The mineral sector has shown a positive growth of 0.4% during December 2013 as compared to that of the corresponding month of previous year.
The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during December 2013 was Rs. 18735 crore. The contribution of coal was the highest at Rs. 6540 crore (35%).
Next in the order of importance were: petroleum (crude) Rs. 5945 crore, iron ore Rs. 2522 crore, natural gas (utilized) Rs. 1860 crore, limestone Rs. 376 crore and lignite Rs. 481 crore. These six minerals together contributed about 95% of the total value of mineral production in December 2013.
Production level of important minerals in December 2013 were: coal 534 lakh tonnes, lignite 39 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilized) 2906 million cu. m., petroleum (crude) 33 lakh tonnes, bauxite 2615 thousand tonnes, chromite 286 thousand tonnes, copper conc.
12 thousand tonnes, gold 122 kg., iron ore 124 lakh tonnes, lead conc. 16 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 237 thousand tonnes, zinc conc. 124 thousand tonnes, apatite & phosphorite 141 thousand tonnes, dolomite 552 thousand tonnes, limestone 219 lakh tonnes, magnesite 14 thousand tonnes and diamond 3206 carat.
In December 2013 the output of bauxite increased by 77.8%, diamond 47.1%, gold 41.9%, lignite 36.5%, chromite 17.5%, coal 13.0%, manganese ore 11.4%, dolomite 9.1%, zinc conc.
7.6%, apatite & phosphorite 7.2% petroleum (crude) 3.8%, lead conc. 3.7%, natural gas (utilized) 3.5% and magnesite 1.9 percent. However the production of limestone decreased by 0.4%, copper conc. 1.7% and iron ore 2.1 percent.
