Chapter 28 Tin–tungsten deposits of Myanmar

Abstract

Small-scale mining and primitive smelting of tin by Burmese and Chinese long preceded the commercial exploitation of tin and tungsten in the Myeik (Mergui) district of Myanmar. During the First World War, Myanmar (then British Burma) came into prominence as a source of tungsten as a strategic war material resulting from the intensive production of wolfram from the Dawei (Tavoy) district. In the period between the two world wars, tin–tungsten concentrates ranked in value only next to petroleum and natural gas among the mineral products exported from Burma (Table 28.1). View this table: Table 28.1. Reported mine production of tin and tungsten concentrates in Myanmar in metric tonnes (metal content) In 1939 Myanmar produced 5964 long tons of tin and 4342 long tons of tungsten concentrates, according to the Statistical Summary of the Imperial Institute (1948). Between 2000 and 2008 the declared production of tin and tungsten concentrates rose steadily, and has risen more steeply since 2009. Chanjaroen (2014) forecast Myanmar tin output to rise to 28 000 tons in 2015. The International Tin Research Institute (ITRI) has estimated a higher figure of 35 000 tonnes for 2015 (Gardiner et al. 2015), making Myanmar the third-largest producer of tin in the world after China and Indonesia. Gardiner et al. (2015) have evaluated the current and future potential for the tin industry in Myanmar, with regard to the economics of global tin production. A surge in tin production in Myanmar since 2013 has been due to the tin production from the Man Maw Mining District, which amounted to about 2000 tonnes in 2014 (Gardiner et al. 2015). The Man Maw Mining District (locality No. 3 in Fig. 28.1, Table 28.2) is situated in Wa State, an autonomous area on the border with Yunnan in SW China, governed by the United Wa State Party. …