Minerals Handbook 1992–93: Statistics and Analyses of the World’s Minerals Industry

338 Pages·1992·15.18 MB·English

by  Phillip Crowson (auth.)

Minerals
Handbook
~1992-93
Statistics and Analyses
of the World's
Minerals Industry
Minerals
Handbook
1992-93
Statistics and Analyses
of the World's
Minerals Industry
Phillip Crowson
M
stockton
press
© Phillip Crowson, 1992.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1992
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, 1992
257 Park Avenue South, 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. ; 23cm.)
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. 1.
Crowson, Phillip. II. Gulf Publishing Company.
TN151.M49 333.8'5-dc 19 85-645605
AACR 2 MARC-S
Library of Congress 8512
ISBN 978-1-56159-054-4
First published in the United Kingdom by
MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS LTD, 1992
Distributed by Globe Book Services Ltd
BruneI Road, Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire R021 2XS
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Minerals handbook. - 1992-93
1
1. Mineral industries & trades -
Statistics - Serials
338.2'0212
ISBN 978-1-349-12566-1 ISBN 978-1-349-12564-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-12564-7
ISSN 0265-3923
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction vii
Author's Acknowledgements x
Summary Tables
Table 1 Production and Reserves by Main Geo-political Grouping xi
Table 2 The 'Adequacy' of Reserves xiii
Table 3 The Growth of World Reserves of Selected Products xiv
Table 4 Value of Annual Production xv
Table 5 Import Dependence: European Community, Japan,
United Kingdom, and United States xvi
Table 6 The Historic Growth of Total Mine Production xvii
Table 7 Comparative Growth Rates of Consumption in
the 1970s: United Kingdom, European Community,
Japan and United States xviii
Table 8 Comparative Growth Rates of Consumption in the
1980s: United Kingdom, European Community,
Japan and United States xix
Detailed Tables
Aluminium, Bauxite and Alumina 1
Antimony 14
Arsenic 21
Asbestos 28
Barytes 34
Beryllium 39
Bismuth 44
Boron 50
Cadmium 56
Chromium 62
Cobalt 69
Copper 76
Fluorspar 84
Gallium 91
Germanium 95
Gold 100
Indium 107
Industrial Diamonds 111
Iron Ore 119
Kaolin 125
Lead 130
Lithium 139
Magnesium 145
Manganese 154
v
CONTENTS
Page
Mercury 161
Molybdenum 166
Nickel 172
Niobium 179
Phosphate 185
Platinum Group 192
Potash 200
Rare Earth Minerals & Metals 207
Rhenium 214
Selenium 219
Silicon 224
Silver 231
Sulphur 238
Talc 243
Tantalum 248
Tellurium 255
Tin 260
Titanium 268
Tungsten 279
Uranium 287
Vanadium 292
Vermiculite 298
Zinc 303
Zirconium 312
Sources and Notes 318
vi
INTRODUCTION
This is the Sixth Edition of this Handbook in its present form. It originally developed from a study on Non-Fuel
Minerals and British Foreign Policy prepared in 1978 for the Royal Institute of International Affairs. Each Edition has
been expanded and refined, to the point where this one contains data for forty-eight commodity groups.
All the data have again been updated and revised to include annual figures for 1989-90. 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 and secondary 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-eight minerals. The summary tables mainly bring together data contained in the detailed sections, but with
the addition of a table showing the approximate turnover and growth rates of the world's mineral industries, and
another 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 and Table 5
contains estimates of import dependence in the main areas. The table which showed South Africa's role in the world
mineral industries has been dropped from this edition, in the light of political developments in that country. The basic
data are, however, still available in the individual sections on each commodity.
The individual sections in 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, usually 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.
The tables on reserves and production still divide the world into three conventional groupings. With the political
changes of recent years, and particularly with the break up of the USSR, the disbandment of Comecon, and the
unification of Germany, the subdivision is no longer very useful. It was, however, relevant for the period covered by
the tables and is retained. Separate data continue to be shown for West and East Germany. The three broad
groups of countries used are Developed, Developing, and Centrally Planned. The Developed Countries are
arbitrarily defined as all DECO Members plus South Africa, the Centrally Planned are the former USSR, the former
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.
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 1990-91, but with figures for earlier years in some tables.
vii
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.
World Production
Again there are separate figures for each producing country, subdivided into the three broad groupings. The sources
are broadly similar to those for reserves. Separate figures are given for 1989 and 1990. 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 1990. 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 1989 and 1990.
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 1989-90 level. In most instances production is gowing however, and reserves are
also tending to rise as new 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 1991 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 1989 and 1990 is given for the main consuming areas, and historic annual average compound growth
rates, in all cases during the 1970s and 1980s and wherever possible for the 1960s as well. The underlying data
have been derived from a wide variety of sources.
viii
End Use Patterns
Data are given for the United States in 1990 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 1991 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 Technical 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 1986 and 1991.
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 (1991 = 100) of money prices and of prices in 'real' December 1991
terms. In order to obtain the latter the money prices are deflated by a relevant wholesale price index. This is the
United States' index of producer prices of industrial commodities 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 stages where relevant. The source of net imports (Le. imports from third
countries) are shown, and also dependence on external supplies. The data are mainly for 1989 and 1990. 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.
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The compiler gratefully acknowledges indebtedness to the statistical publications of the US Bureau of Mines, The
World Bureau of Metal Statistics, Metallgesellschaft, and the British Geological Survey in particular. Many other
sources, listed at the end of the report, have also been used. The price data are derived mainly from the Metal
Bulletin, Metals Week, Industrial Minerals and the Engineering and Mining Journal. Any mistaken interpretations,
errors or omissions, are the compiler's sole responsibility. A considerable proportion of the data was put together by
Liz Power and Celia Prentice, without whom the book would never have been produced. Thanks are also due to the
staff of RTZ Japan and in particular to Ken Suzuki and Hiroko Tsuruoka. Finally Elsie Arjune has undertaken the
arduous task of typing the data.
n.a Not available
c. approximately
Under 1
Independent rounding means that percentages may not add up to 100 throughout the publication.
x