire. In the chapter on
the platinum industry, the report gives a large amount of historical
and statistical data with relation to the production, exportation, and
use of the metal. An interesting table (No. 28 on p. 78) shows the
relation of production to exports and price. The total production to
1914, inclusive, from placers is given as 6,496 poods or 3,421,087 troy
ounces. It is clearly brought out that the Russian use of platinum for
the period 1889-1913 was approximately 1.8 per cent of the production.
The exports are shown to have been distributed as follows: 70 per cent
to France, 29 per cent to Germany, and about three-fourths of 1 per
cent to Great Britain. The fluctuation in prices of crude platinum is
discussed in some detail. A brief discussion of the methods of mining
and some details of the number of producing mines in the various
districts are given at the conclusion of this chapter of the report.
Of more interest from the point of view of the geologist is a report by Duparc,1
in which the author reviews briefly the geology of the platiniierous
deposits of the Urals. After describing these deposits Deparc devotes
considerable space to explaining the occurrence of platinum in the
primary rocks, distinguishing two -types of the Uralian deposits, the
dunitic and the pyroxenitic primary platiniferous rocks. Neither of
these are rich enough in platinum to be workable. The hypothesis is
stated that the platinum of these deposits is purely magmatic and that
the metal is a final product of the differentiation of a basis magma,
which may be more or less complete and of which he says '' the native
platinum is then like the final product of an incomplete cupulation,
the slag resulting from the cupulation represented by the eruptive
rock." The very general concentric banding of the deposits is
discussed, from the relatively acidic feldspathic rocks at the outer
edge, grading into more basic rocks to pyroxenes in the intermediate
stage, and finally to the dunite center composed of olivine and
chromite, which is not always developed. Duparc points out that the
richness of the primary deposits depends on the size of the body and on
the degree of differentiation. As platinum is obtained only from
placer washings, the richness of the gravels is of importance, and,
according to Duparc, is directly proportionate to the size of the
dunite deposits and to the degree to which these deposits have been
eroded. He discusses at some length the variations in composition
between the platinum from different sources and brings out the fact
that platinum ore from pyroxenitic centers is generally richer in
platinum, poorer in osmium, relatively lower in iron, and richer in
palladium than the platinum ore from dunite centers. Duparc emphasizes
the difficulties of prospecting for new platineferous deposits and the
meager results obtained so far by the numerous prospecting parties. He
discusses in some detail the various mechanical devices which have been
used in Russia for the recovery of platinum and describes in particular
the latest dredge which has 7^ cubic feet close-connected Duckets, is
electrically driven, and has a rather unique arrangement
> Duparc, L., Le platine et los gttcs platiniferes de I'Onral: Soc. tog. civils France Mem. (Bull, jan-Tier-mars), 1916.
