| SIC Codes: | 1475 1479 1481 1499 1474 1459 1455 1446 1442 1429 1423 1422 1231 1241 1411 1222 1221 1094 1081 1061 1044 1041 1031 1021 1011 |
| NAICS Codes: | 212324 212325 212391 212392 212393 212399 213113 213114 213115 212322 212321 212319 212313 212312 212311 212299 212291 212222 212231 212234 212221 212210 212113 212112 212111 |
Companies in this industry develop mine sites; mine and quarry coal, metal ores, and nonmetallic minerals; and prepare extracted materials. Major companies include US-based Alpha Natural Resources, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Peabody Energy, and Vulcan Materials; BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto (both dually headquartered in Australia and the UK); ShenHua Group (China); Vale (Brazil); and Xstrata (Switzerland).
Demand for coal comes mainly from generators of electricity. Metal ore demand is driven by industrial production. Nonmetallic mineral demand is driven by construction spending and agricultural spending on fertilizers. Large companies can afford to discover and develop new deposits and increase reserves. Small companies typically own just one mine, limit exploration to that one property, and operate it as efficiently as possible.
Major products include coal (40 percent of industry revenue); nonmetallic minerals (32 percent); and metal ore (28 percent). Within the coal sector, primary products are bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, and lignite. Major nonmetallic minerals are crushed and broken limestone; construction sand and gravel; crushed and broken granite; potash, soda, and borate; and phosphate rock. Crushed stone, sand, and gravel are also referred to as aggregates. Copper and nickel, gold ore, and iron ore are major metallic ore products.