MINING AND PROSPECTING ACTIVITIES IN THE WENGYUAN REGION, KWANGTUNG PROVINCE, CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T04743A000100030012-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2004
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: June 13, 1963
• Content Type: MF

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PID/ABCB 129/63
13 June 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Atomic/Biological/Chemical Division, OSI
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Chief, CIA/PID(NPIC)
SUBJECT: Mining and Prospecting Activities in the
Wengyuan Region, Kwangtung Province, China
REFERENCES: Requirement No. 0SI/R-216/62
CIA Project No. C 904-62
Requirement No. 0SI/R-19/63
CIA Project No. C 90-63
1. The mountainous region for a radius of 50 nautical miles
(nm) around the small country town of Weng-yuan, Kwangtung Province,
China, was searched on fair to good quality photography for the
location of uranium mines and any other possible evidences of
atomic energy activity.
2. Four localities are suggested, from the photography, as
possible sources of uranium ores and by-product concentrates (see
Appendix I of this report for additional data on these sources or
mines):
A. Panchi, or Mine 9, 214--35N 114-13E, which has been reported
by an unverified or untested source to be an uranium mine. The source's
description has been partially confirmed by photography. At Panchi
the veins trend or strike N42W, unlike the tungsten veins of the
Weng-yuan region which strike or trend in a more or less east-west
direction. A study o ' the photography of mines shows the northwest-
southeast trending veins are wide-spread in their occurrence,, that
they are closely related (though probably later) in geological age
to the tungsten mineralization, and that they probably all have more
or less the same mineral content. Using the northwest-southeast vein
system as a clue, other localities are suggested as possible producers
of uranium ores and concentrates.
B. Hsiao-chi, Mine 3, at 24-38N 114-15E and Hu-tzu, Mine 5,
at 24-37N 114-15E, which form one extensive mining district. The
irregular surface workings and underground mining make it difficult
to estimate accurately the proportion of ore contributed by the two
sets of veins.
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C. Tien-tang-shan, Mine 13, at 24-26N 113-16E, is observed to
have controlled access and to be working veins trending N7E to N29W even
more extensively than a WNW-ESE vein system, under the difficult con-
ditions of mountain top mining.
GROUT 'i
Excludc4 fr..'
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D. Huang-sha-k'eng, Prospect 2 (see Appendix II)
24-27N 113-08E, whose veins trending N17W to N44W, have been
extensively trenched. Presumably some uranium or other rare
mineral fractions are separated from tungsten ores at a number
of other mines in small quantities.
3. Fifteen mines, in addition to four open pit iron ore
or iron sulfide (pyrite) mines, have been identified from photography
of the greater Weng-yuan region. A table listing the essential data
pertaining to fifteen of these mines is appended hereto as Appendix I.
4. The Hsiao-chi and Hu-tzu mine areas are seen to represent
a new and rapidly developing mine and mill district. As discussed
in paragraph 2, the parallelism of the strike or trend of the trenches
in these mine areas with those at a suspect uranium mine (No. 9) at
Panchi, suggests that in addition to tungsten this area may also be
producing uranium bearing ores. The prediction of the U.S. Geological
Survey study "Uranium and Thorium Resources of China and North Korea",
Binder 1, p. 95, Jan 1955, SECRET, "...lithium mica and perhaps even
beryl could be recovered from some veins and greisen (fault) zones
if large scale milling operations are undertaken," warrents the
maintenance of a watch on the development of these areas. Old
Chinese reports indicate that minor amounts of beryllium, bismuth,
molybdenum, and fluorine bearing minerals are associated with these
tungsten deposits, quite possibly in sufficient quantities to attract
Chinese and Russian interest. Chinese patience, abundant manpower
from the mining and nearby villages, could separate these minerals
by laborious hand methods in simple structures.
5. Some of the mine dumps, particularly those at Mine 6, Kung-wu
(24-27N 113-04E) and Mine 15, Wang-lung-kang (24-26N 113-03E), appear
to have been reworked on a small and limited scale. At Mine 14,
Tun-tzu-tou (Pa-pao-shan) (24-24N 113-07E) the mill tailings are observed
to be passed over sluices in a gulch below the mill for recovery of
mill di s cards.
6. Small active up-grading mills, probably using mechanical
processes are to be seen at Mine 3 (Hsiao-chi), Mine 5 (Hu-tzu), and
Mine 9 (Panchi), where uranium bearing ores might be given a low or
preliminary concentration. Uranium bearing fractions produced in the
western part of the Weng-yuan region by prospecting or as the by-product
of tungsten ore concentration, could be treated as a part of a clean-up
campaign in the tungsten ore mill at Tun-tzu-tou (Pa-pao-shan) at
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24-24N 113-07E. Uranium bearing fractions from the east-central part
of the Weng-yuan region couldbe treated at the mill at Huang-tung,
24-29N 113-58E, or trucked across the mountains to the large tungsten
mill at Chang-kuang-yang, at 24-36N 114-22E, for further concentration.
The small quantity of ores from Mine 13, (Tien-tang-Shan), are trucked
down the mountain to a walled shipment point at Lou-hsia, at 24-23N
113-19E whence they are shipped by mine railway to a loading spur on
the standard gauge railway south of Fan-ch'ien at 24-21N 113-29E,
14 nm SSW of Wu-shih, to an undisclosed destination.
7. One may assume that enriched uranium ores may occur near
the surface, perhaps averaging 0.20 percent (%) U308 equivalent.
If, as mineralogically seems more likely, the U308 content will
decrease as mining continues downward into the unenriched vein in
3 to 5 years, an average U 08 content of 0.10% seems more reasonable.
The following table attemp s to break down the production of U308
by principal sources:
Table 1: Estimated Tentative Production of U 0 in Metric Tons,
Equivalent, 1962, For The Greater Weng-yuan Region, China
Production,
Mine No. Name Coordinates Metric Tons, U 0 quivalent
0.10% U3O8
0.15 U308
____
Content
Content
3
Hsiao-chi
24-38N
114-15E
100
150
5
Hu-tzu
24-37N
114-37E
9
Penchi
24-35N
114-13E
15
23
13
Tien-tang-shan 24-26N 113-16E
& other mines
20
24
--
Prospecting
15
23
TOTALS
150
220
8. Weng-yuan is seen to be a "small country town" without a
mine, concentration plant, supply base, or apparent headquarters of a
mining administration. Weng-yuan may have been used as a communications
office because it is in the center of the new and westward extension of
tungsten deposits of the adjoining southern Kiangsi Province. Weng-yuan
is also in the center of extensive military facilities and would be
expected to have a communications facility with procedures for safe-
quarding messages. It has long been an administrative center for mining
in northern Kwang-tung Province, being known as Wung-yuan in the pre-
World War II mineral reports. Another Weng-yuan, named as New Weng-yuan
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or Niu-kang-tung (24-21N 114-07E) is seen to be another "small country
town" without an ore treatment plant.
9. A draft map, on US Air Target Charts, Series 200, showing
the locations of all prospects, their probable trend or strike of
the veins has been prepared together with a brief description of the
nature of the prospecting activity for the region having a radius
of 50 nm around Weng-yuan. The draft map and explanatory text are
on file in the Atomic/Biological/Chemical Branch where they may be
consulted.
10. References used in the preparation of this memorandum are
as follows:
Collateral References:
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4 pages, info. Sept. 1959, issued 15 Oct 62, Confidential.
Eval. 3. This is the only report from this source.
2. Hsiu, K.C. and Ting, I. Geology and Tungsten Deposits of Southern
Kiangsi: Geological Survey of China, Memoir Series A, No. 17, 1943.
Unclassified. Chinese and English texts. Colored geological map.
Report also includes a portion of the northeastern part of Kwangtung
Province and the eastern part of the greater Weng-yuan region.
Map Data
USATC, Series 200,
USATC, Series 200,
USATC, Series 200,
USATC, Series 200,
USAW, Series 200,
USATC, Series 200,
498-16A, scale 1:200,000, April 1959, Secret.
498-17A, scale 1:200,000, April 1959, Secret.
498-21HL, scale 1:200,000, March 1962, Secret.
