African Copper

A year ago, U. S. copper producers were inclined to think that only this continent, in the future as in the past, could furnish copper in large amounts when the demand for the red metal revived. Some of them have been treated to a rude shock by the sudden recent prominence in the industry of the Katanga mines in mid-Africa.

These deposits, only lately put into heavy production, now have an annual output of 240,000,000 Ib. It has been estimated that they contain about 9,000,000,000 Ib. of extractable copper metal.

The mines are situated in the district of Katanga, in the Belgian Congo, 1,700 miles from a sea port. Shipments are made via the Benguella Railway and Lobito Bay to Europe. Already a concentrator and electrolytic refinery and a battery of coke-ovens have been provided to work the ores extracted; while a hydro-electric plant and a leaching plant are shortly to be added.

The Katanga copper deposits are owned by a Belgian company--l'Union Miniere du Haut Katanga, incorporated in 1906. This company is in turn controlled by a London company--the Tanganyika Concessions, Ltd.--and a Belgian company--la Societe Generale de Belgique.