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Sulfur: World Production In All Forms, By Country And Source

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TABLE 11
SULFUR:� WORLD PRODUCTION IN ALL FORMS, BY COUNTRY AND SOURCE1, 2
(Thousand metric tons)
Country and source3   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005e  
Australia, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 817 899 863 865 950
Petroleum 45 60 60 60 60
Total 862   959   923   925   1,010  
Canada, byproduct:
Metallurgy 1,124 r 1,109 r 992 r 1,089 r 1,057 p
Natural gas, petroleum, tar sands 8,320 r 7,816 r 8,036 r 8,421 r 7,916 p
Total 9,444 r 8,925 r 9,028 r 9,510 r 8,973 p
Chile, byproduct, metallurgye 1,160   1,275 4 1,430   1,510   1,660  
China:e
Elemental 420 r 540 r 700 r 820 r 900
Pyrites 3,090 3,240 3,400 3,730 4,010
Byproduct, metallurgy 2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800
Total 5,510 r 5,980 r 6,500 r 7,150 r 7,710  
Finland:e
Pyrites 270 359 341 336 350
Byproduct:
Metallurgy 227 308 305 301 300
Petroleum 46 55 60 65 70
Total 543   722   706   702   720  
France, byproduct:e
Natural gas and petroleum 837 787 816 765 750
Unspecified 260 229 196 196 195
Total 1,100   1,020   1,010   961   945  
Germany:
Pyrites -- r -- -- -- --
Unspecified, marketable 988 1,093 1,014 939 940
Byproduct:
Metallurgy 684 754 701 591 600
Natural gas and petroleum 1,749 1,745 1,661 977 r 977
Total 3,421 r 3,592 r 3,376 r 2,506 r 2,520  
India:e
Pyrites 32 32 32 32 32
Byproduct:
Metallurgy 458 458 539 539 580
Natural gas and petroleum 526   371   451   501   520  
Total 1,020   861   1,020   1,070   1,130  
Iran, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 50 50 50 60 60
Natural gas and petroleum 880 4 1,200 4 1,310 1,400 1,400
Total 930   1,250   1,360   1,460   1,460  
Italy, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 203 142 127 113 115
Petroleum 540 560 565 575 570
Total 743   702   692   688   685  
Japan, byproduct:
Metallurgy 1,319 1,326 1,281 1,263 1,330
Petroleum 2,424 1,865 1,951 1,895 r 1,930
Total   3,743   3,191   3,232   3,158 r 3,260  
See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 11�Continued
SULFUR:� WORLD PRODUCTION IN ALL FORMS, BY COUNTRY AND SOURCE1, 2
(Thousand metric tons)
Country and source3   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005e  
Kazakhstan, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 310 260 325 325 325
Natural gas and petroleum 1,400 1,600 1,600 1,650 1,700
Total 1,710   1,860   1,930   1,980   2,030  
Korea, Republic of, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 665 737 797 r 796 800
Petroleum 690 687 757 879 885
Total 1,360 1,420 1,550 r 1,680 1,690
Kuwait, byproduct, natural gas and petroleume 524   634   714   682   700  
Mexico, byproduct:
Metallurgye 572 588 539 703 700
Natural gas and petroleum 878   877   1,052   1,122   1,017 4
Total 1,450   1,465   1,591   1,825   1,717 4
Netherlands, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 126 124 131 137 135
Petroleum 384   373   408   410   400  
Total 510   497   539   547   535  
Poland:5
Frasch 942 760 762 e 750 e 750
Byproduct:
Metallurgye 277 4 276 r 294 r 290 r 280
Petroleum 133   180   180 r, e 190 r, e 190  
Totale 1,352 4 1,220 r 1,240 r 1,230 r 1,220  
Russia:e, 6
Native 50 50 50 50 50
Pyrites 320 350 350 300 300
Byproduct:
Metallurgy 460 500 520 570 600
Natural gas 5,300   5,600   5,800   6,000   6,000  
Total 6,130 6,500 6,720 6,920 6,950
Saudi Arabia, byproduct, all sourcese 2,350   2,360   2,180   2,230   2,300  
South Africa:
Pyrites, S content, from gold mines 150 183 176 165 133 p
Byproduct:
Metallurgy, copper, platinum, zinc plants 265 e 179 174 180 250
Petroleum 123 170 264 288 410
Total 538   532   614   633   793  
Spain:e
Pyrites 71 -- -- -- --
Byproduct:
Coal, lignite, gasification 1 1 1 1 1
Metallurgy 461 544 560 488 475
Petroleum 135 140 145 145 140
