The mineral production in August 2004 recorded a growth of 4.7 per cent against the corresponding month of the previous year. The mineral sector has shown a growth of 5.1 per cent during the first five months of the current financial year i.e. up to August 2004 compared to the same period last year.
The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during August 2004 was Rs.5,071 crore. The contribution of coal was the highest at Rs. 1,844 crore (36 per cent). Next in the order of importance were : petroleum (crude) Rs.1,601 crore, natural gas (utilised) Rs.750 crore, iron ore Rs.349 crore, lignite Rs. 172 crore and limestone Rs.124 crore. These six minerals together contributed about 95 per cent of the total value of mineral production in August 2004.
Production levels of important minerals during the month were : coal 263 lakh tonnes, lignite 25 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilized) 2,586 million cu.m., petroleum (crude) 29 lakh tonnes, bauxite 755 thousand tonnes, chromite 253 thousand tonnes, copper conc. 13 thousand tonnes, gold 298 kg., iron ore 88 lakh tonnes, lead conc. 7 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 165 thousand tonnes, zinc conc. 56 thousand tonnes, apatite & phosphorite 72 thousand tonnes, dolomite 353 thousand tonnes, limestone 126 lakh tonnes and magnesite 33 thousand tonnes.
During the month, the output of apatite & phosphorite increased by 4.7 per cent and copper conc. 1.6 per cent as compared to the preceding month. However, the output of bauxite decreased by 12.7 per cent, dolomite 12.2 per cent coal, gold and manganese ore 8.3 per cent each, lead conc. 7.8 per cent, iron ore 7.2 per cent, limestone 6.9 per cent, magnesite 5.7 per cent, lignite 5.4 per cent and zinc conc. 2.8 per cent, chromite 0.4 per cent, petroleum (crude) 0.2 per cent and natural gas (utilized) 0.1 per cent.
(Release ID :4345)