June 25, 2013 – According to USGS, total domestic mining and waste removal for nonfuel mineral materials production amounted to 5.04 billion metric tons (gt) in 2011, about the same level as the revised figure for 2010. These materials included about 3.75 gt of crude ore mined or quarried and 1.29 gt of mine ore and waste from development operations. Of the nonfuel mineral materials (ore and waste) removed, 49 percent was for the production of industrial minerals, and 51 percent was for the production of metals. Overall, 97 percent of nonfuel mineral materials was mined and quarried using surface methods, and 3 percent was mined underground. Total surface mining, quarrying, and waste removal for industrial minerals production amounted to 2.34 gt, virtually unchanged from the revised 2010 total. Crude ore mined at these surface operations was 2.13 gt, and 211 million metric tons (Mt) was waste removed, including ore and waste from development operations. underground mining for industrial minerals was 130 Mt, nearly all of which was crude ore. The leading states in which mining for nonfuel mineral materials took place were, in descending order of total material handled, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Utah and Missouri. These 10 states accounted for 56 percent of the tonnage removed in the production of nonfuel mineral materials mined in the United States. Nearly all nonfuel mine production in these states was from surface operations.
Nonfuel Minerals Mining Stays Level
