"Burma?s mineral industry showed moderate improvement during 1972. Production from the Bawdwin nonferrous metal mine near Lashio recorded a slight increase over 1971 output; however, production of refined lead and silver from this mine declined owing to the continuing decline in the grade of the ore. Production of tin and tungsten recorded a substantial increase in 1972. However, output from the Mawchi tin-tungsten mine declined during the year. The U.N. Development Program has provided $2 million to Burma to help reopen other tin and tungsten mines in southern Burma. Offshore exploratory drilling was begun during the year but was interrupted in September by a blowout in which the drilling rig was destroyed. External govern-ment-to-govemment assistance continued to be provided to the Burmese petroleum sector by Japan and West Germany, and by the Export-Import Bank (Eximbank). The mineral industry of Burma has become very much a government business. In fiscal 1971-72 (October through the following September), 11.5% of the Government capital expenditure was designated for the mining sector as follows: Myanma Oil Corp. (MOC), $17.9 million; 2 Myanma Bawdwin Corp. (MBC), $1.9 million; and Mineral Development Corp. (MDC), $5.7 million..."