498-22AL, scale 1:200,000, Sept 1960, Secret.
614-1A., scale 1:200,000, April 1959, Secret.
614-2A, scale 1:200,000, Nov 1959, Secret.
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AMS, Series L500, NF 49-4, Kuang-chou mapsheet, scale 1:250,000,
Dec 1960, Unclassified.
AMS, Series L500, NG 4+9-16, Ch'u-chiang mapsheet, scale 1:250,000,
April 1959, Unclassified.
AMS, Series L500, NG-50-9, Kan-hsien mapsheet, scale 1:250,000,
April 1959, Unclassified.
AMS, Series L500, NG 50-13, Lung-ch'uan mapsheet, scale 1:250,000,
April 1955, Unclassified.
11. This memorandum answers the referenced requirements and
the projects are considered complete. The photo analysts on this
project are Messrs. They may be
contacted on extensioni phoui-d you have Further questions
regarding this project.
SECRET
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13 June 1963
Poss. Distance,
No. Name
1 Chiang Tsao
2 Chung-tsun
3 Hsiao-chi
+L Huang:Fung
Hu-tzu
Kung-wu
Trend of NM, airline
Coord- Veins from Weng- Prosp.
inates (Strike) ~ruan Area
24-42N N 67W 27 NE Yes
114-09E
2 - 3E N50E 25 NE Yes
1111--OI+E
24-38N N35W 2 NE Yes
114-15E
2 -29N N651 10 NE Yes
113-58E
2 -37N N32W 2 NE Yes
114-15E N64W
224-227N N90E 43 W 20-30
113-03E
N77W
11)+-o8E
27 NE
t Lao-ku-keng 24-43N N82E 27 NE
114-o6E
24-35N N 42W 25 NE
114+-13E
10 Shan-men 25-02N N90E NE
114-17E
11 Shang-hsieh* 24-32N N15W 1ON
113-lt-7E
12 Sung-yuan 24-03N N50E 30 SE
114-141-E
13 Tien-tang- 2 -2 N N7 4E 30 WNW
shan 113-16E N7E to N29W
1 Tun-Tzu-Tou 24-24N N73W 38 W_
113-07E N20E
15 Wang-lung- 2 -2 N N 5EWWW
113-02E
Access
Route
Trail
Poor
road
Good
road
Good
road
Good
road
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Access Expl.-
to ore ives Housing
Deposit Dump Mill Area
Open --- 3 small Yes
pits bldgs.
Tunnels Yes Yes 16 bldgs.
shafts(?)
Open Pits Yes Yes 50 bldgs.
tunnels
Open Pits Yes Yes Yes
tunnels
Open Pits No Yes 5 bldgs.
tunnel
Trail Open
pit
Trail Open
pits
12 Trail
trenches
20-25 Good
trenches road
Yes Poor
road
Yes Trail
6-8- Poor
trenches road
Pits Trail
Yes Poor
road
12 Trail
trenches
Open
pit
19 bldgs.
Open Pit No Sorting Village
tunnels plant
Shaft(?) No M 3 small 3 bldgs.
Open Pit bldgs.
Open pitsNo Poss. village
Tunnels Mill
Open No No bldgs.
pits
Open
pits
sml. villa?
Open Pit No(?) Yes sml. town
tunnel
Tunnel No No Yes(? -
Open pits
Shang-hsieh is seen to be an old and rather inactive area. There is some doubt
if this is a tungsten mine. Production of mineral concentrates is considered to
be small.
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Appendix I (con't.)
Prospecting is seen on photography to be carried out by digging
narrow trenches along (rather than across) a vein. The richer parts
may be drilled by pole drilling to shallow depths, as seen as Prospect
6. All prospects are unsecured. Prospects are usually trail served.
The intersections of two veins or vein systems characterizes all mining
districts and may be used as an indicator of the loci of the more
favorable prospects. Many more prospects have been trenched or drilled
than have been developed into mines.
If the China National Intelligence Survey estimates, Chapter 6,
Section 63, p. 63-68, are correct for the 1935 reserves of 143,000
tons of tungstic oxide, it may be concluded from photography of the
mine dumps that the deposits would now be approaching exhaustion.