Total 668   685   706   634   616
United Arab Emirates, byproduct, natural gas and petroleume 1,490 1,900 1,900 1,930 1,950
United States, byproduct:
Metallurgy 982 772 683 739 711 4
Natural gas   2,000   1,760   1,940   1,990   1,810 4
See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 11�Continued
SULFUR:� WORLD PRODUCTION IN ALL FORMS, BY COUNTRY AND SOURCE1, 2
(Thousand metric tons)
Country and source3   2001   2002   2003   2004   2005e  
United States, byproduct�Continued:
Petroleum 6,480   6,750   6,970   7,390   6,940 4
Total 9,470   9,270   9,600   10,100   9,460 4
Uzbekistan, byproduct:e
Metallurgy 160 170 170 170 170
Natural gas and petroleum 300   350   350   350   350  
Total 460 520 520 520 520
Venezuela, byproduct, natural gas and petroleum 340   570   560 e 800 e 800  
Othere 4,630 r 4,700 r 4,570 r 4,640 r 4,660
Of which:
Frasch 24 23 19 20 20
Native7 523 r 502 r 283 r 251 r 217
Pyrites 214 r 189 r 200 r 192 r 187
Unspecified   1,120   1,090   1,140   1,150 r 1,190  
Of which:
Byproduct:
Metallurgy 1,260 r 1,320 r 1,380 r 1,350 r 1,350
Natural gas 226 255 305 365 365
Natural gas and petroleum, undifferentiated 420 r 441 r 405 r 425 r 427
Petroleum 845 r 882 r 843 r 881 r 900  
Grand total 61,400 r 62,600 r 64,200 r 66,000 r 66,000
Of which:
Frasch 966 783 781 770 770
Native7 993 r 1,090 r 1,030 r 1,120 r 1,170
Pyrites 4,150 r 4,350 r 4,500 r 4,760 r 5,010
Unspecified 4,720 r 4,780 r 4,530 r 4,510 r 4,630
Byproduct:
Coal, lignite, gasificatione 1 1 1 1 1
Metallurgy 13,600 r 14,000 r 14,300 r 14,700 r 15,300
Natural gas 7,530 r 7,610 r 8,050 r 8,360 r 8,170
Natural gas, petroleum, tar sands, undifferentiated 17,700 r 18,300 r 18,900 r 19,000 r 18,500
Petroleum   11,800 r 11,700 r 12,200 r 12,800 r 12,500  
eEstimated. �pPreliminary.� rRevised.� -- Zero.
1World totals, U.S. data, and estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.
2Table includes data available through July 17, 2006.
3The term "source" reflects the means of collecting sulfur and the type of raw material.� Sources listed include the following:� Frasch�
recovery; native comprising all production of elemental sulfur by traditional mining methods (thereby excluding Frasch); pyrites��
(whether or not the sulfur is recovered in the elemental form or as acid); byproduct recovery, either as elemental sulfur or as sulfur��
compounds from coal gasification, metallurgical operations including associated coal processing, crude oil and natural gas extraction,��
petroleum refining, tar sand cleaning, and processing of spent oxide from stack-gas scrubbers; and recovery from processing mined��
gypsum. Recovery of sulfur in the form of sulfuric acid from artificial gypsum produced as a byproduct of phosphatic fertilizer��
production is excluded, because to include it would result in double counting. Production of Frasch sulfur, other native sulfur, pyrite-
derived sulfur, mined gypsum derived sulfur, byproduct sulfur from extraction of crude oil and natural gas, and recovery from tar��
sands are all credited to the country of orgin of the extracted raw materials.� In contrast, byproduct recovery from metallurgical�
operations, petroleum refineries, and spent oxides are credited to the nation where the recovery takes place, which is not the original�
source country of the crude product from which the sulfur is extracted.
4Reported figure.
5Government of Poland sources report total Frasch and native mined elemental sulfur output annually, undifferentiated; this figure
has been divided between Frasch and other native sulfur on the basis of information obtained from supplementary sources.
6Sulfur is believed to be produced from Frasch and as a petroleum byproduct; however, information is inadequate to formulate estimates.
7Includes "China, elemental."

Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program

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