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Mining Methods Used At Surface Operations In The United States In 2006, By Commodity

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TABLE 7
MINING METHODS USED AT SURFACE OPERATIONS IN
THE UNITED STATES IN 2006, BY COMMODITY
(Percentage of total material handled)
 
    Preceded by drilling   Not preceded by drilling
Commodity   and blasting   and blasting1
Metal ore:
Beryllium   100   --
Copper   100   --
Gold   100   --
Gold-silver   100   --
Lead   100   --
Lead-zinc   100   --
Iron   95   5
Magnesium metal   --   100
Molybdenum   100   --
Silver   100   --
Titanium   --   100
Uranium   --   100
Zinc   100   --
Industrial minerals:
Abrasives   100   --
Barite   --   100
Boron minerals   100   --
Bromine   2   98
Clays   --   100
Diatomite   16   84
Feldspar2   46   54
Garnet   45   55
Greensand marl   --   100
Gypsum   98   2
Iodine   --   100
Iron oxide pigments   --   100
Kyanite   100   --
Lithium minerals   --   100
Magnesite   100   --
Magnesium compounds   --   100
Mica, scrap   --   100
Olivine   46   54
Perlite   24   76
Phosphate rock   5   95
Potash   --   100
Pumice3   35   65
Salt   --   100
Sand and gravel:
Construction   --   100
Industrial   --   100
Stone:
Crushed   99   1
Dimension   --   100
Talc4   94   6
Tripoli   61   39
Vermiculite   9   91
Wollastonite   100   --
Zeolites   100   --
-- Zero.
1Includes drilling and cutting without blasting, dredging, mechanical
excavation and nonfloat washing, and other surface mining methods.
2Includes aplite.
3Excludes volcanic cinder and scoria; included with "Crushed stone."
4Excludes pyrophyllite.

Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program


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