Summary of Operations, California Oil Fields, Vol. 8: December, 1922, No. 6; January, 1923, No. 7; February, 1923, No. 8; March, 1923, No. 9; April, 1923, No. 10; May, 1923, No. 11.

Mining in California, December, 1922, Vol. 18, No. 12.

Mining in California, January, 1923, Vol. 19, No. 1; February, 1923, Vol. 19, No. 2; March, 1923, Vol. 19, No. 3.

Map No. 28, Torrance (Redondo) Oil Field; price 75 cents.

Commercial Mineral Notes: No. 1, April; No. 2, May; No. 3, June; No. 4, July; No. 5, August.

As the timeliness of publication is important in the case of the lists of 'mineral deposits wanted' and 'minerals for sale,' it was decided to issue that information in the form of a mimeograph sheet once a month, since the change to a quarterly status of Mining in California' which formerly was the vehicle for disseminating such information. This list is mailed, free of charge, to those

on the mailing list for 'Mining in California.'

Mails and Files.

The Bureau maintains, in addition to its correspondence file, a mine report file which includes reports on some 7500 mines and mineral properties in California. Also there is available to the public a file of the permits granted to mining and oil corporations by the State Commissioner of Corporations.

During the past three months 3726 letters were received and answered. They are practically all requests for information and the inquiries cover all phases of prospecting, mining and developing mineral deposits, reduction of crude minerals, and marketing of refined products. Drafting Room.

This is purely a workshop, and is the only branch of the Bureau that is not primarily at the direct service of the public. In the drafting room well logs, maps, sketches, etc., are prepared for the many publications and reports which are under way at all times.

Changes in Personnel.

Since the March issue of 'Mining in California' the following changes in personnel have taken place:

Mr. R. E. Collom, state oil and gas supervisor since January, 1921, has resigned, effective October 1st, to engage in private practice.

Mr. R. D. Bush has been appointed state oil and gas supervisor, vice R. E. Collom resigned. Mr. Bush received his technical training at the University of California, was a deputy and chief deputy oil and gas supervisor of this department 1917-1920, and the past three years has been engaged in technical work with the Empire Gas and Fuel Company in the oil fields of Kansas.

Mr. M. A. Newman, for the past year district mining engineer in charge of the southern district, with offices at Los Angeles, resigned in June, to engage in private practice.

Mr. W. Burling Tucker, district mining engineer in charge of the Redding district, has been transferred to the Los Angeles office of the Bureau.

Mr. C. A. Logan, for the past four years in charge of the Auburn district, has been transferred to Sacramento, in charge of the new district formed by consolidation of the Redding and Auburn districts.

Mr. Forest L. Campbell, a graduate of the University of California in mining engineering, has been appointed librarian of the Bureau, and is in charge of the information desk at the San Francisco office.

Mr. J. J. McDonald, for the past eight years assistant mining statistician, resigned in May, to engage in private business.

DIVISION OF MINERALS AND STATISTICS.
Statistics, Museum, Laboratory.

WALTER W. BRADLEY, Deputy State Mineralogist.

STATISTICS.

MINERAL PRODUCTION OF CALIFORNIA IN 1922. Compilation of the direct returns to the State Mining Bureau from the various operators throughout the state show the total aggregate value of the mineral output of California for the year 1922 to have been $245,183,826, being a decrease of $22,973,646 from the 1921 total of $268,157,472. There were fifty-three different mineral substances, exclusive of a segregation of the various stones grouped under gems; and all of the fifty-eight counties of the state contributed to the list.

The salient features of 1922 compared with the preceding year, were: The continued increase in petroleum yield, although of lower prices per barrel; increases in copper, lead, natural gas, brick and tile, and erushed rock; and decreases in gold, silver, cement, and petroleum values. The net result was a decrease in the grand total of all groups of nearly twenty-three million dollars, as stated above. Petroleum accounted for a decrease of $29,756,960 in total value, although there was an increase in quantity of approximately 26,000,000 barrels.

Of the metals: copper increased from 12,088,053 pounds, worth $1,559,358, to 22,883,987 pounds, worth $3,090,582; lead, from 1,149,051 pounds and $51,707, to 6,511,280 pounds and $358,120; zine, quicksilver, platinum, and iron ore also showed increases. Gold decreased from $15,704,822 to $14,670,346, in spite of which in 1922 California. accounted for approximately 30 per cent of the gold output of the United States.

Of the structural group: brick and tile increased in value from $5,570,875 to $7,994,991; miscellaneous stone (comprising crushed rock, sand and gravel, paving blocks) from $7,834,640 to $10,377,783; magnesite, lime, marble, and onyx also increasing; cement, although increasing from 7,404,221 barrels to 8,962,135 barrels in output, decreased from $18,072,120 to $16,524,056 in value. Slate again joined the active list with a small yield.

In the 'industrial' group, there were a number of fluctuations, the more important increases being shown by mineral water, pottery clay, gypsum, and pyrites; and decreases by diatomaceous earth, and limestone. Two new items were added in 1922 to this list, not previously produced commercially in California, namely: shale oil and sillimanite. In the saline group, potash and soda increased, with borates, magnesium salts, salt, and calcium chloride, decreasing.

Details of the 1922 production data are published in our Bulletin 93.

The following table shows the comparative yield of mineral substances of California for 1921 and 1922 as compiled from the returns received at the State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, in answer to inquiries sent to producers:

(1) Recalculated to 40 per cent 'anhydrous boric acid' equivalent.

(2) Unapportioned-includes graphite, diatomaceous earth, and lithia.

(3) Unapportioned-includes calcium chloride, graphite, diatomaceous earth, lithia, shale oil, sillima

nite, and slate.

(4) Includes macadam, ballast, rubble, riprap, paving blocks, sand, gravel, and grinding-mill pebbles.

The following table shows the comparative value of the mineral production of the various counties in the state, for the years 1921 and 1922:

Total Mineral Production of California, by Years.

The following tabulation gives the total value of mineral production of California by years since 1887, in which year compilation of such data by the State Mining Bureau began. At the side of these figures the writer has placed the values of the most important metal and nonmetal items-gold and petroleum.

In the same period copper made an important growth beginning with 1897 following the entry of the Shasta County mines, and more recently Plumas County. Cement increased rapidly from 1902, while crushed rock, sand and gravel as a group parallels the cement increase. Quicksilver has been up and down. Mineral water and salt have always been important items, but the values fluctuate. Borax has increased materially since 1896. War-time increases, 1915-1918, were shown by chromite, copper, lead, magnesite, manganese, silver, tungsten and zinc. Most of these, except silver, have since declined; with structural materials and copper increasing in 1920-1922.

The Museum of the State Mining Bureau possesses an exceptionally fine collection of rocks and minerals of both economic and academic value. It ranks among the first five of such collections located in North America; and contains not only one or more samples of most of the known minerals found in California, but many specimens from other states and foreign countries as well.