The extensive prospecting campaign has also probably been carried out
also with the hope of finding new and perhaps richer deposits of
accessory minerals, including those of possible interest to the Chinese
atomic energy program.
If the strike or trend of the veins of both the prospects and
the mines as seen on photography are plotted on a map the impression is
obtained that there is a zoning laterally and vertically of the minerali-
zation of the greater Weng-yuan region, The tungsten and rare mineral
ore bodies are confined to veins on a possible eroded structural type
of granite "dome". The central core of the Weng-yuan region is observed
to have large irregular ore bodies of iron sulfide (pyrite) in a valley west
and northwest of Yeng-te (24-11'N 113-25E). The iron sulfide deposits are
seen to be surrounded both laterally and vertically by a zone of tungsten
and rare mineral (uranium) veins. The latter strike or trend NW-SE and
appear to be slightly later but belonging to the same regional age of
mineralization. The latter are seen to occur generally in the upper
slopes or peaks of the mountains. If this zonation is true it can be used
to predict the location of future prospects and to check the reports of
informants. The zonation also suggests that the tungsten deposits were
formed under conditions of fairly high pressures and temperatures and
that the primary uranium ore minerals are uraninite and pitchblende.
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Selected Most Promising Prospects of the Greater Weng-yuan Region, China
Poss. Distance,
Coord- Trend ofNM, air- Access
No. Name inates Veins line from Route
(Stxike)Weng-pan 2)+-26N N-S 1 WNW Trail
113-04E N75E
Huang-sha- 24-27N NLW 37 WNW Poor
k'eng 113-08E N17W road
Fen-p'ing 2 -2 N N'7W 3 WNW Poor
113-07E road
Kteng-wei 24-25N N9W 2 WNW Trail
113-17E N71E
5 Hsi-an 24-28N N 46B 39 NW
113-23E N8E
6 Fu-hsing-tung 211--08N N6 4E 1 SE
114-02E
7 Shang-wei 23-75N N51W 37 SSW
113-47E N42E
old trenches. new pits to NW
dug down to protore
Pits and trenches. 32 bldgs., hou-
sing area. Best of prospects
Pits and trenches. No scarring
of a scarp
_
3 trenches. ENE-WSW trenches most
productive of a dark ore. 10 shacks
Center of 3 related areas.
1 recent trenches in adjoining T
areas
if recent intersecting trenches, 1
being drilled. A rejuvenated prspt.
7 intersecting trenches showing
recently renewed digging.
Fourteen of the fifteen mines listed in the table above, as seen on
photography,, are considered to be working on tungsten deposits and to
produce uranium, if at all, only as a small by-product operation,
(1) the U.S. Geo-Survey Study "Uranium and Thorium Resources of
Chine and North Korea," Binder 1, p. 95, Jan 1955, states, "...it is
unlikely that enough uranium is present in any deposit to constitute
a worthwhile product."
(2) No uranium minerals were described by Chinese mineralogists
just at a time prior to World War II when the significance of uranium was
becoming recognized.
(3) The strike or trend of the veins, as shown in the table above,
is generally nearly east-west across a broad region, making for a similarity
of the ore deposits and of the mines themselves. The mines are seen to be
with two exceptions (an old and a new mine area) uniformly small and simple
with the buildings resembling each other.
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Appendix II (con't.)
(4) No special security fences and gates are seen about the
properties, other than those customarily used to guard industrial
property or explosive magazines.
(5) No large dumps indicative of the extraction of a minute
constitutent in the ores are visible anywhere.
(6) No central uranium mill, with reagent tanks, security fences,
walled-in product storage or a large dump of mill tailings is to be
seen. The mine product, which forms a small fraction of the ores, is
shipped away for farther treatment elsewhere. The mineral product is
believed to be of high tonnage value. The miners are able to devote
their full attention to mining, as there is a general absence of gardens
near the housing areas. The mines and prospects lack the appearances
of crash priority operations. The slopes about the mines appear to be
grazed as if by flocks, possibly kept to provide milk and meat for the
miners engaged in hard underground labor on unhealthful ores.
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