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Mining Methods Used At Surface Operations In The United States In 2010, By Commodity

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TABLE 7
MINING METHODS USED AT SURFACE OPERATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES-
-IN 2010, BY COMMODITY-
(Percentage of total material handled)
 
    Preceded by drilling   Not preceded by drilling
Commodity   and blasting   and blasting1
Metal ore:
Beryllium   100   --
Copper2   98   2
Gold3   85   15
Iron   95   5
Magnesium metal   --   100
Molybdenum   100   --
Titanium   --   100
Uranium   --   100
Zinc   100   --
Industrial minerals:
Abrasives   100   --
Barite   32   68
Boron minerals   100   --
Bromine   43   57
Clays   5   95
Diatomite   37   63
Emery   100   --
Feldspar4   94   6
Garnet   40   60
Greensand marl   --   100
Gypsum   100   --
Iodine   --   100
Iron oxide pigments   --   100
Kyanite   100   --
Lithium minerals   --   100
Magnesite   100   --
Magnesium compounds   --   100
Mica, scrap   51   49
Olivine   100   --
Perlite   30   70
Phosphate rock   4   96
Potash   --   100
Pumice5   19   81
Salt   --   100
Sand and gravel:
Construction   --   100
Industrial   --   100
Stone:
Crushed   100   --
Dimension   --   100
Talc   98   2
Tripoli   84   16
Vermiculite   34   66
Wollastonite   83   17
Zeolites   99   1
-- Zero.
1Includes drilling and cutting without blasting, dredging, mechanical excavation and
nonfloat washing, and other surface mining methods.
2Includes copper-molybdenum.
3Includes gold-silver.
4Includes aplite.
5Excludes volcanic cinder and scoria; included with -Crushed stone.-

Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program

See also: Mineral commodity prices


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