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MINES
Mineral and Metal Scenario
Minerals are valuable natural resources being finite and non-renewable. They constitute the vital raw materials for many basic industries and are a major resource for development. The wide availability of the minerals in the form of abundant rich reserves made it very conducive for the growth and development of the mining sector in India.
The country is endowed with huge resources of many metallic and non-metallic minerals. Mining sector is an important segment of the Indian economy. Since independence, there has been a pronounced growth in the mineral production both in terms of quantity and value. India produces as many as 87 minerals, which include 4 fuel, 10 metallic, 47 non-metallic, 3 atomic and 23 minor minerals (including building and other materials).
Contribution and Rank of India in World Production of Principal Minerals and Metals
Commodity |
Unit of Quantity |
Production |
Contribution (per cent) |
India's Rank in Order of Quantum of Production |
| |
|
World* |
India* |
|
|
Mineral Fuels |
|
|
|
|
|
Coal and Lignite |
million tonnes |
6938 |
566 |
8.1 |
3rd |
Petroleum (crude) |
million tonnes |
3714 |
33.6 |
0.9 |
25th |
Metallic Minerals |
|
|
|
|
|
Bauxite |
'000 tonnes |
199000 |
14048 |
7.06 |
6th |
Chromites |
'000 tonnes |
18700 |
3372 |
18.0 |
2nd |
Iron Ore |
million tonnes |
2248 |
213 |
9.5 |
4th |
Manganese Ore |
'000 tonnes
|
33400 |
2396 |
7.2 |
5th |
Industrial Minerals |
|
|
|
|
|
Barytes |
'000 tonnes |
7100 |
2137 |
30.1 |
2nd |
Magnesite |
'000 tonnes |
24300 |
285 |
1.2 |
11th |
Rock phosphate |
'000 tonnes |
159000 |
1450 |
0.9 |
14th |
Talc/Steatite/Pyrophyllite |
'000 tones |
7400 |
1063 |
14.3 |
2nd |
Mica |
tonne |
300000 |
1243 |
0.34 |
15th |
Metals |
|
|
|
|
|
Aluminium |
'000 tonnes
|
36900 |
1302 |
3.5 |
7th |
Copper (refined) |
'000 tonnes |
18300 |
500 |
2.7 |
10th |
Steel (crude) |
million tonnes |
1224 |
63 |
5.1 |
3rd |
Lead (refined) |
'000 tonnes |
8900 |
197 |
2.2 |
10th |
Zinc (slab) |
'000 tonnes |
11400 |
658 |
5.7 |
3rd |
Source: World Mineral Production 2005-2009, British Geological Survey
*- Figures related to 2009.
Mineral Production
The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector in the month of October 2011 was higher by 10.54 per cent compared to that of the preceding month. The mineral sector has shown a negative growth of 7.19 per cent during October 2011 as compared to that of the corresponding month of previous year.
The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during October 2011 was US$
2.73 billion . The contribution of petroleum (crude) was the highest at US$
1.09 billion (40 per cent). Next in the order of importance were: coal US$
0.70 billion , iron ore US$
0.43 billion , natural gas (utilized) US$
0.27 billion, lignite US$
0.05 billion and limestone US$
0.05 billion. These six minerals together contributed about 96 per cent of the total value of mineral production in October 2011.
Production level of important minerals in October 2011 were: coal 400 lakh tonnes, lignite 2.7 million tonnes, natural gas (utilized) 3932 million cu. m., petroleum (crude) 3.2 million tonnes, bauxite 958 thousand tonnes, chromite 256 thousand tonnes, copper conc. 10 thousand tonnes, gold 104 kg., iron ore 10.5 million tonnes, lead conc. 13 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 170 thousand tonnes, zinc conc. 111 thousand tonnes, apatite & phosphorite 178 thousand tonnes, dolomite 388 thousand tonnes, limestone 19.9 million tonnes, magnesite 14 thousand tonnes and diamond 1481 carat.
In the month of October 2011 the output of chromite increased by 47.18 per cent, magnetite 34.90 per cent, coal 33.88 per cent, limestone 5.90 per cent, manganese ore 5.20 per cent, petroleum (crude) 3.21 per cent, natural gas (utilized) 1.37 percent. The production of lignite remains at the level of previous month. However the production of iron ore decreased by 1.24 per cent, dolomite 2.17 per cent, copper conc. 2.48 per cent, lead conc. 2.61 per cent, zinc conc. 2.71 per cent, apatite & phosphorite 9.80 per cent, bauxite 11.06 per cent, diamond 28.14 per cent and gold 29.25 percent.
Government in the Mining Sector
Survey and exploration
- Geological Survey of India (GSI)
- Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL)
Regulation and conservation
- Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM)
Mining and processing
- Hindustan Copper Limited
- National Aluminium Company Ltd
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