Table Of ContentStatistics and Analyses
of the World's
Minerals Industry
Statistics and Analyses
of the World's
Minerals Industry
Phillip Crowson
M
stockton
press
© Phillip Crowson, 1990
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1990 978-0-333-51207-4
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or
by any means, without permission.
Published in the United States and Canada by
STOCKTON PRESS, 1990
15 East 26th Street, New York, N.Y. 10010
The Library of Congress has catalogued this serial
publication as follows:
Minerals handbook (New York, N.Y.)
Minerals handbook/compiled by Phillip Crowson.-1982-83-
New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold, c1982-
( v. : ill. ; 23 cm.)
Biennial.
Issued by: Gulf Pub. Co., 1984-85-
Also published in the U.K. by Macmillan.
ISSN 0265-3923 = Minerals handbook.
1. Mines and mineral resources - Handbooks, manuals, etc. I.
Crowson, Phillip. II. Gulf Publishing Company.
TN151.M49 333.8'5-dc19 85-645605
AACR 2 MARC-S
Library of Congress 8512
First published in the United Kingdom by
MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS LTD, 1990
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Minerals handbook. - 1990-91
1. Mineral industries & trades -
Statistics-Serials
338.2'0212
ISBN 978-1-349-11184-8 ISBN 978-1-349-11182-4 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-1-349-11182-4
ISSN 0265-3923
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Introduction
Author's Acknowledgements
Summary Tables
Table 1 Production and Reserves by Main Geo-political
Grouping
Table 2 The 'Adequacy' of Reserves
Table 3 The Growth of World Reserves of Selected Products
Table 4 Value of Annual Production
Table 5 Import Dependence: European Community, Japan,
United Kingdom, and United States
Table 6 The Historic Growth of Total Mine Production
Table 7 Comparative Growth Rates of Consumption in
the 1970s: United Kingdom, European Community,
Japan and United States
Table 8 Comparative Growth Rates of Consumption,
1980-88: United Kingdom, European Community,
Japan and United States
Table 9 South Africa's Shares of World Reserves and
Production
Detailed Tables
Aluminium, Bauxite and Alumina
Antimony
Arsenic
Asbestos
Barytes
Beryllium
Bismuth
Boron
Cadmium
Chromium
Cobalt
Copper
Fluorspar
Gallium
Germanium
Gold
Indium
Industrial Diamonds
Iron Ore
Lead
Lithium
Magnesium
Manganese
Mercury
Molybdenum
(v)
CONTENTS
Nickel
Niobium
Phosphate
Platinum Group
Potash
Rare Earth Minerals & Metals
Rhenium
Selenium
Silicon
Silver
Sulphur
Tantalum
Tellurium
Tin
Titanium
Tungsten
Uranium
Vanadium
Vermiculite
Zinc
Zirconium
Sources and Notes
(vi)
INTRODUCTION
This handbook originally developed from a study on Non-Fuel Minerals and Foreign
Policy prepared in 1978 for the Royal Institute of International Affairs. The study was
published in a period when discussion of mineral procurement policies was emerging
from specialist groups into a broader forum. The statistical supplement apparently met
a need and it was therefore updated and reissued in an expanded form in early 1980.
The first edition of this handbook was a further extension of that original work. Its aim
was to provide a snapshot of the basic characteristics of the supply and demand of
thirty-seven minerals and metals. Subsequent editions were expanded to include data
for a further nine commodity groups to give the forty six covered in this fourth edition.
All the data have again been updated and revised and the tables extended to include
annual figures for 1987-88 rather than averages. The handbook is not intended as a
substitute for the many excellent statistical publications listed in the Appendix, from
which its data are derived, but merely as an introductory guide mainly for the non
specialist. It draws together in a convenient form information that is scattered over a
very wide range of primary sources. The numerous statistical caveats, qualifications
and footnotes accompanying the original sources of the statistics have been omitted.
The tables would otherwise have been swamped in a sea of footnotes.
One purpose of the handbook is to contain sufficient basic data on all aspects of the
minerals and metals included to allow informed debate on mineral policies. Another is
to give reasonably comprehensive introductions to each material covered.
The earlier versions emphasised that "the real world is invariably far more complex
than simple tables might suggest, and the tendency to latch on to published statistics as
if they were unshakeable truths should be avoided". To illustrate this point, "statistics
on reserves of any mineral involve extensive inference from incomplete data and
extensive judgement, not just about the technical characteristics of ore deposits, but
also about their economics". Even many estimates of production and trade carry wide
margins of error.
The book's layout is straightforward; the introductory summary tables are followed by
separate sections on each of the forty-six minerals. The summary tables mainly bring
together data contained in the detailed sections but with the addition of a short table
(Table 3) showing the historic growth in reserves of several minerals. The other tables
summarise aspects of mineral industries that influence public policy. Thus Table 2
shows two measures of the adequacy of reserves. Table 5 contains estimates of import
dependence in the main areas, and Table 9 shows South Africa's role in the world
mineral industries. South Africa is singled out for a separate summary table solely
because the West's apparent dependence on South Africa has dominated much of the
discussion about mineral supplies.
The individual sections on each mineral follow a broadly common format. The varying
units of the sources have been converted into metric equivalents for nearly all the
metals, although imperial and apothecaries' measures are the conventional measures in
many cases. Prices are, however, quoted in their original units. The main sources of
the statistics used are summarised in a section at the end of the book. The available
data, and the specific characteristics of each mineral explain any variations from the
standard pattern, which is as follows.
