National Asbestos Mines, adjoining the Bell property, Quebec

Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, wrote in April 1957 that National Gypsum's decision "to enter the asbestos production field" was among the major developments of 1956, and that its subsidiary National Asbestos Mines Limited had been formed "to develop a property along the Pennington dike east of Thetford Mines," Quebec.² The U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook for 1956, citing the Northern Miner, reported plans "to mine and mill asbestos on a 500-acre tract acquired in part from Bell Asbestos Mines," a tract that "adjoins the Bell property."¹

The mill

The sources gave several dates for the start: Asbestos said in April 1957 that "a 3,000 ton mill is being erected and is expected to be in production early in 1958," the yearbook for 1956 said "production is expected in 1958," and in April 1958 the journal said the operation was "scheduled to get into production this June."^1,2,7 The yearbook for 1957 placed the new mill "a few miles northeast of Thetford Mines."⁵ Asbestos reported in July 1959 that National Asbestos Mines Limited "began production on July 1st, 1958," and that the mill, "with a daily capacity of 3,000 tons of ore, can produce 50,000 tons of fibres per year."⁹ The yearbook for 1958 said that a large part of the mill's production was shipped to National Gypsum's own plants in St Louis, New Orleans and Millington, New Jersey, "for processing of shingles, corrugated panels and wallboard."⁸ For 1959, citing Rock Products, it said the first year of operations "was reportedly very successful."³

Expansion

The yearbook reported an expansion program "to increase capacity" in 1962, and Asbestos reported in December 1966 another one "to substantially increase output of asbestos fibre," to be completed "during summer 1967."^10,11 In 1965 both sources reported that "an automatic mill control system" with "a closed-circuit television system" had gone into operation in the mill.^12,13

Lake Asbestos of Quebec

The yearbook for 1973 reported that Lake Asbestos of Quebec, Ltd., a subsidiary of American Smelting and Refining, "has purchased the assets" of National Asbestos Mines at Thetford Mines; Asbestos dated the purchase "October 1, 1973."^4,14,15 In August 1975 the journal listed National Asbestos Mines among the five companies hit by "the strike of asbestos workers at Thetford Mines," then "in its fifth month."¹⁶ It gave the mill capacity at National as "80,000 tons" in 1975 and 1976.^15,17 In December 1977 it reported that money was being spent "to modernize and initiate an air purification program at National."¹⁸

The documents report this mine producing asbestos fiber for sale.⁸

Location

Output the documents report

Figures as printed, in the units each document uses (short tons before about 1990, metric tons after, in most U.S. chapters). Some are a year's output, some a daily rate or a capacity, some a company's total rather than this mine's alone; the statement for that year below says which.

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1956

• Exploration: “made plans to mine and mill asbestos on a 500-acre tract” (National Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 9¹
• Ownership: “a 500-acre tract acquired in part from Bell Asbestos Mines” (National Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 9¹
• Description: “The tract adjoins the Bell property” (National Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 9¹
• Mill: “A 3,000 ton mill is being erected and is expected to be in production early in 1958” (National Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 14²
• Ownership: “A subsidiary, National Asbestos Mines Limited, has been formed to develop a property along the Pennington dike east of Thetford Mines” (National Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 14²

1957

• Mill: “expected to operate its new 3,000-ton-per-day mill a few miles northeast of Thetford Mines during 1958” (National Asbestos Mines), p. 8⁵
• Mill: “National Gypsum's new multi-million-dollar Asbestos-Fibre Plant at Thetford Mines, Quebec ... to be in operation by mid-1958” (National Gypsum Company), p. 22⁶

1958

• Opened: “Production is expected in 1958” (National Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 9¹
• Mill: “National Asbestos Mines is currently working on the final phases of a 3,000 ton per day operation ... scheduled to get into production this June” (National Asbestos Mines), p. 6⁷
• Opened: “This year two new companies are scheduled to join the ranks of Quebec's seven asbestos producers ... National Asbestos Mines Ltd.” (National Asbestos Mines Ltd.), p. 4⁷
• Exploration: “National Asbestos Mines Ltd., Thetford Mines, Megantic County” (National Asbestos Mines Ltd.), p. 8²⁰
• Buyers: “A large part of the National Gypsum production from this mill was shipped to its materials plants in St. Louis, Mo., New Orleans, La., and Millington, N.J.” (National Gypsum Co.), as reported by Northern Miner (Toronto), p. 9⁸
• Opened: “were reported to have started production at their new asbestos mills near Thetford Mines” (National Gypsum Co.), as reported by Northern Miner (Toronto), p. 9⁸
• Mill: “The mill, with a daily capacity of 3,000 tons of ore, can produce 50,000 tons of fibres per year” (National Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 24⁹
• Opened: “Both the Lake Asbestos and the National Mines Divisions first produced asbestos from their respective mines in 1958”, p. 36²¹
• Opened: “National Asbestos Mines Limited ... entered into production July 1st” (National Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 22⁹

1959

• Worked: “The first year of operations at National Asbestos Mines, Ltd., Thetford Mines, Quebec, was reportedly very successful” (National Asbestos Mines, Ltd.), as reported by Rock Products, p. 6³

