The Tungsten Industry of the U.S.S.R. Page: 4
iv, 50 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this report.
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CHAPTER 1.-HISTORY OF SOVIET TUNGSTEN CONCENTRATE
PRODUCTIONThe term "wolfram" first appeared in Russian litera-
ture in 1824, in reference to deposits discovered in the
Ural Mountains of Russian S.F.S.R. (R.S.F.S.R.) (5). Here
wolfram was known as "volchets" (from German "wolf"),
and wolfram acid as "volchetskaya kislota" (wolf's acid).
Production of tungsten in Imperial Russia was low
and the process inefficient. In the Transbaikal region, the
Belukha and Bukuka mines were operating, the Kolyvan
mine in the Altay region, and Boevsk in the Ural (6, p. 6).
Following the Revolution, in 1918 all industrial operations
were nationalized, including the production of tungsten.
From then on, the production of tungsten virtually
stopped until 1925. In 1921 the Government's control of
private enterprises was somewhat lessened, however, and
by 1928, it was reported that 34 tons of tungsten concen-
trate were produced. Unable to restore the "nonferrous
industry" (which in the U.S.S.R. included tungsten) on its
own, the Soviet Government began also employing foreign
technicians, and in 1928 started the first five-year plan.
Just from the United States, 65 engineers and 151 tech-
nicians worked in the soviet nonferrous industry (2).
Geologic exploration for tungsten began in the 1930's,
primarily in regions already known in Imperial Russia,
such as Transbaikal, the Urals, Kazakh S.S.R. (Kaza-
khstan) and in the Maritime Province (Primor'ye) of the
Soviet Far East Territory. During that time, smaller
deposits such as Kuranzhinsk and Barun-Undursk in
Transbaikal, Ubinsk and Kaindinsk at Kalba were devel-
oped. The Gumbeika Mining Complex in the Urals became
operational at the end of 1929, and produced 148 tons of
concentrate in 1930, revitalizing the region's declining
production (7). In 1927, mines in the Far East were
producing at least 15 tons of concentrate, with mines also
operating in Transbaikal (8, p. 69). Based on regional
information, the 1920 national production of tungsten
concentrate is estimated to have been 170 metric tons. By
1932, however, tungsten production fell by 19% from that
of 1930, primarily because of poor output by the Gumbeika
complex and the mines in Transbaikal. The production of
tungsten concentrate in the U.S.S.R. in 1932 was reported
to have been almost 5 times that of 1929, ranking first in
Europe and sixth in the world. The planned production for
1932 was 150 tons, and 300 tons for 1933 (9). Based in part
on the above information, the 1932 production is esti-
mated to have been 140 metric tons, and the 1933 produc-
tion is estimated to have been 175 tons. The Gumbeika
complex increased its production by 13% over that of the
previous year, but mines in Transbaikal produced only
38% of their planned quota (10). At the end of 1933, the
Kolbin tungsten complex in the Altay region (Gorny Altay)
of Kazakhstan became operational on a small scale (11, p.
51). The 1934 production was 105.7% that of the first eight
months of 1933, but the planned quota for the same period
was met by only 45.2% (12). In 1935 the production was
242% that of the first half of 1934.
In late 1930's and early 1940's, a significant number
of new deposits, such as Tyrny-Auz in western Caucasus
Mountains: Dzhida, Shaktomin and Davenda in Trans-
baikal; Iul'tin in the Chukotka region; Akchatau, Kok-kul
and Chindagot in Central Kazakhstan; Chorukh-Dayron,
Koytash and Lyangar in Central Asia were discovered.
From the descriptions of individuals mine and plants, thetungsten production seems to have been increasing grad-
ually, by perhaps 5.5% per year during this period, and
then by larger amounts after 1942. With the outbreak of
World War II, Germany occupied Tyrny-Auz in November
1942, a major tungsten producer by that time, and held it
until January 1943. The plant was blown up by the
Soviets, and it was more than two years before Tyrny-Auz
was put back on line (2). In 1943, the production reportedly
increased by 84% over that in 1940 (13). During the World
War II period, increases in production came mostly from
Dzhida and other deposits in Central Asia, including the
Tuim Complex in Siberia, and Balkhash Complex in
Kazakhstan (14).
During World War II, because of the strategic impor-
tance of tungsten in the war effort, consumption of tung-
sten in the Soviet Union rose significantly, and explora-
tion and development were renewed. The Karaoba deposit
in Central Kazakhstan and Ingichke in Central Asia were
discovered. The large Verkhne-Kayrakty stockwork de-
posit was discovered in Central Kazakhstan after the war.
This also included the Vostok-2, Lermontov and Boguty
deposits (6, pp. 6-7).
By 1945, tungsten concentrate production reportedly
more than doubled in the U.S.S.R. from that of 1940.
Production in 1946 was 11.6% over that of 1945, and it
increased by 20.7% in the first nine months of 1947
compared with the same period of 1946 (15). The Soviet
Union in 1947 reportedly ranked second among world
producers in reserves of tungsten (16). By 1948, production
of tungsten expanded in the Primor'ye Territory of the
Soviet Far East (17, p. 33). Industrial recession started in
the Soviet Union in 1949, and during the fifth five-year
plan (1951-55), tungsten production is estimated to have
risen by about 10% annually. In 1950, the Soviet Union
increased imports of tungsten concentrates to over three
times those of the previous year. Appreciable imports
continued until 1963.
In 1951 and 1952, the large tungsten conentrators at
Ingichke and Lyangar, both in Uzbek S.S.R. (Uzbekistan),
were put into operation, as was the Skopin beneficiation
mill southwest of Moscow. By 1954, there were at least 12
major tungsten concentrate beneficiation plants in full
operation in the Soviet Union: Akchatau, Belukha,
Bukuka, Chelyabinsk, Chorukh-Dayron, Dzhida, Gum-
beika, Kolyvan, Koytash, Lyangar, Skopin, and Tyrny-Auz
(18). In 1955, the Tyrny-Auz complex alone was reportedly
producing an estimated 10-12 tons of tungsten concen-
trate from 5,000-5,500 tons of ore per day (2). Assuming
that Tyrny-Auz accounted for 30-40% of Soviet tungsten
output and produced about 2,500 tons of concentrate per
year, the 1955 production is estimated to have been 6,250
metric tons. At the same time, production in Kazakhstan
increased by 32% in 1954, 37% in 1955, and 45% in 1956,
compared with that of 1953 (19). By the end of the fifth
five-year plan (1951-55), the Soviet Union was importing
large quantities of tungsten concentrate, primarily from
China. In 1957, imports were estimated to have reached a
historical high.
Under the sixth five-year plan (1956-60), which was
then revised to a 1956-58 three-year plan, tungsten con-
centrate production in 1960 was to have increased by 57%
over the 1955 level, or 11.4% per year (20). According to
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Rabchevsky, George A., 1936-. The Tungsten Industry of the U.S.S.R., report, 1988; [Washington D.C.]. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc40315/m1/10/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.