1
World Reserves and Reserve Bases
The statistics are taken mainly from publications of the US Bureau of Mines and private
communications with Bureau staff. The figures refer mainly to 1988-89, but with
figures for earlier years in some tables. Separate estimates are shown for most
relevant countries which are divided into three broad groups: Developed, Developing
and Centrally Planned. The Developed Countries are arbitrarily defined as all OECD
Members plus South Africa, the Centrally Planned are USSR, the Comecon Countries,
the People's Republic of China, North Korea, North Vietnam, Albania, Mongolia and
Cuba. Developing Countries are all those not included in the other two categories.
This subdivision is becoming increasingly irrelevant with political changes but it was
still in force for the period covered in this book.
Reserves are defined as:
Recoverable materials in the reserve base that can be economically extracted or
produced at the time of determination.
The Reserve base is more broadly described as:
In-place demonstrated (measured plus indicated) resource from which reserves are
estimated, and including those resources that are currently economic (reserves),
marginally economic (marginal reserves), and some of those that are currently
subeconomic (subeconomic reserves).
Where practicable details are given on the narrower definition, but in one or two
instances both measures are included. Usually a footnote gives a broader estimate of
total resources, which include mineral deposits that are not presently economic. As
noted earlier, changes in the basic technical and economic assumptions can
dramatically alter estimates of reserves; there is no objective measure. Summary
Table 3 demonstrates that estimated reserves in most instances rose over time at least
as fast as production, at least until the early 1980s when markets were adverse.
World Production
Again there are separate figures for each producing country, subdivided into three
broad groupings. The sources are broadly similar to those for reserves. Separate
figures are given for 1987 and 1988. For some commodities figures are given for the
mined product and for its main derivatives. Thus there are separate tables for bauxite,
alumina and aluminium.
Productive Capacity
For the major producing countries estimates of productive capacity are included for
1988. They are mainly taken from recently published data from the US Bureau of
Mines.
Secondary Production
Where recycled material is important, and the statistics are available, a separate table
shows average supplies in the main areas in 1987 and 1988.
The Adequacy of Reserves
Two estimates are given, based mainly on the earlier tables. The first is the static life
of identified reserves, assuming that production continues at the 1987/88 level. In most
instances production is growing however, and reserves are also tending to rise as new
2
deposits are discovered, and existing mines extend their knowledge. The second figure,
to a certain extent, allows for these changes. It shows the ratio of the identified
reserve base (which is greater than reserves) to cumulative demand between 1989 and
2010 (based mainly on historic growth rates projected forward). Whilst this dynamic
ratio is more meaningful than the static reserve/production ratio, it should,
nonetheless, be treated with considerable caution. A broader ratio of resources to
cumulative demand would normally be much greater. As prices rise or costs fall more
deposits will move from resources into reserves thereby sustaining supplies for longer
than the printed ratios suggest.
Consumption
Consumption in 1987 and 1988 is given for the main consuming areas, and historic
annual average compound growth rates, in all cases during the 1970s, and wherever
possible for the 1960s as well. The rate of change during the 1980s is also shown. The
underlying data have been derived from a wide variety of sources.
End Use Pattems
Data are given for the United States in 1988 and in a few cases for other countries,
although such details are not as readily available. Although consumption patterns differ
in detail for the rest of the world the US figures are reasonably representative of the
main outlets for each material. In some sections, and particularly where there are
important non-metallic as well as metallic uses, separate figures are given for the
mineral and for its immediate products.
Value of Contained Metal in Annual Production
Total world production is multiplied by the average prices of 1989 to indicate the
product's relative importance as an article of commerce. These values, however
approximate, are better guides than relative tonnages alone.
Substitutes and Teelmieal Possibilities
Based largely on the reports of the US Bureau of Mines, these two sections pinpoint how
supply and demand may change.
Prices
A description of the pricing methods employed, with a table showing annual average
prices between 1984 and 1989. For some commodities only one price is given, whilst in
other cases there are several. The prices are taken from various trade publications.
Each table is supplemented by a chart which shows the trend in a representative price
since 1979. The charts plot index numbers (1989 = 100) of money prices and of prices in
'real' December 1989 terms. In order to obtain the latter the money prices are deflated
by a relevant wholesale price index. This is the United States' index where prices are
given in dollars, as they are in most instances.
Marketing Arrangements
A brief description of the structure of the market, and of any relevant international
organisations.
Supply and Demand by Main Market Area
Domestic production, trade and consumption in the United Kingdom, European
Community, Japan and United States. Domestic production is divided into the main
3
stages where relevant. The source of net imports, (i.e imports from third countries) are
shown, and also dependence on external supplies. The data are mainly for 1987 and
1988. The geographical sources of net imports are given as percentages of the total
separately for all four groupings. Shares of world consumption and the historic growth
of consumption are also included. For most metals the main additional sources to those
used for the earlier tables are the relevant trade statistics.
The geographical coverage of the European Community has changed frequently. In this
Handbook it is the Europe of the Twelve which was the coverage for most of the
statistics included. Greenland is no longer included in the Community, but its
production (of lead and zinc) is now shown separately.
4