1962

• Mill: “initiated an expansion program to increase capacity at its Thetford Mines, Quebec, property” (National Gypsum Co.), p. 7¹⁰

1965

• Mill: “An automatic mill control system ... has gone into operation in the mill of National Asbestos Mines Limited” (National Asbestos Mines Limited), p. 10¹²
• Mill: “a closed-circuit television system went into operation in the mill of National Asbestos Mines Ltd.” (National Asbestos Mines Ltd.), as reported by Canadian Min. and Met. Bull., p. 8¹³

1966

• Mill: “is working an expansion program at its plant in Thetford Mines to substantially increase output of asbestos fibre” (National Gypsum), p. 7¹¹

1973

• Mill: “A new vertical mill at National Asbestos Mines improves the quality of the fiber” (National Asbestos Mines), as reported by Asbestos Producer, p. 34²²
• Ownership: “Lake Asbestos of Quebec, Ltd. ... has purchased the assets of National Gypsum Co.'s Canadian subsidiary National Asbestos Mines, Ltd., at Thetford Mines” (Lake Asbestos of Quebec, Ltd.), p. 8⁴
• Ownership: “The National Asbestos Mine at Thetford was acquired by LAQ in 1973 from National Gypsum Company” (Lake Asbestos of Quebec Ltd.), p. 32¹⁵
• Ownership: “The National property was acquired from National Asbestos Mines on October 1, 1973” (Lake Asbestos of Quebec Ltd.), p. 4¹⁴

1975

• Idle: “the strike of asbestos workers at Thetford Mines ... is now in its fifth month; The five stricken companies are ... National Asbestos Mines” (National Asbestos Mines), p. 40¹⁶
• Mill: “80,000 tons at National” (Lake Asbestos of Quebec Ltd.), p. 32¹⁵

1976

• Mill: “Capacity at the National Mines Division, Thetford Mines, is 80,000 tons; a similar process has been put in operation at Thetford” (Lake Asbestos of Quebec Ltd.), p. 34¹⁷

1977

• Dust and health: “to modernize and initiate an air purification program at National” (Lake Asbestos of Quebec Ltd.), p. 30¹⁸

1982

• Worked: “Status P (producer); type S (surface)” (Lac d'Aminate Quebec Lte), p. 15¹⁹
• Reserves: “Demonstrated recoverable fiber 983.3 thousand t; recoverable fiber C (4.0%-5.9%)”, p. 15¹⁹
• Description: “Mining method: Open pit”, p. 20¹⁹
• Output: “Average production 89.4 thousand t/yr (evaluated, averaged over the remaining life)”, p. 20¹⁹
• Ownership: “Owner: Lac d'Aminate Quebec Lte” (Lac d'Aminate Quebec Lte), p. 15¹⁹
• Fiber: “chrysotile, fiber grades 3,4,5,6,7”, p. 15¹⁹

Other names

Documents call this mine “National Asbestos Mines, Ltd. tract”, “National Asbestos Mines mill a few miles northeast of Thetford Mines”, “Thetford Mines, Quebec, property”, “National Asbestos Mines Ltd.”, “National Asbestos Mines, Ltd., at Thetford Mines”, “National Asbestos Mines Limited”, “National Mines Division”, “National Asbestos Mine”.

See also

• National Asbestos Mines, Ltd.: the company's documents, people, products and plants
• National Gypsum Co.: the company's history, documents, people, products and plants
• Lake Asbestos of Quebec, Ltd.: the company's documents, people, products and plants
• All asbestos mines

References

1. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1956 (January 1, 1957), p. 9.
2. Asbestos Magazine, 1957, April 1957 (April 1, 1957), p. 14.
3. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1959 (January 1, 1960), p. 6.
4. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1973 (January 1, 1974), p. 8.
5. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1957 (January 1, 1958), p. 8.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1958, January 1958 (January 1, 1958), p. 22.
7. Asbestos Magazine, 1958, April 1958 (April 1, 1958), pp. 4, 6.
8. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1958 (January 1, 1959), p. 9.
9. Asbestos Magazine, 1959, July 1959 (July 1, 1959), pp. 22, 24.
10. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1962 (January 1, 1963), p. 7.
11. Asbestos Magazine, 1966, December 1966 (December 1, 1966), p. 7.
12. Asbestos Magazine, 1965, July 1965 (July 1, 1965), p. 10.
13. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1965 (January 1, 1966), p. 8.
14. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, June 1978 (June 1, 1978), p. 4.
15. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, December 1975 (December 1, 1975), p. 32.
16. Asbestos Magazine, 1975, August 1975 (August 1, 1975), p. 40.
17. Asbestos Magazine, 1976, December 1976 (December 1, 1976), p. 34.
18. Asbestos Magazine, 1977, December 1977 (December 1, 1977), p. 30.
19. Asbestos Availability: Market Economy Countries (January 1, 1985), pp. 15, 20.
20. Asbestos Magazine, 1958, October 1958 (October 1, 1958), p. 8.
21. Asbestos Magazine, 1978, December 1978 (December 1, 1978), p. 36.
22. Asbestos Magazine, 1973, June 1973 (June 1, 1973), p. 34.