Platinum is only obtained commercially in New Zealand from the Orepuki district of Southland, where it is produced by the Round Hill Gold Mining Company as a by-product in the washing of auriferous gravels. According to information recently supplied by the Mines Department, the annual output of crude platinum for the last ten years has averaged 30 oz., but in view of the recent falling-off of the gold production in this locality, the prospects of any increase in the output of platinum seem small. In South Island the presence of platinum has been reported on the Thames River in quartz lodes, in a region of serpentine and diorite, and in a pyritic lode near the Taramakau River in the district of Westland, in close proximity to sheets of altered magnesian eruptive rocks[4] p. 557. The platinum in the latter case occurs in association with silver, in the proportions of about 7 parts of the latter to 1 of the former, together with pyrite and limonite. Samples taken from the lode have been stated to have an average content of 3 dwt. 8 gr. platinum per ton[45]. Other localities in South Island where platinum has been located are the Taraka and George Rivers, which flow into Awarua Bay; the east coast of Otago, in beach sands and river gravels; the Clutha River; and the Nelson gold district. Concentrates containing up to 2·5 per oz. per ton are reported to have been obtained from the Parapara sub-division. Platinum in New Zealand is often associated with gold, and the deposits are in many cases similar to those of the Urals. CHAPTER III SOURCES OF SUPPLY OF PLATINUM METALS (_b_) FOREIGN COUNTRIES EUROPE FRANCE Platinum metals are not produced in France, but platinum is known to occur at several places. In the Department of Charaste and Deux Sevres it occurs associated with pyrite and limonite; in the Valle du Drae, Hautes Alpes, above Chatalard, platinum occurs in tetrahedrite in metamorphic limestone; at St. Arey, near La Mure (Isere), it occurs in bournonite, in dolomite and altered limestone. Platinum is found in argentiferous tetrahedrite and malachite near Presles, in Savoy[31]. As mentioned below, under Russia (p. 36), France controlled the production of platinum in Russia before the war through the Compagnie Internationale du Platine, due to its extensive ownership of platinum deposits and its contracts with Russian companies. The accompanying table gives a summary of recent imports, with countries of origin, as far as can be obtained. _Imports_ Recent imports in kilograms (42·87 troy oz.) into France of crude, manufactured and scrap platinum, were as under: