OCR

Laboratory Sampling - Samples of ore were analyzed constantly for iron content, sulphur, silica, alumina and phosphorus by the Marcona Laboratory which was situated near the pier termination and which was in operation 24 hours a day. At night samples were taken for mine control drom drill samples and ore brought in by the highway trucks and analyzed. Samples were taken from every 250 tons of ore passing along the pier for loading, averaging a sample about every 20 minutes. The belt was halted and a three foot section of ore, giving about 500 pounds of sample, was removed. The sample was screened; that is, passed through a screen with 3/16-inch wiring and everything which dropped through the screen was less than that measurement. Known as a mechanical analysis, this screening was for the purpose of determining the percentage of fines in the ore as the shipment of load should not exceed 10% of fines of less than 3/16 inches. If the sample did not measure up to this, ore from the stockpile was blended into the load immediately to attain the right mixture. Following mechanical screening, the sample was crushed in a laboratory crusher; in other words, crushed and reduced in size and quantity and pulverized to less than 100 mesh. These two processes are carried out in the open and then the crushed sample goes to the lab for chemical analysis. Included in the laboratory equipment was the only combination furnace in Peru at that time, a large metal box used to determine the sulphur con- tent in ore samples. The core of heat in this furnace was maintained at 2600 degrees F. with the test being conducted in about four minutes . There were also drying furnaces to test the moisture in the ore with specifications being that moisture cannot be over 2%. The Santa Corporation - Under its contract with the Santa Corporation, the Marcona Mining Company had to ship a minimum of 500,000 tons of ore annually. It was understood even at that time, however, that company plans called for the shipment of four times that amount, or around 2,000,000 tons. (This figure was more than doubled in following years) The Santa Corporation was to receive royalties of 6% based on the quotation for old range Bassemer Iron CIF, lower lake ports of the Great Lakes in the United States, for the first million tons exported every year. The royalty on shipments in excess of 1,000,000 tons would be 7%. The Santa Corporation would also have the right to secure up to 300,000 tons of iron ore a year at a price of 28% of the quotation above referred to FOB San Juan. It should be stipulated here, that all this information listed here tells of the mine and port as they were in the waning months of 1953. This was the reason for the past tense being used in the presentation of this material. Many changes have transpired at this facility since that time. The five stages of the San Nicolas Project plus time itself, have undoubtedly incurred many changes from what was fact in the year 1953.