Minerals Handbook 1994–95: Statistics and Analyses of the World’s Minerals Industry

351 Pages·1994·17.69 MB·English

by  Phillip Crowson (auth.)

M i n e r a l s
H a n d b o o k
1994-95
Statistics and Analyses
of the World's
Minerals Industry
M i n e r a l s
H a n d b o o k
1994-95
Statistics and Analyses
of the World's
Minerals Industry
Phillip Crowson
~
PALGRAVE
MACMILLAN
© Phillip Crowson, 1994
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1994
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission
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claims for damages.
Published in the United States and Canada by
STOCKTON PRESS, 1994
49 West 24th Street, New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-1-56159-113-8
First published in the United Kingdom by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD, 1994
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Minerals handbook. - 1994-95
1. Minerals industries & trades -
Statistics - Serials
388.2'0212
ISBN 978-1-349-13433-5 ISBN 978-1-349-13431-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-13431-1
ISSN 0265-3923
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction vii
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 Contained Metal in Annual Production xv
Table 5 Import Dependence: 1992 in Percentages xvi
Table 6 The Historic Growth of Total Mine Production xvii
Table 7 Comparative Growth Rates of Consumption in
the 1970s xviii
Table 8 Comparative Growth Rates of Consumption in the
1980s xx
Table 9 China's Percentage Share of World Production in 1992 xxi
Table 10 The Role of Secondary Production of Major Non Ferrous Metals xxii
Table 11 World Minerals Production and Prices 1979-1993 xxiii
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
Graphite 107
Indium 112
Industrial Diamonds 116
Iodine 124
Iron Ore 129
Kaolin 135
Lead 140
Lithium 149
Magnesium 155
CONTENTS
Manganese 164
Mercury 171
Molybdenum 176
Nickel 182
Niobium 189
Phosphate 195
Platinum Group 202
Potash 210
Rare Earth Minerals & Metals 217
Rhenium 224
Selenium 229
Silicon 234
Silver 241
Sulphur 248
Talc 253
Tantalum 258
Tellurium 265
Tin 270
Titanium 278
Tungsten 289
Uranium 297
Vanadium 302
Vermiculite 308
Zinc 313
Zirconium 321
327
Sources and Notes
INTRODUCTION
This is the Seventh 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 Intemational Affairs. Each edition has
been expanded and refined, to the point where this edition contains data for fifty commodity groups.
All the data have again been updated and revised to include annual figures for 1991-92. 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 fifty minerals. The summary tables mainly bring together data contained in the detailed sections; one shows the
apprOXimate turnover and growth rates of the world's mineral industries, and another 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 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, and the disbandment of Comecon, the
subdivision is not as useful as it once was. It is, however, relevant for the period covered by the tables and is retained.
The three broad groups of countries used are Developed, Developing, and Fonner Centrally Planned. The
Developed Countries are arbitrarily defined as all OECD Members plus South Africa, the Former Centrally Planned
are the former USSR, the former Comecon Countries, except East Germany; 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. The distinction between the Former Centrally Planned and other countries still has some value as a
presentational device if only because the USSR was not formally disbanded until the end of 1991. Also the trade
policies of this group of countries are still heavily dominated by the state. Data for the former East and West
Germanies are combined under Germany. Where possible, separate figures are now given for the separate republics
of the former USSR. The data here remains patchy.
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 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.
vii
INTRODUCTION
World Reserve 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 1991-93.
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:
The 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 1991 and 1992. 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. A chart is included showing index numbers (1992=100) of total world production since 1979.
Productive Capacity
For the major producing countries estimates of productive capacity are included for 1992 (or in some cases 1991).
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 secondary supplies in
the main areas in 1991 and 1992.
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 1991-92 level. In most instances production is growing 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 1993 and 2012 (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 1991 and 1992 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
INTRODUCTION
End Use Patterns
Data are given for the United States in 1992 and in a few cases for other countries, although such details are not as
readily available. Although consumption pattems differ in detail for the rest of the world the US figures are usually
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 1993 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 1988 and 1993.
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 (1992 = 1(0) of prices in 'real' December 1993 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 sources of net imports (Le. imports from third
countries) are shown, and also dependence on external supplies. The data are mainly for 1991 and 1992. 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, error
or omissions, are the compiler's sole responsibility. A considerable proportion of the data was put together by Liz
Power, Celia Prentice and Hiroko Tsuruoka without whom the book would never have been produced.
c. approximately
c.i.f. carriage, insurance, freight
f.a.s. free at ship
f.o.b. freight on board
excl. excluding
incl. including
n.a Not available
Under 1
Independent rounding means that percentages may not add up to 100 throughout the publication.
x