Mineral Production

World Mineral
Production

2006–2010

BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

WORLD MINERAL PRODUCTION
2006–10

Authors: T J Brown, A S Walters, N E Idoine, R A Shaw, C E Wrighton, T Bide
Technical support: A C MacKenzie

Keyworth, Nottingham

British Geological Survey 2012

© NERC 2012 all rights reserved
First Published 2012

BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
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Bibliographical referenceBRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 2012. World mineral
production 2006-10. (Keyworth, Nottingham: British
Geological Survey.)

Cover photograph: Fusion machine at Talison Lithium’s
laboratory, Greenbushes, Western Australia. Image © Talison
Lithium Ltd

ISBN 978-0-85272-696-9 (print version)
ISBN 978-0-85272-697-6 (website version)

ii

PREFACE
This volume is the latest in the series WorldMineral
Production, published by the British Geological Survey. It
comprises the most recent addition to a continuous dataset on
global mineral production which stretches back to 1913,
which includes the preceding titles World Mineral Statistics
and Statistical Summary of the Minerals Industry.
This publication is compiled from a comprehensive database,
maintained by the British GeologicalSurvey, through which
we aim to provide a reliable, comprehensive and continuous
set of data covering most of the minerals that enter
international trade. In this volume we have set out the
production figures by country for more than 70 mineral
commodities, over the five-year period from 2006 to 2010.
The objective of this series remains to present the latest
production informationobtained from official bodies in
individual countries, although other sources are also used to
ensure completeness and accuracy. The cooperation afforded
to the British Geological Survey by numerous national and
international organisations is gratefully acknowledged.
The reported statistics for 2010 reveal a mixed picture, with
many commodities showing a clear recovery from the global
recessionwhile others do not. For example the world’s
production of potash, lithium and bromine in 2010 was similar
to the output levels from 2008 despite sharp falls in 2009. In
contrast global production of bismuth, bentonite and graphite
fell by a further five per cent each in 2010 compared to 2009,
in addition to reductions of 20 per cent, nine per cent and
eight per cent respectively in the...